Read and analyze the given topic. Make an explanation for each number for your reporting.

Criticisms of TOM TOM programs are touted as a way for companies to improve their competitiveness, which is a very worthwhile objective. Nonetheless, TOM programs are not without criticism. The fol- lowing are some of the major criticisms: 1. Overzealous advocates may pursue TOM programs blindly, focusing attention on qual- ity even though other priorities may be more important (e.g., responding quickly to a competitor's advances). 2. Programs may not be linked to the strategies of the organization in a meaningful way. 3. Quality-related decisions may not be tied to market performance. For instance, customer satisfaction may be emphasized to the extent that its cost far exceeds any direct or indi- rect benefit of doing so. "Excerpt from Gary Salegna and Farzaneh Fazel, "Obstacles to Implementing Quality," Quality Progress, July 2000, p. 53. Copyright @ 2000 American Society for Quality. Reprinted with permission from Quality Progress magazine. Chapter Nine Management of Quality 4. Failure to carefully plan a program before embarking on it can lead to false starts, employee confusion, and meaningless results. 5. Organizations sometimes pursue continuous improvement (i.e., incremental improve- ment) when dramatic improvement is needed. 6. Quality efforts may not be tied to results. Note that there is nothing inherently wrong with TOM; the problem is how some individuals or organizations misuse it. Let's turn our attention to problem solving and process improvement