Which of the following are three tools used by TQM teams?

• A. Flow charts, fishbone diagrams, storyboards
• B. Team charter
• C. Quality council
• D. Negotiation

Answer: (A)

The main concept here is recognizing three classic tools that TQM teams use to analyze and communicate about processes and improvements. Flow charts map every step in a process, making where and how delays or errors occur easy to see. A fishbone diagram (Ishikawa) helps the team brainstorm and categorize possible root causes of a problem, guiding them to focus on the real sources of variation. Storyboards lay out the sequence of steps or user interactions in a visual narrative, which aids planning, testing, and communicating how an improved process should work.

These tools are central to how a TQM team analyzes current processes, identifies root causes, and tests or communicates improvements. The items listed as other options—a team charter, a quality council, and negotiation—are important components of quality initiatives, but they are not problem-solving tools in the same sense. A team charter defines how the team will operate, a quality council is an organizational body, and negotiation is a skill used to reach agreements. They support TQM efforts but don’t function as the three core tools used for process analysis and improvement.