Deming’s 14 Principles and Total Quality Management Gurus

Posted on Dec 19, 2024 in Other subjects

Eduardo Deming: The 14 Principles

  1. Constancy to Improve Products and Services: The goal is to stay in business and provide jobs through innovation, research, constant improvement, and maintenance, rather than just making money.
  2. Adopt the New Philosophy: This philosophy should be accepted as its own and adopted by all in the company to achieve constancy of purpose for continuous improvement. One of the principles of ISO 9000 states: “The continuous improvement of overall performance should be a permanent goal of the organization.” Many companies move from one philosophy to another, looking anxiously outside when there is much to discover within.
  3. Do Not Rely on Mass Inspection: Companies typically inspect a product when it leaves the production line or at milestones along the way, discarding or reworking defective products. This is unnecessarily expensive. Quality comes from the improvement of the process, not from inspection.
  4. End the Practice of Awarding Purchase Contracts Based Solely on Price: Purchasing departments tend to seek the lowest-priced provider, often leading to poor-quality supplies. Instead, buyers should look for the best quality in a long-term relationship with a single supplier for a given item.
  5. Improve Constantly and Forever the System of Production and Service: Improvement is not a one-time effort. Management is obliged to constantly seek ways to reduce waste and improve quality. In addition to the ongoing improvement of systems, products should be improved. This is reinforced in clause 8.5.1 of ISO 9001: “The organization shall continually improve the effectiveness of the quality management system through the use of quality policy, quality objectives, audit results, analysis of data, corrective and preventive actions, and management review.”
  6. Institute Training on the Job: Ongoing training for employees and supervisors in their own processes helps improve both incrementally and radically. First, have knowledge of what is done, beyond following the procedure. ISO 9000 confirms this in 6.2: “Personnel performing work affecting product quality must be competent based on education, training, skills, and experience.” The organization must:
    • a) Determine the competence required for personnel.
    • b) Provide training or take other actions.
    • c) Evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken.
    • d) Ensure personnel are aware of the relevance and importance of their activities.
  7. Institute Leadership: Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction. They should create and maintain an environment where people can become fully involved in achieving the organization’s objectives.
  8. Drive Out Fear: Many employees are afraid to ask questions or take a stand. Economic losses due to fear are terrible. To ensure better quality and greater productivity, people must feel safe.
  9. Break Down Barriers Between Staff Areas: Departments or business units often compete or have conflicting goals. They should work as a team to resolve or anticipate problems.
  10. Eliminate Slogans, Exhortations, and Production Targets for the Workforce: These never helped anyone do their job well. It is better to let employees make their own slogans.
  11. Eliminate Numerical Quotas: Quotas take into account only numbers, not quality or methods. They are usually a guarantee of inefficiency and high cost.
  12. Remove Barriers that Rob People of Pride of Workmanship: People want to do a good job. Misguided supervisors, faulty equipment, and imperfect materials hinder good performance. These barriers must be removed.
  13. Institute a Vigorous Program of Education and Self-Improvement: Both management and the workforce will have to be instructed in the new methods, including teamwork and statistical techniques.
  14. Put Everybody in the Company to Work to Accomplish the Transformation: A team of top management with a plan of action is needed. The company must have a critical mass of people who understand the Fourteen Points, the seven deadly diseases, and obstacles.

Feigenbaum: The Basics

Feigenbaum promoted the phrase “Total Quality Control” in the United States. Total Quality Control considers quality a strategic management tool, requiring all staff to be informed. Quality goes far beyond the control of plant-level faults; it is a philosophy and a commitment to excellence.

Feigenbaum’s definition: “Total quality means being oriented towards excellence, rather than towards defects.”

Three Steps to Quality:

  1. Quality Leadership: Special emphasis should be placed on management and quality leadership. Quality has to be carefully planned in specific terms, oriented more to excellence than the traditional focus on flaws or defects.
  2. Modern Quality Techniques: All members of the organization must be responsible for the quality of their product or service. This means integrating office staff, engineers, and plant operators. The goal should be performance free of failures or defects.
  3. Organizational Commitment: Permanent motivation is necessary. Training specifically related to the task is of paramount importance. Quality should be considered a strategic element of business planning.

Joseph Juran: The Principles

  • Raise awareness of the need and opportunity for improvement.
  • Set goals for improvement.
  • Organize to meet the goals (establish a quality council, identify problems, select projects, appoint teams, etc.).
  • Provide training.
  • Carry out projects to solve problems.
  • Report on progress.
  • Give awards.
  • Communicate results.
  • Keep track of the results.
  • Maintain the momentum by making annual improvement part of the regular systems and processes.

