Total Quality Management (TQM) originated in the 1950s and grew in popularity in the early 1980s. TQM is an organizational philosophy that seeks to integrate all organizational functions to focus on meeting customer needs and objectives. The main goals of TQM are to do things right the first time and every time through a foundation of senior management commitment, meeting customer requirements, continuous improvement, and employee involvement. A central principle of TQM is that most mistakes are caused by faulty systems and processes, not individuals, and these root causes can be identified and eliminated to prevent future errors.