basic quality quality basics l - niatx: home duffy.pdf · in the spirit of deming’s belief in...

In this nugget of wisdom from his book Out of the Crisis, W. Edwards

Deming reminds us that every day we should be making efforts to expand

knowledge and develop expertise in our work and in our lives.

That learning truly begins when we have a solid understanding of the basics.

In the spirit of Deming’s belief in continuous improvement, we called on several

Quality Progress contributors to write on 10 basic quality topics—the fundamentals

essential to surviving in a quality role.

We asked our hand-picked contributors to write on one particular subject in about 500

words: a lofty challenge for authors known for their thorough and exhaustive knowl-

edge and writings on these topics.

This collection of overviews is not meant to be comprehensive. Any one of our con-

tributors to this package could have written a book on the subject—and some actually

have. Rather, this overview is designed to give quality newcomers a taste of the knowl-

edge they need to survive and succeed. Perhaps it will also inspire more seasoned quali-

ty professionals to brush up on some of the essentials they haven’t thought about in a

while.

If a subject leaves you wanting more, reach for the resources and information. More

than likely they’re just a few clicks away—on a corner of ASQ’s website devoted to

books (www.asq.org/quality-press/index.html) or publications (www.asq.org/pub),

including past issues of Quality Progress.

And always remember what Deming encourages: Seek knowledge, challenge yourself

and keep learning—every day.

QUALITY PROGRESS I JUNE 2007 I 25

Quality Basics

BASIC QUALITY

“Learning is not compulsory ... neither is survival.”

A truly integrated quality system is based on three

principles: customer focus, process improvement and

total involvement:

1. Customer focus encompasses both the external and

internal customers’ needs.

2. Process improvement is the lifeblood of an organiza-

tion wishing to sustain growth.

3. Total involvement is the vehicle through which the

organization completes the daily activities that

accomplish the first two principles.

Currently, practicing quality professionals deal with

interrelated sets of requirements that form quality man-

agement systems (QMSs). The two most frequently used

QMS models are the Baldrige National Quality Program

criteria and the eight quality management principles that

are the basis of the ISO 9000 family of QMS standards.

These models provide insight into the component parts

of a QMS and define quality as it is practiced today.

The Baldrige criteria, shown in Figure 1, are:

1. Leadership.

2. Strategic planning.

3. Customer and market focus.

4. Information and analysis.

5. HR focus.

6. Process management.

7. Business results.

The eight management system standards of the ISO

9000 2000 family of standards are:

1. Customer orientation: Organizations must focus on

understanding their customers’ needs and require-

ments, then try to anticipate and exceed the cus-

tomers’ expectations.

2. Leadership: Organizations need strong leaders to estab-

lish common goals and direction. Effective leaders

establish open environments in which all employees

can participate in meeting their organization’s goals.

3. Involvement: People are the most important part of

any organization. Managers must ensure that em-

ployees at all levels of the organization can fully par-

ticipate and use all their skills to make the

organization successful.

4. Process management: The most successful organiza-

tions understand they must manage all activities as

processes.

26 I JUNE 2007 I www.asq.org

BASIC QUALITY

Principles and Methods

MeasurementMeasurement is the process of determining a quantita-

tive value of something. You can measure something

intangible, such as customer satisfaction, or something

tangible, such as a truck tire’s air pressure, a chemical

solution’s conductivity or the thickness of the paper this

article is printed on. These are examples of the two broad

types of measurements made in business quality man-

agement systems (QMSs): process oriented and physical.

Process oriented measurements appear throughout a

quality or business management system. Some measures

in sections 2.3 and 2.4 of ISO 9000,1 and conditions of their

use fall under most of ISO 9001 section 8.2.2 Many process

oriented measurement tools and methods are part of the

fundamental elements of quality management, including:

statistical process control, process and control charts,

process capability, quality of service, some types of bench-

marking, the check step of the plan-do-check-act cycle,

financial measures, customer satisfaction surveys, prod-

uct returns and warranty costs.

