E-commerce Quality Management Practices

This assignment delves into the critical role of quality management within e-commerce. It examines how various factors, such as perceived service quality dimensions, website quality, and branding alliances, influence customer trust and satisfaction in online environments. The analysis considers the development and validation of e-service quality scales, alongside the impact of interactivity on customer relationships in e-commerce.

Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management 2
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
A brief introduction of Amazon......................................................................................................2
Identify the TQM tool used by Amazon..........................................................................................2
The implementation methods of the TQM tool...............................................................................3
Drop Shipment Method...............................................................................................................3
Strategic management of the supply chain..................................................................................4
How successful the implementation was?.......................................................................................4
Implicated Fundamentals of Total Quality Management within Amazon.Com and the success
achieved.......................................................................................................................................4
How Amazon dealt with change?....................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................9

Total Quality Management 3
Introduction
In the present world of globalised business with innovative and advanced technologies of
production and operations there is limited risk in the businesses. The businesses which have
limited or squat risks are considered as the most efficient and productive in the present global
markets. There is continuous use of innovative and sound business practices with updated
technologies so that increased number of customer base and extended market share could be
gained by the organisation. For achieving a status of being innovative and unique and to earn a
certain competitive benefits, the businesses implement business practices through which they can
achieve total quality management. Quality management can be considered as the business
practices which not only enhances the production compliance of the company but also the
customer compliance. There are several diverse set of explanations of the term ‘quality
management’ in the perspectives of number of authors and researchers. But the common aspect
among all the views comprises of high economic status, increased customer satisfaction, error
free commercial goods and cooperative business operations. The quality management later on
recognized as TQM i.e. Total Quality Management which is a more wide spectrum that
comprises of several aspects including barriers free business communication, risk free
production, strategic operational planning, commercial procurement, goods and product
distribution, innovative measures, customer service, demand and potential forecasting,
successive transportation, etc. The report will understand the significance of total quality
management in respect with Amazon Inc.
A brief introduction of Amazon
Amazon.com is performing business across the nations in a renowned name of Amazon which is
a cloud computing and American electronic commerce organisation based in Seattle,
Washington. The company was established in the year 1994. There are a total of 541,900
employees that serves the e-commerce business of Amazon. The quality management and quality
based services of Amazon are recognized across the globe (Topalović, 2015).

Total Quality Management 4
Identify the TQM tool used by Amazon
The implementation of total quality management in the business processes of Amazon is
considered as the key factor in its continuous growth and success. The annual report of the
company reflects its concerns related to the practices of quality management. To attain a number
of competitive benefits, the strategy used by the company is total quality management along with
a number of various effectual factors including proactive risk management, management of
inventories, contract forecasting, forecasting of demands of product, reliability assurance, quality
assurance, rapid product transportation, risk assessment, innovative acquisitions, quality
assurance and effective strategic policies. There is effective management of the inventories for
assuring highest growth and manufacturing yields, there is taken use of Fulfilment by Amazon
(FBA) as a tool for managing the quality status (Kassim and Asiah Abdullah, 2010). Amazon
ensures high level of quality management in four specific aspects that offers high value
proposition to the organization comprises of customer friendly services, price suitability,
increased variety with specifications and timely convenience. To achieve 24*7 quality
management in an on line business is extremely difficult and challenging but Amazon has
attained such high level of total quality management with its business practice as even in the e-
books site also, Amazon offers the customers with24*7 upload and download facility. The
contact service facilities, upgraded reviews and the product recommendations and many other
are embedded in Amazon quality assured value propositions. The company is also recognized as
one of the highest procuring networking businesses (Topalović, 2015).
The implementation methods of the TQM tool
Drop Shipment Method
This method is particularly used by Amazon.com for the successful attainment of quality based
shipping of the articles to the buyers of the orders. This particular method is similar to as ten
retailers transferring the articles which are ordered to the wholesalers or the manufacturers for
ensuring that there is qualitatively managed the shipping of the article to the respective buyers.
The various differences in the prices are managed by the retailer and there is an arrangement dine
by the manufacturers in respect with the retail based profit prices. The alliance based
management of the inventory increases the quality of the shipping operations of Amazon.com
(Heizer, 2016).

