An interview with Mr. Janak Mehta, Chairman & MD, Total Quality Management International (TQMI)
Q. In which industries is Total Quality Management applicable?
A. Total Quality Management began with the automotive, space and aeronautical industries. It has gradually spread to encompass other areas such as manufacturing, the service sector and now the IT industry. The manufacturing sector however remains its chief domain.
Q. How different is Quality Management from re-engineering?
A. Not much different, we use the same approach. Most people would say quality management is slow improvement while re-engineering is breakthrough improvement. For instance if you consider TVS, they haven't done re-engineering but have improved much faster than many other companies. We use either of the processes as required for they involve the same methodology.
Q. Where does India stand internationally? How competitive is the future going to be for quality providers and in what way?
A. India is at a stage where it is about to enter the international market. The future is going to be far more competitive with 4-5 companies emerging as the leaders. It's a continuous struggle and we have to keep on coming up with new products to meet customer requirements. That's the only way to succeed and that's one of our core strengths.