Physical measurements are those in which inspection,

measuring and test equipment (IM&TE) is used to mea-

sure physical parameters. IM&TE is the province of

metrology, the science of measurement. For all of record-

ed history, an essential component of successful trade is

a system of measurement, which includes agreement

among people about the meaning of the units of mea-

surement. The Convention of the Metre treaty of 1875

made what is now the International System of Units (SI)

the agreed-upon standard for all international trade.3

Physical measurements are the subject of sections 7.5, 7.6

and 8.2.4 of ISO 9001.

There are several important considerations for physi-

cal measurements. To be meaningful, physical measure-

ments must be traceable to the SI. Traceability requires

calibrated IM&TE. Calibration verifies the ability of the

IM&TE to make the required measurements when used

correctly and documents the measurement uncertainty

relative to the SI value. Calibration is part of risk man-

agement. An effective calibration program will not elim-

inate all risk, but it will reduce the risk to a known and

manageable level.

Physical measurements should be managed to ensure

the correct measurements are being made and that the

IM&TE used are capable of making the measurement


5. System management: In addition to the manage-

ment of individual processes, successful organiza-

tions understand that their many individual

processes are interrelated and must be managed

within an overall system.

6. Continual improvement: Continual improvement is

the key to long-term success and high performance.

Successful managers recognize that processes must

be reviewed and improved continually to ensure

their organization stays competitive.

7. Fact based decisions: Organizations that base their

decisions on factual data are more likely to make

the correct decision.

8. Close supplier relationships: Organizations that

partner and work closely with their suppliers

ensure that both the organization and the supplier

are better able to succeed.

There is no one right way to integrate quality princi-

ples into a working environment. W. Edwards Deming

espoused the data approach. He recommended we start

with statistical analysis of operations and draw conclu-

sions from the data by using his plan-do-study-act cycle.

Joseph Juran chose the opposite approach: beginning

with the corporate vision, then drilling down through

Integrated quality system

Leadership Customer and Strategic planning market focusInformation and analysis HR focusProcess management Business results

Processimprovement

Customerfocus

Totalinvolvement

Objective

Principles

Elements

Principles of an IntegratedQuality System

FIGURE 1

strategic, tactical and operational levels using the Juran

Trilogy: quality planning, quality control and quality

improvement.

Either approach to integrating the quality principles is

effective. Senior leadership should choose the approach

that most closely aligns with its organizational and cus-

tomer requirements.

—Grace L. Duffy

accurately. ISO 10012:2003 gives guidance for managing

a measurement system.4

Organizations that calibrate IM&TE can be accredited

to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025: 2005.5 Accredit-

ation verifies that the calibration laboratory has a QMS

based on ISO 9001 and also verifies the lab is competent

to make the calibration related measurements listed on

its “scope of accreditation” document.

Competency is assessed through an accreditation audit

and by the results of the lab’s mandatory participation in

regular proficiency tests. Accreditation bodies that meet

the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011:2004 perform the

audits.6 The accreditation bodies are assessed when they

apply for membership in an international cooperating

laboratory accreditation system such as the International

Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation or Asia Pacific

Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.

Why is that important? If your calibration supplier’s

accreditation body is not a member of an international

cooperation, then you will have a much harder time get-

ting your products accepted in other countries—and in

some cases by your own country or state—which will

cost you time and money if you want to expand your

markets. A large (but not complete) list of international

cooperations and worldwide accreditation bodies is

available at www.fasor.com/iso25.

Correctly applied measurement, wherever and how-

ever it occurs, is an essential element of a successful

business QMS.

REFERENCES AND NOTE

1. ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9000-2000 Quality management systems—Fundamentals and vocabulary.

2. ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001:2000 Quality management systems—Requirements.

3. International Vocabulary of Basic and General Terms in Metrology,ISO, 1993. Commonly called the VIM.

4. ISO 10012:2003 Measurement management systems—Requirements for measurement processes and measuring equipment.

5. ISO/IEC 17025:2005 General requirements for the competence oftesting and calibration laboratories.

6. ISO/IEC 17011:2004 Conformity assessment—General require-ments for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodiies.

—Graeme C. Payne


BASIC QUALITY

ToolsTools are organizational or analytical techniques that

assist in understanding a problem. Quality tools are

applied to solving problems to improve quality in ser-

vice organizations and manufacturing plants.