Total Quality Management 5
Strategic management of the supply chain
There is always used a tactical method or approach by Amazon in its each and every supply
chain in order to have total quality management. There are particularly devised methodological
measures of TQM which offer competitive benefits and success to the organisation. The
company make particular strategic alliance with various other multinational companies to
manage their price friendly services. In aim of achieving a proper association, Amazon follows
customer care services offered by the various proposed allies independently. There are various
allies of Amazon such as HomeGrocer.com, Ashford.com, Drugstore.com, Gear.com,
Living.com, Della.com, Greenlight.com and Pets.com. Amazon never remained back in adding
innovative and potential products so that the customers always remained convinced to order the
products from Amazon. There is a vast variety of list of products offered by Amazon with high
profile tactics to gain adequate customer compliance, accurate determination of artifacts,
productive value, and rapid and well-organized articles transference, etc. Therefore, these were
the tactical scale on which Amazon can gain quality management and increased improvement in
the performances with application of the TQM methods (Goetsch and Davis, 2014).
How successful the implementation was?
The implementation of the TQM has been very successful and gained huge recognition. There
are various fundamentals of Total Quality Management implemented at Amazon.com and have
given huge success and growth to the company. This can be explained as follows:
Implicated Fundamentals of Total Quality Management within Amazon.Com
and the success achieved
Customer Compliance: There has been a huge success implementation of the total quality
management methods in Amazon as in respect with the customer compliance fundamental, it has
been identified that there has been gained responsible administration in respect with increased
level of customer satisfaction by offering customer oriented services as there has been removed
the various barriers which are there in effective communication channel and thus there received
constructive and potential feedbacks and there has been developed increased level of trust of the
customers in respect with the services of Amazon (Yoon, Choi and Sohn, 2008).
Managerial and Administrative Controls: There has been a huge success implementation of
the total quality management methods in Amazon as in respect with the managerial and

Total Quality Management 6
administrative controls, it has been identified that there has been successful implication of the
objective oriented administrative control tactics and approaches. There has also been use of the
business models which are task oriented. The successful implementations of the TQM methods
can be analysed as there are highly determined and decisive managers and perform an efficient
and honest administration (Brewer, Button and Hensher, 2008).
Product Distribution and Transportation: There has been a huge success implementation of
the total quality management methods in Amazon as in respect with the product distribution and
transportation, it has been identified that there has been upgraded and improved measures of
product distribution which offers the competitive advantage of efficient and rapid delivery of
products to Amazon. There are also continuous and constant efforts for lowering down the
shipping time and enhanced quality of the product (Helms, et al., 2008).
Quality Enhancement: There has been a huge success implementation of the total quality
management methods in Amazon as in respect with the quality enhancement, it has been
identified that there has been upgraded and improved service quality gained by Amazon and
have also assured that there will be delivered product with increased level of quality in terms of
return facility, safety assurance. There has also been analysed the success of the implementation
through the improved website technological features (Swaid and Wigand, 2009).
Task Management: There has been a huge success implementation of the total quality
management methods in Amazon as in respect with task management, it has been identified that
there has been achieved strong and effective administration in respect with the assurance of the
existed d task. There has also been attained huge success in terms of implementation in context
with progressive and effective task oriented processing and capacity building (Lowry, et al.,
2008).
It has been claimed by Amazon that it comply all those logistics TQM potentials which have
been proposed by the business experts and the academic scholars. Amazon welcomes the
innovative and smart ideas to achieve continuous improvement in the products, supply and
delivery band (Liu, et al., 2008). In a similar way, Amazon is one of the most significant global
organisations which particularly assured that there is a proper and well-structured policy of the
organisation. And this is one of the reasons behind implementing a program of total quality

