Justification of TQM-TPM implementations in manufacturing organisations using analytical hierarchy process: a decision-making approach under uncertainty

Research on quality had always been the key problem in study on enterprise management. As the product quality always depends upon the organisation's infrastructural adequacies and abilities of the organisation and how well they manage their equipment and facilities. The quality requirements all over the world had forced industries to use tools such as total quality management (TQM) and total productive maintenance (TPM), effectively to get higher achievements in business performance. This empirical research evaluates the combined TQM-TPM strategic factors to determine the critical success factors in environmental uncertainty using analytical hierarchy process. The study decision criteria include TQM, TPM and transfusion of TQM-TPM, whereas the competitive advantages taken are strategic business performance, quality, production, cost, employee safety and morale. The research findings are applicable to manufacturing organisations, suggesting them the adoption of flexibility of TQM-TPM as a major competitive advantage with a higher uncertainty and delivery with a lower uncertainty.