The impact of national and international quality awards on total quality management

generally implied or obligatory.
Various people have also defined the term “quality” over many years and we should mention here the definition according to Crosby, Deming, Feigenbaum, Juran … But the meaning of the word “quality” could not be closed in such definition, that will provide a few steps how to adopt and accept the quality. In our view, quality means [2]:

• Those features of products which meet customer needs and thereby provide customer satisfaction. In this sense, the meaning of quality is oriented to income. The purpose of such higher quality is to provide greater customer satisfaction and, one hopes, to increase income. However, providing more and/or better quality features usually requires an investment and hence usually involves increases in costs. Higher quality in this sense usually “costs more”.
• Freedom from deficiencies – freedom from errors that require doing work over again (rework) or that result in field failures, customer dissatisfaction, customer claims, and so on. In this sense, the meaning of quality is oriented to costs, and higher quality usually “costs less” (see Figure 1).

Product features that meet customer needs	Freedom from deficiencies
Higher quality enables companies to: Increase customer satisfaction Make products saleable Meet competition Increase market share Provide sales income Secure premium prices The major effect is on sales. Usually, higher quality costs more.	Higher quality enables companies to: Reduce error rates Reduce rework, waste Reduce field failures, warranty charges Reduce inspection, test Shorten time to put new products on the market Increase yields, capacity Improve delivery performance Major effect is on costs. Usually, higher quality costs less.

Figure 1: The meanings of quality [2]
In the past 10 or 20 years, a few companies have radically transformed their business performance. Many of the concepts and methods they have used are now collectively called “total quality” or “total quality management”, what according to Juran include business transformation, performance excellence, business excellence and six sigma. In the view of the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE, a summary of their thinking is provided by the diagram in Figure 2), total quality management is a management approach that strives for the following in any business environment:

• under strong top-management leadership, establish clear mid- and long-term vision and strategies,
• properly utilize the concepts, values and scientific methods of TQM,
• regard human resources and information as vital organizational infrastructures,
• under an appropriate management system, effectively operate a quality assurance system and other cross-functional management systems such as cost, delivery, environment and safety,
• supported by fundamental organizational powers, such as core technology, speed and vitality, ensure sound relationships with customers, employees, society, suppliers and stockholders,

- continuously realize corporate objectives in the form of achieving an organisation’s mission, building an organisation with a respectable presence and continuously securing profits.
We should mention here, that in any discussion of total quality it is useful to understand the generic term “total quality management” as “the vast collection of philosophies, concepts, methods and tools, which are now being used throughout the world to manage quality”, but at its core it’s a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. By the way [1], it is possible to achieve only then, if are known the customer requirements and is secure their continually measuring and evaluation.
Various people, various opinions. Such approach is possible by definition and understanding of the terms “quality” and “total quality management” too. Take a look at the fundamental problem of this paper, also at the impact of national and international quality awards on total quality management.
(10) Realisation of Corporate Objectives
Attainment of Mission
Building Respectable Presence Securing Profits
(9b) Customer Relations Employee Relations
Social Relations Supplier Relations Stockholder Relations
(6) Management
System
(2) Concepts, Values (3) Scientific Methods
Business Environment