Total Quality Management 7
management within the managerial sector of Amazon. Moreover the various business
administrations also recommended that there must be detailed audit of risk assessment in order to
identify all the threatening as we well as potential business opportunities and risks. Therefore,
the organisation must take use of continuous risk monitoring as well as risk management
techniques for achieving success of the total quality management programs in Amazon (Stiakakis
and Georgiadis, 2009).
How Amazon dealt with change?
By analysing the various operational activities as well as the implementation of total quality
management within Amazon, kit has been identified that there are a number of limiting
probabilities that took place as the barricades in the change process and can become one of the
major reason behind the probable business regression. First of all it is essential for Amazon to
recognize these potential barricades and then take appropriate steps to deal with the change
process in respect with implementation of total quality management. The primary challenge at
the time of change occurs is the impact posed by the factor is to have increased level of quality
consistence and quality maintenance (Chung, et al., 2008). Thought there has been
implementation do TQM within Amazon.com but there still sustains a need to have competent
and skilled managerial control so that there can be effective understanding of the management
requirement and can fulfil these requirements in an effective manner. There are a number of
disruptive events and predictive economic risks and to manage the change and these risks, there
will be used the experienced managerial and administrative controls (Ipeirotis, Provost and
Wang, 2010).
The next key issue or managing change within Amazon was in respect with its innovative
investments as according to the strategic policy of Amazon, the company introduce new products
on a regular basis. But there is no assurance or surety in respect with the investment profitability
on the new products. For the same, there is a need to introduce total quality management but the
non-assurance of profits is not substantially satisfying. Although to manage these changes,
Amazon introduced various technological advances in their website on a continuous basis but,
the effective management of these fluctuating advances is a point of concern for the company.
The TQM offers control over these products and also on the sale of these products. But there is

Total Quality Management 8
an issue of improper management of the cloud of networking technology. And for this, to
manage the change, Amazon has hired effective and technologically robust managing group such
as cloud computing etc. Thus, to manage the various changes, Amazon takes use of an effective
managerial and administration so that these changes do not impact the implementation of the
total quality management at Amazon (Foster Jr, Wallin and Ogden, 2011).
Recommendations based on the chosen TQM tool and how it might benefit Amazon going
forward
The total quality management help a number of businesses in assuring as well as increasing the
productiveness. There are various issues which have been discussed above are required to be
considered and there are various cons and pros of the system which the TQM program is
implemented in the company. Amazon is one of the best e-commerce business platforms and the
marketing spectrum is international in nature. The business inventories of Amazon experiences a
substantially extended coverage area (Evans and Lindsay, 2013). And this results in increasing
productivity and sophistication at a similar point of time. There has been ensured high level of
quality within Amazon in respect with enhanced performance quality status, improved culture
based business quality and increased quality assurance. After discussing the successful
application of the total quality management within the business of Amazon, there has been
learned a number of business lessons and following are some of the recommendations which are
required to be followed by the company to have more successful implementation of total quality
management (Ladhari, 2010).
 There is a need to have strategic inclusion of the new arrivals and products within the
existing e-commerce business of Amazon as it is necessary to pre-requisite for
recognizing to have more innovative and smart business.
 The application of total quality management in any small or large business is highly
significant for progress and success as it helps the company in increasing the
performance status of the company, the durability, profitability, quality and productivity
of the organisation. Thus a proper implementation process must be structured.

