Applying Deming's TQM Principles To HIgher Education: Issues and Perspectives

This article is about the implementation of TQM in higher education. It is gives a systematic approach to apply Deming's 14 principles of TQM to the standard settings of any institution of higher education. The paper also deals with the point 'how' these principles contribute to the quality enhancement. In addition, the paper emphasizes the 'systemic approach' towards quality. Finally, the paper gives the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach of TQM, which has a proved success in the manufacturing industries. In this world of stiff competition from all over the world, higher education can effectively meet the challenges only through a customer-focused, and quality-centered approach. This paper is essentially an effort in that direction • The Japanese have met with constant success by using Deming's 14 principles in rebuilding the nation so if we follow these principles step by step we are sure meet with success. The process of following these principles covers all the ways by which a higher education institution can become a high quality institute and meet with success. The QFD technique has been very fruitful in application of TQM in manufacturing sectors in west in past few years so it is definite meet with success in education system. As education is going to be globalized in the nearest future, it goes without saying that maintaining international quality standards will not only a bare necessity but also a tool of survival. Many institutes are going towards ISO certification where quality is a must these TQM tools can be applied.