The best approach to select a Product for Improvements with TQM

At this point, we all know the importance of quality in either the products we sell or the services we offer. Without the quality, our businesses will have no chance of ever succeeding.

The first and most important steps in TQM

Quality products and services are the ones that satisfy the customer in every single way intended. If the customer base and the stakeholders are happy, then the organization is on its way to becoming successful for a long time. The main objective of TQM is customer satisfaction.
In order become successful managing quality, you will need to plan for quality and this is usually the first and most important steps to ensure that. Selecting the product or service that needs improvement is very crucial to the success of your company.

A number of steps will have to be taken in order to arrive at the final decision. Let us have a look at what they are.

Product or service improvement suggestion.
In order for you to know which products or services needs improvement, you will need to consult certain people and they include;

01. Feedback from the field through sales reps
What are the customers saying about the product or service? The best people to answer this question are the sales rep.

02. Stakeholders
This is perhaps the biggest function of stakeholders. Idea generation is the reason why they are there and they will perfectly pitch in and let you know which product or service needs improvement. Stakeholders are always looking to improve the company and thus you can count on their contribution. Some organizations or businesses view the stakeholders as partners and this is a good thing. Now use your partner to gain valuable information.

03. Social media
This is perhaps the biggest source. Customers air their views on social media and from there you can pick up excellent points that will help you make a decision.

04. Internal research efforts.
Your company can also carry out internal research to find out which products or services are due for an upgrade.

05. Websites FAQs and company blogs
The FAQ will definitely point you towards the right direction. Comments on your company’s blog is also another great source.

06. Suggestion boxes
Suggestions left by customers in the suggestion box will help you determine which service or product needs to be upgraded.

07. Customers’ relations fora
Introduce forums where customers would be allowed to air their views. You can also pick up some points from there.

08. Suppliers and other members of the supplier-customer chain
Your retailers can also offer you valuable information as they are the ones that have close ties with the customers.

09. Competition
You will also be able to know if your product or services needs an upgrade when you consider what your competitors have to offer.

Data Collection
After a product or service has been identified as in need of an improvement, the next step is to collect more data on the product or service. The situation should also be studied closely just to ensure the length of deviation from the desired standard.

To collect more data, you can use any or all of the following ways.
• Surveys
• Check sheets
• Questionnaire
• Interviewing etc.

The reason why the product or service isn’t up to standard should be established using methods that are of convenience to you. The data collected will then be analyzed and displayed so that useful information can be extracted from it. Data analysis programs can be used and they include;
• Histogram
• Pareto analysis
• Scatter diagrams
• Control charts
• Forcefield analysis etc.

All these activities are put together so that you can be sure of the product or service that needs quality improvement. There will be many products or services that will compete for the selection, however, completing the steps will leave you with the deserving ones. You can then proceed to improve the quality after that.

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