A Comparative Review of TQM, TPM and Related Organisational Performance Improvement Programs

Competitiveness is a driving force behind the revolution of global business. Total quality management (TQM), total productive maintenance (TPM), six sigma, business process reengineering (BPR), lean, International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) series of standards and so on are most popular initiatives employed by the manufacturing organizations as Organizational Performance Improvement Techniques. All these approaches are generated in developed countries and have different orientations. Similarities, differences and interrelationship among these techniques in terms of objectives concept, methodologies and scope have remained confusing to the industry. Similarly, selection of one of these or combination of several of these techniques has remained a problematic issue in industry. All approaches are useful but to be treated with caution. Each has its strength and weakness and also in some cases a certain amount of overlap. This paper reviews in brief the theoretical aspect of TQM, TPM, Six Sigma, BPR, Lean and ISO series of standards which highlights similarity, differences and potentiality of these approaches to improve organizational performance.