TQM stands for Total Quality Management. It is a management strategy that seeks to instil a sense of quality in all the processes within an organization. It is extensively used in the fields of education, government, manufacturing etc. TQM creates a platform within the organization where everyone can work towards customer satisfaction.

In manufacturing, TQM involves assurance of quality using statistical methods. The advantage is that in case of any anomaly, the production process can be rectified before any faulty products are produced.

The Fundamental principles of TQM are as follows:

- The commitment of the management 
- Employee Empowerment
- Decision making that is based on facts 
- Continuous improvement 
- Customer Focus

A fundamental premise of Total Quality Management is that while people are vulnerable to making mistakes, the mistakes themselves can be reduced by creating systems that prevent them from occurring. Safety and protection features can be incorporated in the manufacturing process.

There are three primary methods of ensuring quality in the production line. They are :-

1. Preventing the occurrence of mistakes: This involves checking and rechecking 

2. When mistakes can be made despite the safety mechanisms, a procedure of detecting them and preventing them from affecting the next stage in the production line needs to be put in place. 

3. If mistakes occur, in spite of all precautions, the production needs to be stopped to prevent the production of more faulty products