How do tqm and six sigma differ

TQM vs Six Sigma. Business leaders and managers often get torn between TQM and Six Sigma while trying to choose the best management and quality control approach for their organizations. Understanding the differences between the two is the most important thing in such situations.

This approach has been around for sometime before Six Sigma was introduced. Whereas proponents of either approach would prefer mutual exclusivity in business, the two could actually complement each other, and can be very compatible in various business situations. Where TQM will facilitate quality improvement of processes, products and services, Six Sigma will help to give the improvements an edge and keep them more focused.

Although Six Sigma utilizes the efforts of many departments, it is more of a statistical approach, and is very much data driven. It makes use of measuring and analyzing data to determine how defects and differences could be minimized to the level where there are 3. Statistical Process Control is employed while using Six Sigma, and the two of them make use of statistics for process monitoring and maintenance. While TQM strives for increased levels of performance, Six Sigma focuses on setting minimum standards and acceptance requirements.

In Six Sigma, the definition is a relational one, stressing that quality is reflected in the least number of defects, which must, as much as possible, be eliminated. One difference between the two systems lies in their areas of focus. While TQM concentrates on individual departments and more specific quantitative goals, TQM's ultimate focus is customer satisfaction. The path that takes the business toward that final goal is secondary.

TQM must be redefined when the predetermined goals are accomplished. Six Sigma, however, aims at continuous improvements and is self-propelled. Six sigma, when correctly applied, will continue to yield benefits after the original goals have been realized as it instills a culture that forever aims to improve performance. Six Sigma projects are managed by "black belts" who have gone through formal training and have a proven track record in quality gains.

These individuals work full time on Six Sigma in their departments but return to their previous jobs after a few years. TQM is run by the quality control department and professionals who specialize on quality improvements, usually, for their entire career.

Six Sigma aims to spread the ownership of quality improvement to the entire organization while those who run TQM are more experienced in the quality field. Six Sigma is often driven by a focus on cutting costs and tends to work best if it has specific financial goals. Your email address will not be published. Take a tour! In this interactive video you will discover what you will learn in our Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training and certification program. By creating an account you will be able to shop faster, be up to date on an order status, and keep track of the orders you have previously made.

TQM vs. For example: We focused on quality and ignored other critical business issues. Quality trumped everything else. Of course, this made no business sense and often lead to organizations that failed despite improved quality.

We created a quality specialty that suffered from all of the same suboptimization problems as other functions within the organization. Despite all of our talk about a systems perspective, when push came to shove we fought for our point of view and our budget just like everyone else.

Thus, they backed off of-or never started-efforts of their own. We emphasized minimum acceptance requirements and standards, rather than striving for ever increasing levels of performance. We never developed an infrastructure for freeing up resources to improve business processes. We developed a career path in quality. Quality professionals tended to lack subject matter expertise in other areas of the company. This division of labor, combined with functionally specialized organization, made it difficult to improve quality beyond a certain level.

I estimate that this type of organization tops out at about 3. Six Sigma addresses all of these issues: Six Sigma extends the use of the improvement tools to cost, cycle time, and other business issues.

Six Sigma discards the majority of the quality toolkit. It keeps a subset of tools that range from the basic to the advanced. Six Sigma discards many esoteric statistical tools. Training focuses on using the tools to achieve tangible business results, not on theory.