Three Experts on Quality Management
Read this article to better understand the history of quality management and the impact of these three men on the approaches to quality management. You might call these men the founders of the quality process. Their contribution to this organizational focus on quality needs to be understood.
The Three Approaches: Differences
There are a number of differences between the three
approaches. Differences affecting use of measurement,
goal setting, supplier relationships, and leadership activities are discussed here.
USE OF MEASUREMENT
Crosby, Deming, and Juran recognize measurement
as important to quality improvement efforts, but they use
it in different ways. Both Crosby and Juran view the cost
of quality as the focus of measurement Cost is measurable in terms of dollars, and, for them, money is the
language of management Success of quality efforts is
ultimately measured by meeting customer requirements,
but Crosby and Juran use the reduction in cost as an
indicator of the effectiveness and efficiency of the process
used to meet customer requirements. Juran considers that
the cost of poor quality is a key factor because it represents
how much the organization is losing and how much it is
spending on scrap and rework. Nevertheless, he acknowledges the fact that there are other equally important factors
to measure, such as how the organization compares with
the competition and how customers perceive quality.
Deming does not use the cost of quality as a focus of
measurement. He considers that the "unknown" costs,
such as the impact of the loss of a customer, are far more
important than "visible" ones. To Deming, measuring and
meeting customer needs and "expectations" about a product or service are paramount to implementing quality
improvements.
Deming gives greater emphasis than do his counterparts to quantitative method! and statistical methods as a
means of analyzing and improving the production process. He uses measurements of process variation to
determine whether processes are stable and capable.
GOAL SETTING
To Crosby, the ultimate goal should be "defect-free"
products and services, but he stresses that intermediate
goals should be set as well to help organizations focus
their efforts on becoming "defect-free". To him, a quality
product or service results when the process has consistently produced something that falls within specification
limits. Deming, on the other hand, considers that being
within specifications is just the first step to continuous
process improvement (Figure 13). He advocates reducing process variation on a continuing basis to improve
quality. Conforming to specifications is not enough, he
says; worse, yet, it ensures the status quo.
Figure 14 summarizes all of the important differences
between the approaches of Crosby, Deming, and Juran.
Figure 13. Differences between the "defect-free" and continuous improvement approaches to quality.
DEFINITION OF QUALITY |
CROSBY |
DEMING |
JURAN |
---|---|---|---|
Defined by conformance to requirements. |
X | ||
Defined by fitness for use and customer requirements. |
X | ||
Defined by the current and future needs of the customer. |
X |
USE OF MEASUREMENT |
CROSBY |
DEMING |
JURAN |
---|---|---|---|
Views the monetary cost of quality as the focus of measurement. |
X | X | |
Places emphasis on statistical thinking and statistical methods. |
X | X |
GOAL SETTING |
CROSBY |
DEMING |
JURAN |
---|---|---|---|
"Defect-free" products and services are the ultimate goal. Stresses individual conformance to requirements. |
X | ||
Puts emphasis on company-wide goals and the deployment of goals. |
X | ||
Opposes the use of goals and quotas to manage work. |
X |
SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS |
CROSBY |
DEMING |
JURAN |
---|---|---|---|
Favors the practice of reducing the number of suppliers. |
X | X | |
Favors the practice of using a single supplier when possible. |
X |
LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES |
CROSBY |
DEMING |
JURAN |
---|---|---|---|
Urges the creation of an activity where management and employees reaffirm their commitment to quality. |
X | X | |
Defines leadership roles and responsibilities but does not provide a "cookbook" approach to implementation. |
X |
TRAINING |
CROSBY |
DEMING |
JURAN |
---|---|---|---|
Targets training to help managers develop a new organizational culture. |
X | ||
Targets training toward quality management practices and problem-solving techniques. |
X | ||
Targets training towards leadership practices. Addresses the need for education and training for enhancing knowledge and developing skills. |
X |
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT |
CROSBY |
DEMING |
JURAN |
---|---|---|---|
Emphasizes prevention to meet specifications. |
X | ||
Uses three quality-oriented processes (planning, control, and improvement) to achieve improvements |
X | ||
Views the organization as a system and applies the scientific method to optimize the system. Uses statistical methods to monitor variation |
X |
Deming also opposes the use of numerical goals and quotas to manage work. He thinks that individual goals are necessary to help people in their personal and professional lives, but numerical goals imposed from top management can have negative effects on both quality of products and individual and team morale-a certainty if there is no plan to achieve the goals or tools by which to reach them.
Juran sees a need for written objectives for employees, with a plan for reaching them. He addresses quality-related goals and company-wide objectives, but more important to him is the deployment of goals throughout the organization. Strategic goals need to be deployed to all divisions and sections of the organization, and more specific goals need to be deployed to people so that they know what to do.
SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS
The three advocates view the role of suppliers differently. Deming favors the practice of working with a single
supplier, where feasible, to reduce variability of incoming
materials, and stales that this practice should be built on a
long-term relationship of trust and understanding between
supplier and purchaser. In this way, suppliers can produce
materials that do a better job of fulfilling the needs of the
organization. To maintain long-term contracts, suppliers will be more likely to improve their own processes to
provide better products or services.
Crosby and Juran recognize some of the advantages
of single suppliers, but they take amore conservative view
and simply advocate reducing the number of suppliers.
Crosby and Juran consider it important to have different
suppliers for the same product when the product is a
critical one. That way, the organization will not suffer
because of strikes, accidents, or other problems beset by
suppliers. Deming recognizes the possibilities of strikes,
but admits that customers can receive products and services from alternative suppliers in such cases.
LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT
Although Crosby, Deming, and Juran acknowledge
and agree that top management support, involvement, and
commitment are essential for carrying out any quality-
focused efforts, each emphasizes leader participation differently.
Crosby describes the "Zero Defects Day" as the time
when management reaffirms its commitment to quality
and communicates it to all employees. Similarly, Juran
has a vehicle for involving top management Juran's
annual quality program is used by managers to communicate to all employees management's commitment to quality improvement Managers' decisions and actions must
be oriented to establishing a quality council, deploying
goals, providing resources, and serving on quality councils and quality improvement teams.
Crosby describes the "Zero Defects Day"
as the time when management reaffirms its
commitment to quality and communicates
it to all employees.
Although Deming acknowledges that top management commitment is imperative, he does not describe a program for accomplishing it What works in one organization might not work in another. He affirms the need for management's commitment but it is the responsibility of top management to show its commitment through leadership. Deming is specific, however, about the leaders' roles and responsibilities. As described by Deming, the aim of leadership is not to point fingers at individuals or to keep records of failures. To him, the leader's new job is to remove barriers and create a culture that values helping others to do a better job and to feel pride in workmanship. Leaders must lead by example, not by cheerleading. They must be coaches who help to improve the system of which they and their employees are a part.