Which of the following best describes TQM?

Total Quality Management (TQM) is fundamentally a holistic approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. It emphasizes continuous improvement across all areas of an organization and focuses on the processes involved rather than individual tasks or responsibilities. By concentrating on the system as a whole, TQM encourages collaboration among various departments and stakeholders, fostering a culture of quality and improvement that permeates the entire organization.

This approach ensures that every aspect of the organization's operations contributes to the overall quality of the products or services. It operates under the premise that by improving the interconnected processes, the outcomes will naturally reflect higher quality and customer satisfaction. TQM also advocates for involving all employees in the quality improvement process, which aligns with its focus on systems rather than individual performance.

The other options do not accurately encapsulate the core principles of TQM. For instance, suggesting it could be implemented independently misrepresents the integrated nature of TQM, while limiting it to product design or confining it to the service industry overlooks its applicability across various sectors and its comprehensive focus on continual improvement.