Introduction To Total Quality Control

Total quality control, or sometimes referred by the acronym of TQM - total quality management - is a comprehensive and structured approach to the management of quality control processes that aims to refine and improve the quality of products through continuous response and feedback mechanisms, combined with ongoing adjustments to the production process. In short, it's a buzzwords for managing quality control.
Originating in the manufacturing sector, the TQM process has been standardized by the ISO9000 committee, and can now be applied to almost any kind of organization - even those that supply a service rather than a physical good. Some examples of application in the service industry include schoosl, highway management and maintenance, hotels, and even churches!
The TQM processes can be broken down into 4 distinct stages, characterized by another acronym - the PDCA cycle. This consists of:
- Planning
- Do
- Check
- Act
Briefly, during the planning phase, the problem is defined and relevant data is collected. From this, the root cause of the problem should be established.
In the "do" phase, a solution to the problem is decided upon and implemented. At this point, it is also important to establish criteria upon which the effectiveness of the determined solution can be measured.
In the checking phase, results of implementing the solution should be thoroughly compared with comprehensive before and after data.
The final acting phase is about documenting the results and the changes that led to those results, and informing others about the changes. In addition, recommendations will be made at this stage with regards to the next PDCA cycle.
TQM is only as strong as the sum of it's parts, though. TQM generally works on the understanding that quality management is the responsibility of everyone involved in the creation and consumption of the goods and services of the organisation - this includes the managers, shop floor workers, factory workers, distributors, and of course the customers themselves. It is only by the co-operation of all the parties involved that custom expectations can be exceeded.
There are a number of common practices currently associated with TQM:
- Cross-functional product design, whereby design teams are trained in multiple disciplines to ensure they are designs products with the manufacturing process in mind, rather than simply from a design point of view.
- Process management is a topic of it's own, but essentially involves measuring the effectiveness of business processes and refining them.
- Supplier quality management concerns the raw materials of component parts suppliers - obviously, if a product consists of poor quality parts, then the end product cannot be much better. Hence the involvement of all parties.
- Customer involvement is self explanatory, but may include things such as focus groups and surveys.
- Committed leadership ensures that the right decisions are made at the right time, with no delays that could harm the quality management process.
- Strategic planning is overarching idea of implementing quality related changes company wide through policy and strategy adjustments, as well as people. It encompasses the notion that quality management is not simply about reducing the number of manufacturing defects, but about changing attitudes.
- Employee involvement

Wealth Secrets That Everyone Must Know

There are some secrets that are meant to be revealed. Some of them involve wealth secrets that are meant to help others succeed in life. You cannot just keep them hidden and let a chosen few to benefit from them. No. These secrets are meant to be shared and help others.
One of the best known secrets to achieving great wealth and happiness in life is by following your passion. Studies have shown that people who spent more time discovering their gifts and what they love to do ultimately earn more than people who spent more time just trying to earn a living. Your passion should be something that excites you and gives you a good reason to wake up in the morning. This also means finding out your gifts and special abilities that you can enhance and cultivate. If you focus on these things, chances are you will be on your road to success in no time.
After discovering your passions and developing your gifts, it is wise to set certain goals for your self. This should include both short and long term goals. One of the best wealth secrets is the fact that people who have a vision of what they want to achieve in life are usually the ones that eventually get it. Try to concentrate on achieving milestones and celebrate these historic events in your life no matter how small they are, because every small step gets you an inch closer to your dreams.
You should also crave for more learning. This will lead to growth and growth can lead you to reaching your goals. For example, if you want to reach financial abundance, then you should seek the counsel of people who have achieved much in this area. Also read books and listen to audio books that may contribute great knowledge that will help you gain skills and insights in achieving your goals in life. Surround yourself with people who can show you a roadmap to success by giving you guided principles as well as stories of their own personal experiences. Do not stop learning because once you do, it is like giving up on life altogether.

Choosing The Right Packaging Box

You may currently be sending out all of your parcels in standard size packaging, such as the ever-useful cardboard box. Using a cardboard box for packing your goods is ideal for most people. They are fast and easy to use, and you can often have your goods packaged and ready for dispatch in just a few minutes.
Most companies operate in the way described above to ship their goods out to customers. However just using standard size "Off the shelf" boxes may actually be costing you a lot of money in the long run if you are shipping a large volume of packages via a courier, as I will explain later.
The reason for this, is whilst you can buy standard size cardboard boxes very easily, very few companies actually make "Standard" size products. So, in many cases the fact that your goods fit inside the box does not mean that it is the best box for the job!
In the first instance if the box is only just big enough to fit what you are sending in it, then you may end up with more damage to parcels in transit than you would like. This may be due to not having enough room in the box for adequate packing materials.
If the cardboard box is too big then you may be spending too much on packaging materials to fill it out. Packaging materials can be expensive and so you may be spending more than you need on packaging.
Lastly a cardboard box that is bigger than it needs to be may be costing you dearly with your courier, (Particularly if you ship via airmail) as some couriers now charge by a pricing matrix that takes in to account the parcels size, as well as its weight

Wholesale Packaging Supplies and Cardboard Boxes available from Zeus Packaging. Quality Packaging and Parcels, ensuring your products arrive in one piece, at an affordable price.