There are basic quality tools that have been popular

for several decades and new tools, too, that have come

to the forefront in the last 15 to 20 years.

Basic quality tools are primarily numerically oriented.

Table 1 includes eight basic quality tools and their purpos-

es. Table 2 lists some of the new quality tools, which are

capable of completely analyzing and understanding a

problem. The new quality tools are primarily non-numeric.

The eight basic tools can be used in sequence to

solve a problem. The problem first needs to be under-

stood; flow charts, check sheets and histograms are

useful for acquiring and displaying basic data. If mul-

tiple sources of variation in the process need to be

investigated, then stratification is useful.

For example, a part might be produced from a sequence

of milling operations on different machines. The quality

practitioner might need to investigate if any one machine

is producing more variation in a dimension than another

machine. Examining the variation of the parts is not suffi-

cient. Control charts are needed to determine whether the

process is in statistical control.

Before making adjustments to a process, the quality

Tool Purpose

Flow chart Visualizes a process

Check sheet Collects and analyzes data using astructured, prepared form

Histogram Analyzes frequency of occurrence of items

Stratification Separates data gathered from a variety ofsources to discern patterns

Control chart Studies how a process changes over timeusing a graph

Scatter plot Finds correlations among variables

Pareto diagram Prioritizes bar charts to determine the order in which to attack problems

Ishikawa diagram Brainstorms about root causes of problems(aka fishbone, causeand effect diagram)

Basic Quality ToolsTABLE 1

practitioner must know whether the process is in control.

A control chart will reveal various hints about the prob-

lem (for example, trends in the data or correlation of out-

of-control conditions with external factors). If there is the

potential of interrelated factors, then a scatter plot can be

used to test for correlations between sets of variables to

Statisticsjob, in making decisions on the basis of data, is to distin-

guish between the two components.

Symbolically, Y = f(x) + ∑,

in which Y is what you get, f(x) is the total effect of all

controls exerted on the process, intentionally or uninten-

tionally, and ∑ is random variation.

Shewhart recognized that if we sample a process

repeatedly—as he did with the first published control

chart in 1924—to learn, for example, its percentage

defective, the number we get will change from sample to

sample, even though the process doesn’t change.

This phenomenon is the handiwork of the random vari-

A fundamental concept of statistics probably predates

Plato’s Republic and his allegory of the cave, which

describes people as being separated from the real world

and perceiving only vague shadows of its reality.

St. Paul said it more succinctly: “We see through a

glass, darkly.”

But the more modern, easy-to-understand American

colloquialism is: “All numbers have some fuzz around

them!”

Walter Shewhart, one of quality’s greatest pioneers

and a man to whom many of us owe a good part of our

careers, recognized this principle and concluded that

every observation we take from a process of any kind

has both a deterministic and a random component. Our


Tool Purpose

Affinity diagram Organizes a large number of ideas intonatural relationships

Relations diagram Determines cause-and-effect relationships

Tree diagram Breaks down broad categories into finerlevels of detail

Matrix diagram Organizes knowledge in a matrix formatto show the relationship among groups ofinformation

Matrix data Analyzes matrices (often replaced in thisanalysis method list by the similar prioritization matrix)

Process decision Identifies what might go wrong in a planprogram chart under development

Arrow diagram Shows the required order of tasks in aproject or process

New Quality ToolsTABLE 2

find when the highest correlation occurs.

Once a problem has been characterized using these

tools, the next step is to look for solutions. An Ishikawa

(fishbone) diagram works well for teams seeking the root

causes of a problem. Once the root causes are identified,

they can be put into a Pareto diagram to make a decision

about which root cause should be examined first.

There are numerous sequential processes for using the

new quality tools. An affinity diagram is good if the quali-

ty practitioner does not know what the problem is. The

remaining new tools can be systematically applied to

move from an idea of the problem to a complete plan to

solve the problem.

First, a relations diagram can be used to discern

whether there are any interacting subproblems. This tool

is useful because merely identifying the problem is usu-

ally not sufficient. The practitioner must also know of

any causally related problems. Next, a tree diagram can

be used to break down the goal into a set of specific

activities, which can be prioritized using the matrix

method. Once the priorities of activities are known, an

arrow diagram can be created to analyze the timing of

the process and identify any potential bottlenecks.

