When I was studying Business Administration at ULACIT, one of the courses that struck my attention was TQM, which stands for Total Quality Management. I was then 53 and was absorbing information like a sponge. I was absolutely convinced that the implementation of this business philosophy was mandatory, if you wanted to have a healthy company.
Total Quality Management or TQM is an integrative philosophy of management for continuously improving the quality of products and processes. In no country was this business practice more important that in Japan. TQM functions on the premise that the quality of products and processes is the responsibility of everyone who is involved with the creation or consumption of the products or services offered by an organization. In other words, TQM capitalizes on the involvement of management, workforce, suppliers, and even customers, in order to meet or exceed customer expectations.
The methods for implementing this approach come from people such as W. Edwards Deming, Armand V. Feigenbaum, Kaoru Ishikawa, and Joseph M. Juran. When I was later a professor of Business Administration at my Alma Mater, I used a textbook of Kaoru Ishikawa for my TQM classes. The students loved the course. Ishikawa is considered the father of TQM in Japan as well as W. Edwards Deming.
Japanese manufacturing companies leapfrogged the American automobile industry because they applied this business philosophy in their companies. Toyota was the automobile company that showcased the TQM movement in Japan. They applied the principle of Kaizen, which is a term that defines the Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement.
American cars are not as popular in Panama as they used to be in the fifties and sixties. Now we are buying more Japanese and Korean cars in Panama. They are cheaper and a lot better. I have a Toyota Corolla which is an excellent automobile.
Companies such as Motorola, Toyota, General Electric, and Apple have practiced TQM with exceptional results. Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple, was adamant about the quality of Apple products. His absolute dedication to this issue is now legendary and his legacy grows as days pass by.
Last week I brought a computer tablet from the United States. It was the Amazon Kindle Fire. The company that I contacted to bring the tablet to Panama is called Aeropost. I found about it looking at a huge billboard near El Dorado. I went to their Web page and read about their services and costs. Everything they said sounded very convincing, so I opened an account and contracted their services.
I feel so proud to say that this company operating in Panama follows the principles of TQM by the book, which I greatly enjoyed. I was so impressed, that I sent them an e-mail expressing my satisfaction for services rendered. One of the employees who attended me at their office at El Dorado bent himself backwards assisting me in my endeavor to purchase products in the States and bringing them to Panama. He was extra-ordinary to say the least. His name is Anthony Pinzón. He’s a good person, the way people should always be.
Other companies whose services I’ve used with total satisfaction in Panama are: Laboratorios Raly, Banco General and Félix B. Maduro. I wish there were more, but unfortunately this is not the case. We need to do more to enhance our customer service in this country if we wish to remain competitive.
I was so moved with Aeropost, that I took pictures of their El Dorado office to share with the readers of Lingua Franca who might be interested in opening an account in Miami and bring stuff to Panama. This is a reliable and highly competent company in which you can fully trust your U.S. purchases. Below are several pictures of Aeropost in Panama City, Panama.
Snapshot of a sign outside Aeropost announcing the inauguration of their El Dorado branch. It reads, "We are Open." Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Snapshot of a colorful decoration of Aeropost's office at El Dorado. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Snapshot of a sign at Aeropost of El Dorado, indicating that they will assist you in making purchases in the United States and bringing them to Panama at reasonable tariffs. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Snapshot of a group of young customers doing business at Aeropost when I visited their office at El Dorado. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Snapshot of Anthony Pinzón, Manager of Aeropost at El Dorado. His customer service skills are extraordinary. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Have you received the Kindle? I assume you will review it.
Yes I did. Tomorrow I will include a post about unpacking the tablet, and a few days later, will describe my experiences with it. Not played with it yet. Have other things to do, but plan to dedicate some time with the tablet to find out how good or bad it is.
Lot’s of buzz on the Kindle Fire on the Internet.
Omar.-
Hi Omar,
The TQMS (total quality management system) made its rounds while I was still working in corporate America. The problem is that while the concept is sound, the implementation is almost never done correctly. The company where I worked tried every “silver bullet” that came down the pike: houses of quality, Kaizen, 6 points of quality, etc. all derivatives of Deming’s 14 points.
When TQMS hit the aircraft maker, McDonell Douglas in the 90′s. so many engineers were laid off in an effort to cut costs that many relocated to Boeing to work. The initials TQMS then became Time to Quit and Move to Seattle (Boeing’s location).
As you have found, TQMS must be built into the company, not as a bandaid to stop the flow of leaking red ink.
jim and nena
fort worth, tx
Hello Jim & Nena:
Due to communication restrictions we can not dig deep into this subject. TQM, is not a rapid solution to a problem, nor a profit oriented strategy. TQM is a business philosophy. Everybody inside a company must believe in that philosophy. It’s a lifestyle.
Deming was able to make it work in Japan, because the Japanese society was able to absorb and embed those principles. They are more socially oriented than our countries where individuality is highlighted and promoted. Teamwork is only a joke in our corporations. In Japan it’s taken very seriously.
We are having problems with TQM, because management does not understand how deep and long-term it is. They think it’s a fashion or a trend, not a philosophy of doing business. We are a long way in this business practice in Panama as you probably know.
When I was teaching, I knew my students were having problems understanding the practice, because our culture and traditions are not oriented towards Kaizen as the Japanese are brought up.
Great subject. Maybe when you come down to Panama, we could extend further.
Take Care,
Omar.-