Which process encourages all employees to make quality assurance paramount across all functions of the organization (production, finance, marketing, and personnel)?

• A. quality assurance
• B. lean production
• C. CAM
• D. total quality management (TQM)

Answer: (D)

Total quality management centers quality on everyone in the organization, making it a shared responsibility across all functions—from production to finance, marketing, and personnel. It promotes continuous improvement and prevention of defects by involving all employees in designing, delivering, and supporting quality in every activity, not just in manufacturing. Because quality becomes embedded in planning, processes, and culture, QA as a set of activities in a single area isn’t enough to achieve organization-wide quality; lean production focuses on eliminating waste and efficiency, while CAM deals with computer-based manufacturing tools. So, TQM best fits the goal of making quality assurance paramount across all functions.