Evolution of quality management

Quality management has moved from detecting defects to preventing them, and from the shop floor to the whole organisation. The main stages are:

1. Inspection (before 1920s)

Craftsmen checked their own work. With mass production (Taylor, Ford), separate inspectors sorted good from bad products after production. Defects were found, not prevented.

2. Statistical quality control (1920s-1950s)

W. A. Shewhart (Bell Labs, 1924) introduced control charts. Dodge and Romig developed acceptance sampling. Quality was checked by sampling and statistics, which cut inspection cost. This was widely used in World War II.

3. Quality assurance (1950s-1970s)

Quality was built into the whole system by planning and documentation. Deming and Juran taught Japanese industry; Feigenbaum introduced Total Quality Control (1951); Crosby promoted zero defects. Quality cost, reliability engineering and standards (military standards) developed.

4. Total quality control and quality circles (1960s-80s)

Ishikawa and Japanese firms used quality circles, cause-and-effect diagrams and the seven QC tools. Taguchi added robust design.

5. Total quality management (1980s onward)

Quality is the responsibility of everyone, focuses on the customer, and is based on continuous improvement (Kaizen), leadership, employee involvement, process management and fact-based decisions. ISO 9000 series (1987) set quality system standards; the Malcolm Baldrige Award (1987) and the EFQM model followed. Six Sigma (Motorola, 1980s) added a data-driven approach.