Abstract
Total Quality Management (TQM) is an effective strategy that organizations employ in enhancing the quality they deliver to customers. Local Car Care (LCC) is an organization in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that provides premium services to car owners. The analysis of the company using the six-sigma model, Kaizen philosophy, an Ishikawa diagram shows that LCC has different aspects of TQM. According to the six-sigma model, LCC targets car owners, gives standard services that are measurable, boasts of a competent workforce, offers pieces of training to its employees, and updates its equipment to meet the diverse needs of customers. Moreover, the company complies with the Kaizen philosophy since it has a motivated team of professionals who perform their duties with a high degree of discipline and meet regularly to come up with feasible suggestions. Based on the Ishikawa diagram, the company focuses on optimizing employees, equipment, materials, management, environment, and process because they determine the quality solutions.
Introduction
In the modern world, where competition is critical for the successful performance of businesses, TQM is an effective strategy for improving the quality of products and services. According to Evans (2010), TQM comprises methods and techniques that organizations employ in boosting customer satisfaction and promoting business performance. Quality has become an essential aspect of business in the contemporary world because of increasing competition, rising customer demand, shifting to mass production, and augmenting complexity requirements (Evans & Lindsay, 2016). In the UAE, LCC is one of the leading companies that have implemented TQM in their operations to become competitive and improve customer satisfaction. Therefore, the quality management project examines LCC based on the six-sigma model, the Kaizen philosophy, and the Ishikawa diagram in the analysis of implemented TQM operations to boost performance and enhance customer satisfaction.
Six Sigma Process
The analysis of LCC shows that its services are in line with the six-sigma process of TQM. LCC has defined its customers and their demands. The target customers are car owners in the UAE who own high-end motor vehicles ranging from brands of Nissan to those of Mercedes and Rolls Royce. The company gives premium rates of car maintenance, such as tinting, wrapping, polishing, designing, printing, upholstering, and other customized styles according to the requirements of customers (Local Car Care, 2020).
The company also seeks to offer excellent products that satisfy the diverse needs and requirements of car owners. In the aspect of measurement, LCC uses world-class standards matching those set by manufacturers. LCC has gained recognition in shows and exhibitions, such as AD Polytalent, Custom Show UAE, McLaren Custom Show UAE, Best Brabus, Golf Car Festival, and Abu Dhabi Games (Local Car Care, 2020). By benchmarking with international standards, LCC has managed to meet the diverse quality demands of car owners in the UAE.
In the analysis section of the sigma model, it is evident that the nature of expertise has a marked influence on the capacity of LCC to provide outstanding products to customers. The company boasts a vast workforce of mechanical engineers, skilled technicians, and mechanics with diverse expertise and the capacity to offer a wide range of services (Local Car Care, 2020). The kinds of machines and tools that the company owns explain the noticeable impact on total quality management. To achieve first-class products, LCC requires quality improvement that is consistent with the six-sigma model.
LCC should train employees to acquire new skills and knowledge since it relies heavily on their expertise. By building the capacity of the workforce, LCC would afford quality services that meet international standards and satisfy the unique wants of car owners. Moreover, the company ought to update its technology to match global standards for it to remain competitive in the market. As quality control strategies, LCC needs to calibrate its equipment and retain employees to make sure that there are reliability and consistency in the performance of tasks.
Philosophy of Kaizen
The philosophy of Kaizen requires continuity in the improvement of activities and operations aimed at satisfying consumer needs. Teamwork, morale, discipline, quality circles, and suggestions are the five elements of the Kaizen philosophy (Akdeniz, 2019). LCC has a professional team of mechanical engineers, technicians, and designers who collaborate in various operations and activities. For effective delivery of services, employees need morale to boost their concerted efforts and create synergy. Since LCC supplies premium brands, the workforce has a high degree of discipline to guarantee perfection in their tasks.
Evans and Lindsay (2016) hold that technical and management aspects of the discipline are integral in certifying that organizations offer quality products and services. In evaluating their performance, employees of LCC conduct frequent meetings of quality circles to facilitate them to identify problems and optimize operations. Ultimately, as outcomes of teamwork, effective morale, discipline, and quality circles, employees give suggestions that focus on the achievement of continuous quality improvement.
Ishikawa diagram
Ishikawa diagram is an appropriate model for the assessment of LCC because TQM is subject to many factors. According to Evans and Lindsay (2016), the cause-and-effect diagram assists the management, teams, and individuals in identifying problems and coming up with relevant solutions. Equipment that LCC utilizes in the provision of services requires calibration and standardization, while materials need conformation to certain specifications for the generation of quality results. Moreover, the management needs to adopt quality practices to motivate and boost the morale of employees. The nature of pieces of training that organizations undertake influences the capacity of leadership, skills, and expertise in the delivery of quality services (Akdeniz, 2019).
The process of undertaking specific tasks ought to be standardized for the company to offer consistent solutions. Stringent regulation of methods comprising of activities and operations that lead to enhanced performance is integral in the provision of dependable products to customers (Evans, 2010). The process of quality delivery of the company is susceptible to environmental factors such as temperature, rain, dust, and rust. In the provision of quality brands, the company should ensure that it mitigates the effects of environmental factors.
Conclusion
TQM is a significant strategy in an organization that offers services to diverse consumers. The exploration of LCC shows that TQM applies in the regulation of activities and operations aimed at improving service delivery. The six-sigma model reveals that LCC defines customers, gives measurable solutions, owns a competent workforce, trains its employees, and updates its equipment. According to the Kaizen philosophy, LCC has a team of professionals with considerable morale and a sense of discipline to carry out quality circles and generate viable suggestions. Ishikawa diagram depicts that identification and resolution of errors in employees, equipment, materials, management, environment, and process enable LCC to meet quality standards and satisfy the varied desires of customers.
References
- Akdeniz, C. (2019). Business ethics. Can Akdeniz.
- Evans, J. R., & Lindsay, W. M. (2016). Managing for quality and performance excellence (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
- Evans, J. R. (2010). Management and control of quality (8th ed.). South-Western.
- Local Car Care. (2020). About us. Web.