Quality is important for the success of any company. Quality experts like Joseph Juran, Philip Crosby, W. Edwards Deming, and Armand V. Feigenbaum have made big contributions to the field of quality, but their approaches are different in some ways. In this article, we will look at the differences and similarities between these experts' approaches to quality. We will talk about how they define quality, how they put it into practice, their views on management, employee involvement, customer focus, process-based approach, acceptable level of quality, and the role of suppliers in their thinking. We hope this article will help you understand the approaches of these quality experts and how you can use them to improve your business.
Defining Quality
Quality can be defined in many ways. Philip Crosby said it is about meeting the requirements. W. Edwards Deming said it is about constantly improving. Armand Feigenbaum said it is about how the customer sees quality, not what the company thinks it is. Joseph Juran said it is about being useful. Shigeo Shingo said it is about having no mistakes. All of these experts agree that quality should be measurable and should always be getting better. They also all agree that customers should be happy with the quality of a product or service. In addition, they all think that management and employees should be involved in making sure a business has good quality.
Implementing Quality
There are many different ways to make sure a business has good quality. Deming emphasizes using statistics and always improving. Juran focuses on meeting customer needs and breaking down processes into smaller steps. Crosby believes in preventing problems instead of finding them after the fact. Ishikawa thinks it is important to have a big-picture approach to quality management. Feigenbaum and Shingo believe in creating systems that improve quality from the start. All of these experts have their own principles and methods for making sure a business has good quality.
Role of Management
Management plays a crucial role in ensuring good quality in a business. The quality gurus all emphasized the importance of management's commitment to quality. Philip Crosby believed that management should set high standards for quality and make sure all processes are followed closely. W. Edwards Deming focused on always improving and setting goals for improvement. Armand Feigenbaum also emphasized the importance of improving and suggested that management focus on making customers happy and reducing costs through quality processes. All the quality gurus agreed that management must be actively involved in ensuring good quality.
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Involvement of Employees
The quality gurus believed that it is important to involve employees in the quality process. Deming and Juran emphasized empowering employees and letting them have a say in decision-making. They believed that employees are an important part of improving quality, as they have skills, knowledge, and creativity that can help with this. Crosby encouraged employees to take pride in their work and aim for zero defects. Ishikawa believed in teamwork and thought that teams are the best way to solve problems and achieve good results. Feigenbaum believed that it is important to train employees in total quality management (TQM) and give them the tools they need to improve their work.
Customer focus
Customers are very important in quality management. All the quality gurus believe that it is important to make sure customers are happy. Each guru has their own approach to achieving this. Philip Crosby believed in preventing mistakes before they happen. Deming thought that customer satisfaction should be the main goal of quality management. Feigenbaum believed that customers should be the focus of quality initiatives. Juran emphasized the importance of meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Ishikawa stressed the importance of using customer feedback to constantly improve.
Process-based Approach
The process-based approach is a way of managing quality by looking at the steps used to make a product or service and improving them. Experts like Deming, Juran, and Crosby believe that this is very important. This approach involves looking at the inputs and outputs of a process, finding problems, and using continuous improvement to make sure the product or service meets customer needs. It also involves using data to understand trends, finding the root causes of problems, and making changes as needed. The goal is to create processes that work well every time and provide predictable results. This approach is effective because it looks at the whole process, not just the end result. It can also help make processes more efficient, reduce costs, and make customers happy.
The Acceptable Level of Quality
Quality is meeting customer needs. The quality gurus have different ideas about what the acceptable level of quality should be. Crosby believed that no defects are acceptable. Deming believed in improving quality by reducing defects and making customers happy. Feigenbaum thought that the defects should be reduced over time. Ishikawa believed that a product must meet customer needs and have no defects to be considered high quality. All the gurus focus on customer needs and improving quality, but they have different ideas about what an acceptable level of quality is and how to achieve it.
The Role of Suppliers
The quality gurus all recognize the role that suppliers play in achieving good quality. They all agree that it is important to manage suppliers carefully. Deming believed that the organization, including its suppliers and customers, is a system. He thought it was important to work with suppliers to achieve good quality and to have a long-term relationship with them.
Conclusion
To sum up, the quality gurus have some similar and some different approaches to quality. These approaches involve management commitment, teamwork between employees and suppliers, and being focused on customers. Although their methods may vary, they all agree that achieving the best quality requires hard work and improving processes. With the right tools, processes, and a commitment to always improving, any organization can achieve the highest level of quality.