Using either basic or new quality tools is highly

dependent on the problem to be solved. However, the

examples here should prove helpful when dealing with

many common problems.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Tague, Nancy R., The Quality Toolbox, second edition, ASQ Quality

Press, 2005.

—James J. Rooney

ation component of the model above.

Further, you can reduce this random

variation (or uncertainty) by increas-

ing the sample size. Naturally, a reduc-

tion of the uncertainty gives greater

clarity to the deterministic component,

f(x), of the model. Greater sample sizes help

us cut through the random variation to detect

more effects or, as Shewhart called them, assignable

causes of variation.

This principle is fundamental to all statistical decision

making. Done properly:

• The t-test examines the difference between two

means in light of the variation.

• Confidence intervals estimate

parameters in the shadows of

uncertainty.

• Regression analysis finds a line

or curve going through ordered

pairs of data with a built-in reality

check based on random variation.

• The analysis of variance sorts real effects and

interactions from noise.

Without this fundamental concept, statistical decision

making would be impossible.

—Lynne B. Hare

Our job, in making

decisions on the basis

of data, is to

distinguish between

a deterministic and

a random component.


BASIC QUALITY

Vision and StrategyVision and strategy are relatively new additions to

the quality toolbox. Modern strategy principles date

back to the work of Kenneth Andrews in 1971.1 Before

Andrews, many organizations were committed to

long-range planning. Today, most strategists agree the

world is changing too fast for long-range

plans to remain relevant.

You might recognize Andrews’ work

as the SWOT matrix: strengths, weak-

nesses, opportunities and threats.

The principal notion of this first

generation of strategy is optimiza-

tion—knowing your strengths and

capitalizing on them.

This tension can be compared

to the stretching of a rubber band:

The farther you stretch the band, the

more energy you’ve created for

relieving the strain by moving the end

points together—in the direction of the

vision. In practice, sharing an organizational vision is

invaluable in focusing a large, complex organization.

There have been several schools of thought related to

strategy since Andrews’ work in 1971; none have been

long lived, and none are completely responsive to orga-

nizations’ needs in a rapidly changing world.

The most notable approaches include the

Boston Consulting Group’s2 “market

share enlightenment,” Michael

Porter’s3 “five forces,” and the

“resource-based view” of D.J. Collis

and C.A. Montgomery.4

Scenario planning is at the inter-

section of strategic planning and

the reality of uncertain times, where

an organization considers several

future worlds in preparation of its

strategy. Anticipation is clearly advan-

tageous in times of change; those who

anticipate can respond with more certainty

Having strategy

allows everyone in an

organization to benefit

from understanding the

organization’s intent. It

sets the organization’s

compass.

Many of us are familiar only with management system

standards (MSSs), such as ISO 90011 or ISO 14001.2 But

thousands of national, regional and international stan-

dards are commonly used around the world. Their basic

purpose is to facilitate trade.

According to ISO/IEC Guide 2: 2004, a standard is “a

document, established by consensus and approved by a

recognized body, that provides, for common and repeat-

ed use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or

their results…”3

In other words, standards may establish the size, shape

or other characteristics of a product (for example, the

base dimensions of light bulbs or the requirements for

the composition of gasoline).

Standards can also specify guidance or requirements

for processes used to make or deliver products and for

measuring results (such as measurement of octane in

gasoline).

Other standards might give guidance on methods of

analysis and treatment of data related to production or

sampling of products.

While most standards are product related, MSSs are

quite different. They provide requirements or guidance

for the management system an organization uses to

attain particular types of results.

For example, ISO 9001 provides requirements for a

management system for an organization that needs to

“demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product

that meets customer and applicable regulatory require-

ments, and … aims to enhance customer satisfaction

through the effective application of the system, including

processes for continual improvement of the system and

the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable

regulatory requirements.”4

ISO 9001 also requires organizations to determine and

review customer requirements. Product related standards

are often key inputs to this process. A supplier’s conformi-

ty to ISO 9001 should provide customers some degree of

confidence that the supplier can consistently provide

product that meets customer and regulatory requirements.

