OL 324: Managing Quality, 2-3 Case Study One
American Society for Quality (ASQ) defines Total Quality Management (TQM) as "a
management system for a customer-focused organization that involves all employees in continual
improvement." ("Total Quality Management (TQM): What is TQM? |ASQ", 2021). FedEx has
incorporated TQM into their complete supply chain, from top to bottom, and created a customer-
focused company. This approach is incorporated into all locations and they have made it standard
across the world by having a process-centered approach while developing a strategic and
systematic approach. Even as FedEx has incorporated multiple principles of TQM, they have
seemingly focused on these to improve their organization.
By being process-centered they have developed improvements within the company at
every part to focus on the actual process thereby incorporating quality into everything they do
outlined is improvement in airline capacity. They focused on increasing the weight capacity
thereby increasing it by 1000 -- 1500 pounds (lbs.), this allows more packages and items to travel
thereby saving on not only customer metrics but also revenue and profit. FedEx also focused on
a strategic and systematic approach within their company. By doing so they are able to
communicate the companies "vision, mission, and goals" and integrate quality into every part of
it ("Total Quality Management (TQM): What is TQM? |ASQ", 2021). By focusing on the
customers needs within their supply chain, for example temperature controls of product, they
control not only their needs but their customers, incorporating TQM.
A quality culture is advantageous as continuous improvement is not only done during
events, projects, or by using outside entities, but also on a daily basis. If every employee is
focusing on quality and management encourages such, they can make changes on a daily basis
which can make minor improvements. If these learning points are communicated throughout the
OL 324: Managing Quality, 2-3 Case Study One
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company and incorporated together, they can make large improvements fairly commonly as they
add up. Every section of the company can suggest improvements and by doing so can make a
strong company for doing so.
Edward Deming received his doctorate as a physicist in 1928 by Yale, from there he had
work in the department of agriculture and eventually the bureau of census where he was
introduced to quality control principles. He used statistical theory and quality controls
throughout his career and eventually laid out his 14 points of Total Quality Management ("ASQ:
About: W. Edwards Deming | ASQ", 2021). Two of the biggest points that we could tell were
incorporated by FedEx were point #2, Adopt the new philosophy, and point #14, Put
everybody in the company to work accomplishing the transformation (Deming, 2021). They
had definitely adopted the TQM philosophy as they grew and incorporated it through the world
in their company. It was also shown how they utilized everyone at every part of the company to
have a strong continuous improvement attitude. It is difficult to incorporate all 14 points however
FedEx has made