EVOLUTION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT

The Quality Gurus

TQM evolved and it is worth considering the beliefs of the main quality gurus who have added to the mix, starting with Deming himself.

Edward Deming

Deming's concepts of process management began with the use of statistical quality control. His real contribution was his ability to cut through academic theory and present ideas in a simple way that was meaningful and practical right down to the shop floor.

He interpreted quality in terms of reliability, dependability, predictability and consistency of product and service. He saw quality improvement as being analogous to reduction in process variation. By reducing this with the help of statistical control methods, variation in product quality is also reduced. The fact that processes are now under better control also means lower cost and improved productivity. Deming's approach started with understanding the causes of two types of variation,

1. 1. External influences on the process which he described as uncontrolled variation due to "special causes". Examples are changes of operation, procedures, and raw materials. All these interrupt the normal pattern of operation.
2. 2. Controlled variations which are due to chance, random, or "common causes". All of these by definition are due to the process itself, its design or installation.

For Deming, quality improvement must begin with identification of the two types of variation. The next stage is to eliminate the "special causes" and only then work on the "common causes". Identification and elimination of these is assisted by the use of Statistical Process Control (SPC) and various forms of simple control charts designed to be used on a shop floor environment. Management improves the process by re-designing it to improve it's capability to meet customer needs.

Deming also stressed the crucial importance of the need for a deep understanding of businesses work processes. Without this, true progress will not be made.

Over the years Deming thoughts expanded, to cover issues of managing people, leadership and training in order to achieve quality goals

Joseph Juran

Juran published "The Quality Control Handbook" in 1950 which became the standard reference book on quality world-wide.

Juran developed his TQM philosophy around his "quality trilogy"

1. • Quality planning: the process for preparing to meet the quality goals
2. • Quality control: the process for meeting quality goals through operations
3. • Quality improvement: the process for break through levels of performance

Both he and Deming correctly stressed the need to involve people throughout the organization in quality improvement but in particular that most quality issues are down to management dealing with systems. The emphasis is on getting the system correct rather than blaming failure on operator error. Juran particularly emphasized the use of quality teams and training them in measurement and problem solving.

Kaoru Ishikawa

Ishikawa is regarded as the father of the quality circle approach which was involved building shop floor teams. His legacy is more directly linked to hands on, practical techniques and promoted many of the tools and techniques of measurement, analysis and problem solving commonly used as part of the TQM armoury.

These include:

• Pareto analysis
• Fishbone diagram (otherwise known as an Ishikawa diagram)
• Stratification
• Histograms
• Control Charts
• Scatter diagrams

Philip Crosby

Crosby did much to popularize the use of TQM. He first designed a highly successful programme for ITT for whom he worked before setting up his own quality college and consultancy firm. His training programme has been widely used by a large number of US. and U.K. companies. Again, like other practitioners, his training is targeted at the Management team as whole and not just quality control specialists. Crosby presented his "4 Absolutes of Quality" as the cornerstones of his approach

1. 1. Quality is defined as conformance to requirements, not just as goodness
2. 2. Quality is achieved through prevention not appraisal
3. 3. The quality performance standard is "zero defects" and is not defined by AQLs which allow and build in acceptable levels of errors and inefficiencies
4. 4. Quality is measured by the price of non-conformance

Crosby spread the word that, as in the title of his most popular book, "Quality is Free". He believes that by setting up processes that are designed to prevent errors, by having people trained and motivated to operate them as designed, not only will quality improve, the costs of production will be reduced.