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Customer-centricity: The first principle of Total Quality Management is to be customer-centric. In today’s economic landscape, any organization relies on its customers. Organizations or businesses gain the motivation and source to continue surviving by meeting or exceeding the needs of their customers. Total Quality Management is customer-centered, continuously pursuing ongoing quality improvement through the PDCA cycle to meet customer needs. ◆ ◆ The role of leadership: The second principle of total quality management is the role of leadership. From the general manager level down to the employees, every member of an enterprise must participate in quality management activities, among which it is most important that the enterprise’s decision-making level give sufficient attention to quality management. China’s Quality Management Law stipulates that the quality department must be under the direct supervision of the general manager. Only in this way can all employees and resources within the organization be integrated into total quality management. ◆Full participation: The third principle of total quality management is to emphasize full participation from everyone. In the 1970s, Japan had 700,000 QC teams, while to date, China has registered over 15 million such teams. The activities of these QC teams generate annual benefits for China of more than 250 billion yuan. Therefore, full participation is the core of the total quality management philosophy. ◆The process approach: The fourth principle of total quality management is the process approach, which means that all the resources and activities involved in total quality management must be managed as part of a single process. The PDCA cycle is actually used to study a process; therefore, we must focus our attention on the entire process of product production and quality management. ◆System management: The fifth principle of total quality management is system management. When carrying out a quality improvement initiative, we first need to establish, identify, and define goals, as well as understand and manage in a unified manner a system composed of interrelated processes. Since product production is not solely the responsibility of the production department, it is necessary to involve all departments in this process in order to meet customer needs to the greatest extent possible. ◆Continuous improvement: The sixth principle of total quality management is continuous improvement. In fact, it’s not difficult to do one thing correctly; what’s truly challenging is to do a simple thing correctly thousands of times. Therefore, continuous improvement is the core concept of total quality management, and the application of statistical and computer technologies serves to facilitate better implementation of continuous improvement. ◆Effective decision-making is based on logical and intuitive analysis of data and information; therefore, as the most scientific form of quality management to date, Total Quality Management must also be grounded in facts. Without a factual basis, it loses all meaning – and this is the seventh principle of Total Quality Management. ◆Mutually beneficial supplier relationships: The eighth principle of total quality management is mutually beneficial supplier relationships. Maintaining such relationships between an organization and its suppliers enhances the ability of both parties to create value, thereby providing a foundation for further cooperation and achieving greater mutual benefits. Therefore, total quality management has actually penetrated into supplier management.