17434. Microsoft: Total Quality Management (Tqm) Plan. This paper provides an overview and analysis of the benefits of Total Quality Management (TQM) for Microsoft and presents a plan for the implementation of a TQM program for the company. It is argued that to ensure survival over the long-term and to best ensure that it maintain competitive advantage, Microsoft must adopt TQM systems throughout its software development and product process as well as implement TQM in its delivery of software support services to its consumer, business and institutional customers. The paper provides a thorough overview of Microsoft’s quality problems. Microsoft’s recent initiatives aimed at improving quality are examined and discussed. The benefits of implementing TQM at Microsoft are summarized. The concluding section outlines a plan for implementing a TQM program covering both software development/marketing and post-marketing customer support and service. KEYWORDS: Microsoft computer software quality management TQM customer service. 15 pages, 49 footnotes, 36 bibliographic sources. 4,150 words.