Juran Trilogy:

  • Quality Planning: Develop products and processes required to meet customer needs.
    • Identify clients.
    • Identify customer needs.
    • Develop product features.
    • Develop processes.
    • Transfer plans to operating forces.
  • Quality Control: Monitor processes to ensure they are carried out with maximum effect.
    • Evaluate actual performance.
    • Compare performance with objectives.
    • Address the differences.
  • Quality Improvement: Introduce a new management process determined by high levels of management.
    • Establish infrastructure for annual improvement.
    • Identify improvement projects.
    • Establish project teams.
    • Provide resources, motivation, and training.
    • Diagnose causes.
    • Establish remedies.
    • Establish controls to maintain gains.

Ishikawa: The Principles

  • Quality Comes First, Not Short-Term Earnings: Quality is more important than quickly generated profits.
  • Customer Orientation: Products and services should always be directed toward satisfying customer needs.
  • The Next Process is the Customer: Everyone in the organization should be oriented towards the customer continuously.
  • Respect for Humanity: Full consideration should be given to all individuals equally.
  • Cross-Functional Management: Cross-functional committees can promote relations across the organization and enable efficient quality assurance.

Ishikawa’s Proposed Factors:

  • The customer is the most important.
  • Prevent, do not correct.
  • Reduce costs and waste.
  • Long-term results. No shortcuts to quality.
  • Participation and involvement of all members.
  • Work together.
  • Measure results.
  • Give recognition.
  • Commitment and support of top management.
  • Institute effective and intense training programs.
  • Raise awareness of the need.
  • Have a process and tool for continuous improvement.

Ishikawa’s Seven Statistical Tools:

  • Pareto Chart.
  • Cause and Effect Diagram.
  • Stratification.
  • Check Sheet.
  • Histograms.
  • Scatter Diagrams.
  • Control Charts.

Phillip B. Crosby: The Four Pillars

  1. Participation and Attitude of Administration: Administration should take the attitude they want to deploy throughout the organization.
  2. Professional Management of Quality: All members of the organization must be trained to understand each quality program.
  3. Original Programs: In the 1960s, Crosby proposed a fourteen-step program aimed at achieving “zero defects.” This program emphasized the motivation of workers and human relationships at work.

Crosby’s 14 Steps Program:

Step 1. Management Commitment

Convince the operational head that:

  • a) Quality is free.
  • b) Non-quality consumes 10-20% of sales revenues annually.
  • c) This cost can be reduced to 10% in the first 12 months and 3% in the long term.
  • d) The director general is responsible for quality, profitability, marketing strategies, productivity, and corporate image.

Step 2. Quality Improvement Team

The CEO calls area directors to:

  • a) Define the company’s quality.
  • b) Rectify their attitude towards quality defects and errors.
  • c) Provide a junior manager to integrate the interdisciplinary quality improvement team.
  • d) Participate in implementing the rest of the program.

Step 3. Measurement

Define specific quality meters at the corporate level, then by area, and finally by department. Each meter will receive wide publicity to establish control of quality progress.

Step 4. The Cost of Quality

Estimate the cost of quality, which is often underestimated. The cost of non-quality is often closer to 20% of sales when considering all visible and less visible costs.

Step 5. Create Awareness on Quality

Change the false image that prevails among lower levels. The most important thing is to change the attitude to “To me, only full quality.”

Step 6. Corrective Action

Each supervisor, together with their staff, seeks to remedy errors or defects generated by their department.

Step 7. Planning on Zero Defects

Prepare a plan of celebration that brings efficiency, cost, and festivity to “zero defects day.”

Step 8. Education Staff

Objectives:

  • a) Involve lower levels in the philosophy of zero defects.
  • b) Explain the dynamics of zero defects day.
  • c) Prepare to motivate and direct staff.

Step 9. Zero Defects Day

Transmit to the foundation the management decision not to tolerate more defects. The day should be solemn, joyful, and motivating, convincing staff that this is a permanent effort.

Step 10. Setting Goals

Each supervisor meets with their staff to set specific, measurable, realistic, and ambitious targets to prevent defects over the next 30-90 days.

Step 11. Eliminate the Causes of Error

Staff immediately report any defect they perceive and cannot correct themselves. Each observation is sent to the improvement team, which acknowledges receipt within 24 hours, channels the report to the appropriate department, and monitors the rectification. The team informs the complainant that their complaint was resolved.

Step 12. Recognition

A program of incentives for major achievements, seeking recognition more than monetary aspects. Feedback to all staff, showing the collective benefits of the new attitude towards quality.

Step 13. Quality Council

Expert staff form “quality advisory councils” to act as a dynamic improvement team, maintaining agility and enthusiasm.

Step 14. Repeat the Process

Repetition guarantees the seriousness and institutionalization of the effort, demonstrating a sustained commitment to improve quality.