Accredited short course through Cranefield College

TQM — make quality a life skill

Total Quality Management is a complete way of thinking about performance. Over five months you'll build a full body of knowledge for managing quality holistically — and learn to apply it at work and in life.

Begin with the story

An introduction to Total Quality Management

Duration

5 months / 20 weeks (maximum)

Structure

2 modules · 20 study units

Fee

R7,900

Pass mark

50% · Distinction at 75%+

Intake

Continuous & monthly

Format

Distance learning · monthly assignments

Why TQM

Quality is free — poor quality is what costs

TQM gives you a complete body of knowledge for managing quality holistically: the quality of products, the quality of service delivery, the quality of the organisation itself, and the quality of work life (QWL) of the people inside it. Nothing is treated in isolation — quality is a culture — the personality of the organisation — and this course teaches you to see it that way.

The belief at the heart of TQM is that quality is free: doing things right reduces waste, rework and failure costs — while simultaneously creating a genuine market advantage. Quality is not a department or an inspection step; it is a life skill that shows up in how you work, how you lead and how you live.

Product quality — what you deliver
Service delivery — how you serve
Organisational quality — how the whole performs
Quality of work life — how people experience the work

The TQM Model

Three pillars, six commitments, one foundation

Three ancient Doric stone columns glowing in golden-hour light against an amber sky — TeamsSystemsTools

The six commitments

Culture

Communication

Commitment

Change

Collaboration

Customer Focus

Course outline

Two modules, twenty study units, zero filler

Module 1 · 10 study units

TQM leadership, principles and human components

01Industry 4.0 & POM perspective of total quality
02Principles, definitions and a holistic approach to quality
03Quality leadership and quality culture-building
04Self-management for life excellence
05Participation and teamwork for total quality
06Planning and design for quality at the source
07Training and communication for total quality
08The internal customer, wellness and quality of work-life (QWL)
09Integrated safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ) management
10Total service quality

Module 2 · 10 study units

The TQM system and tools for continuous improvement

11Planning and design of a TQM system
12System concepts and the systems approach to TQM
13The quality management system (QMS) and international system standards
14Operations systems and process management
15Just-in-time (JIT) and lean manufacturing
16Quality measurement, benchmarking and the cost of quality (COQ)
17Collaborative innovation and continuous improvement approaches
18Problem-solving, quality circles and decision-making
19Basic tools and techniques for improvement
20Statistical theory, types of data and statistical process control (SPC)

Natural partner course

TQM and operations go hand in hand

Total Quality Management connects naturally to Production & Operations Management — students who take one often benefit directly from the other. Quality thinking tells you what to improve; operations thinking gives you the processes that add value.

Explore Production & Operations

Your lecturer

Led by Prof Rigard Steenkamp

An Emeritus Professor with a DCom in Quality and Operations Management, 20 years as Professor at UNISA and 15 years leading its TQM Programme, Prof Rigard has taught, published and practised quality management for more than four decades.

Meet your lecturer

Ready to register?

Monthly intakes mean you can start almost immediately

R7,900 · 5 months · distance learning with monthly assignments. Register your interest and we'll send you the full schedule and intake details.