Total Quality Management 9
 There is also a need to have tactical and strategic business moves which must be followed
so that there can be assured continuous success of the business (Peer, Vosgerau and
Acquisti, 2014).
 Inspire of the fact that Amazon web services take use of methodological tactics but still it
is recommended that there must continuous and regular updates in respect with these
tactics so to have successful business moves.
 Another recommendation is that there must be individual capacity building along with the
continuous business auditing so that there can be strong business networks and effective
marketing succession (Chesbrough, 2011).
Conclusion
The study of TQM within Amazon offers a number of qualitative productivities which increased
the gross market share and profit of the company. Total quality management comprises of
various fluctuating parameters which are required to be incorporated within the organisation so
as to ensure there is performance improvement. From the overall analysis, it has been concluded
that Amazon has gained huge success, recognition, quality insurance and value through the
implementation of total quality management tools. There are various changes and issues which
are also required to be managed and for the same must be effective use if strategies and
approaches. It is also concluded that if Amazon follow the recommendations offered then it can
have better and successful implementation of total quality management tools within the
company. Hence, it is concluded that the implementation of TQM within Amazon has offered
excess positive outcomes and it is also suggested that there must be continuous improvement in
the management sector for future progressions and success.

Total Quality Management 10
References
Brewer, A.M., Button, K.J. and Hensher, D.A. eds., 2008. Handbook of logistics and supply-
chain management. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Chesbrough, H., 2011. Management innovations for the future of innovation. Ivey Business
Journal, 75(3), pp.38-39.
Chung, Y.C., Tien, S.W., Hsieh, C.H. and Tsai, C.H., 2008. A study of the business value of
Total Quality Management. Total Quality Management, 19(4), pp.367-379.
Evans, J.R. and Lindsay, W.M., 2013. Managing for quality and performance excellence.
Cengage Learning.
Foster Jr, S.T., Wallin, C. and Ogden, J., 2011. Towards a better understanding of supply chain
quality management practices. International Journal of Production Research, 49(8), pp.2285-
2300.
Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014. Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: pearson.
Heizer, J., 2016. Operations Management, 11/e. Pearson Education India.
Helms, M.M., Ahmadi, M., Jih, W.J.K. and Ettkin, L.P., 2008. Technologies in support of mass
customization strategy: Exploring the linkages between e-commerce and knowledge
management. Computers in Industry, 59(4), pp.351-363.
Ipeirotis, P.G., Provost, F. and Wang, J., 2010, July. Quality management on amazon mechanical
turk. In Proceedings of the ACM SIGKDD workshop on human computation (pp. 64-67). ACM.
Kassim, N. and Asiah Abdullah, N., 2010. The effect of perceived service quality dimensions on
customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty in e-commerce settings: A cross cultural analysis. Asia
Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 22(3), pp.351-371.
Ladhari, R., 2010. Developing e-service quality scales: A literature review. Journal of Retailing
and Consumer Services, 17(6), pp.464-477.

Total Quality Management 11
Liu, X., Zeng, X., Xu, Y. and Koehl, L., 2008. A fuzzy model of customer satisfaction index in
e-commerce. Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, 77(5), pp.512-521.
Lowry, P.B., Vance, A., Moody, G., Beckman, B. and Read, A., 2008. Explaining and predicting
the impact of branding alliances and web site quality on initial consumer trust of e-commerce
web sites. Journal of Management Information Systems, 24(4), pp.199-224.
Peer, E., Vosgerau, J. and Acquisti, A., 2014. Reputation as a sufficient condition for data quality
on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Behavior research methods, 46(4), pp.1023-1031.
Stiakakis, E. and Georgiadis, C.K., 2009. E-service quality: comparing the perceptions of
providers and customers. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 19(4), pp.410-
430.
Swaid, S.I. and Wigand, R.T., 2009. Measuring the quality of e-service: scale development and
initial validation. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 10(1), p.13.
Topalović, S., 2015. The implementation of Total Quality Management in order to improve
production performance and enhancing the level of customer satisfaction. Procedia
Technology, 19, pp.1016-1022.
Yoon, D., Choi, S.M. and Sohn, D., 2008. Building customer relationships in an electronic age:
The role of interactivity of E‐commerce Web sites. Psychology & Marketing, 25(7), pp.602-618.