What is the meaning of quality management?

The meaning of quality management ? I believe, if we first understand what is Quality, it would be easy to define the meaning of quality management.
Webster’s dictionary defines Quality as “the degree of excellence of a thing ” From the customer’s perspective , quality is “ Fitness for use” - how well product or service does what it is supposed to The dimensions of Quality are : Performance, Features, Reliability, Conformance, Durability, Serviceability, Aesthetics, Safety, Perceptions, time and Timeliness, Completeness, Courtesy, Consistency, Accuracy, Accessibility & Convenience, Responsiveness.
When Consumer’s Perspective of quality may be equated to PRICE and Producer’s perspective of quality is COST must prevail, consumer’s perspective must dominate for it is they who decide whether to buy or not a product or service.
Quality Management Quality Management thinking has influenced a revolution in the way organizations are managed over the past few decades.
Ideas such as customer focus, ethical management, continuous improvement, Six Sigma, leadership and organizational learning have all been impacted by – and in some cases developed from - this important field.
“ The term quality management has a specific meaning within many business sectors.
This specific definition, which does not aim to assure 'good quality' by the more general definition, but rather to ensure that an organization or product is consistent, can be considered to have four main components: quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement.
Quality management is focused not only on product/service quality, but also the means to achieve it.
Quality management therefore uses quality assurance and control of processes as well as products to achieve more consistent quality”.
–as per wikipedia Organizations commit to quality throughout the organization by embracing the concept of total quality management through the following principles: • Customer-oriented • Leadership • Strategic planning • Employee responsibility • Continuous improvement • Cooperation • Statistical methods • Training and education For Quality Management, as advocated by quality guru Deming, organizations must • Create constancy of purpose • Adopt philosophy of prevention • Cease mass inspection • Select a few suppliers based on quality • Constantly improve system and workers • Institute worker training • Instill leadership among supervisors • Eliminate fear among employees • Eliminate barriers between departments • Eliminate slogans • Remove numerical quotas • Enhance worker pride • Institute vigorous training and education programs • Develop a commitment from top management to implement above13 points

It is managing of quality (claim of the business) through using Quality Management SYSTEM.
Evolved in centuries, it is most finetuned during last100 years, initially with development in the practices of Defense and Manufacturing Industries.
Since80's, the management of 'business' is being recognised as QUALITY MANAGEMENT or we can say Quality of Management = balanced approach to assure business operation to SATISFY the claims and aims of a business.

The opposite of beauty is ugliness.
The opposite of quality is non-conformance.
As a result, quality management is non-conformance, or error management.
It is very easy to see that if we define non-conformance, bring it under management, and reduce or eliminate it, we manage and deliver quality at the same time.

Quality Management System A set of processes and controls(as required by International Standards Organization) that are intended to assure an organization's products and services conform to customer, regulatory and business requirements, based on a structure of documented objectives, procedures and instructions.
The above can be summarized as "Management system to direct and control an organization with regard to quality"

Quality management is simply what the organization does to met customer requirements of quality, relevant applicable regulations and continual improvement to ensure customer satisfaction.
Quality management has four major elements:1.Quality planning; setting objectives/specifications and compliance/acceptance criteria2.Quality control; ensuring planned arrangements are achieved ( validation)3.Quality assurance; putting standard operating procedures in place to ensure activities that affect quality are perfomed consistently at all times (verification) thus boosting customer confidence.
QA is based on PDCA cycle implying plan, do, check and act.4.Quality improvement; continually improve quality performance to ensure customer satisfaction.

Overall planning, management and control, intended to establish or maintain the quality of production, given the expectations of customers and their evolution.

The act of overseeing all activities and tasks needed to maintain a desired level of excellence. This includes creating and implementing quality planning and assurance, as well as quality control and quality improvement. It is also referred to as total quality management (TQM).

Quality management is:

1.Quality planning.

2.Quality control.

3.Quality assurance.

4.Quality improvement.

THE DIF. IN A NUTSHELL :

This specific definition, which does not aim to assure 'good quality' by the more general definition, but rather to ensure that an organization or product is consistent,

Management activities and functions involved in determination of quality policy and its implementation through means such as quality planning and quality assurance (including quality control).