During the mid-1980, the term total quality management (TQM) was introduced in North
America. The term was associated with the management approach to quality improvement used in Japan for achieving long-term success. The TQM approach embodies both management principles and quality concepts, including customer focus, empowerment of people, leadership, strategic planning, improvement, and process management. These principles and concepts evolved during the second half of the twentieth century with substantial contributions from several recognized experts in the field of quality management. Of these contributions, the most widely recognized are the 14 points for quality management proposed by W.Edwards Deming. Deming the 1980s and 1990s many North American businesses adopted the TQM approach an developed the framework for its use in their quality management systems, with the objective of achieving competitive advantage in the global marketplace