In addition, an organization can obtain recognition of

conformity by having a third-party certification body

Standards


(registrar) conduct assessments

and issue a certificate of registra-

tion for its quality management

system.

Such certification bodies are

often accredited by accreditation

bodies to provide additional confi-

dence in their independence and consis-

tency. This conformity assessment scheme is

managed under International Organization for

Standardization standards.

Many organizations that use ISO 9001 do not seek cer-

tification. In some cases, they use the standard as a mech-

anism to achieve conformity to regulatory requirements.

Others simply find it a convenient model from which to

develop and maintain a disciplined management system.

Because ISO 9001 is process based, many find it fits

well with other quality related activities such as Six

Sigma and lean.

Certification or registration of management systems

can provide confidence in the management system but

does not guarantee that products

meet applicable product related

standards. Product certification

has a different conformity assess-

ment process, under which accred-

ited laboratories test products to

ensure they meet applicable stan-

dards.

REFERENCES

1. ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001-2000, Quality Manage-ment Systems—

Requirements, ASQ Quality Press, 2000.

2. ANSI/ISO/ASQ 14001-2004, Environ-mental Management

Systems—Specifications With Guidance for Use, ASQ Quality Press,

2004.

3. ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004, Standardiz-ation and Related Activities—

General Vocabulary, International Organization for Standardization,

2004.

4. ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001, see reference 1.

—John E. “Jack“ West

Certification or registration

of management systems can

provide confidence in the

management system but

does not guarantee that

products meet applicable

product related

standards.

and speed than others can.

Two constant forces at work in the evolution of strat-

egy are from simple to complex and from mechanistic

to organic. While there is still a place for traditional

methods of determining strategy, most organizations

are moving toward making strategy—and discussions

about the future—ongoing, open-ended dialogues.

Traditional strategy appears as a pyramid (vision,

objectives, strategies and tactics) and ignores the reali-

ty that objectives, strategies and tactics interact. This

ignores the complexity of interaction. Complexity is

better handled in a systems view of strategy. Modern

approaches to strategy use systems models to more

effectively consider the complexities of the world and

strategy.

Older approaches to strategy are time based—for

instance, on an annual cycle. New approaches are event

based. When the world changes, strategy changes.

An organization can pick from a continuum of strate-

gic approaches to find one that fits its needs, resources

and environment. In all cases, the dialogue leading to

strategic decisions represents the investment in reach-

ing clarity and focus in the organization. Having strate-

gy allows everyone in an organization to benefit from

understanding the organization’s intent. It sets the

organization’s compass.

While vision represents the end state, strategy repre-

sents the starting point and the context in which all

other planning begins.

REFERENCES

1. Kenneth Andrews, “The Concept of Corporate Strategy,” The

McGraw-Hill School Education Group, 1971.

2. Boston Consulting Group, www.bcg.com.

3. Michael Porter, Competitive Strategy, new edition, Free Press,

2004.

4. D.J. Collis and C.A. Montgomery, “Competing on Resources:

Strategy in the 1990s,” Harvard Business Review, July-August, 1995,

pp. 118-128.

—Paul E. Borawski


BASIC QUALITY

Economic Case for Quality

Among other things, the ISO 9001 standard requires

an organization to apply a process approach to three types

of actions: management, product/service realization and

support. The standard says an organization should identi-

fy and manage all the processes necessary for achieving its

objectives and define how these processes are interrelated.

Further, there should be a process owner appointed who

has a defined responsibility and authority to implement,

maintain and improve the processes and their interactions.

The fundamentals of managing processes are:

• Identifying the primary processes of the organization.

• Naming the owner(s) of each process.

• Mapping the flow of each process.

• Specifying the metrics used to control and measure

the outputs and effectiveness of each process.

• Determining the impact of each process and its

interaction with each other process.

• Assessing the effect each process has on the organi-

zation’s desired outcomes.

• Having and implementing a plan for improving

processes in which strategic improvement is worth-

while.

Process mapping, a refined flowcharting method, is

most often used to identify the primary processes, the

flow within these processes and the interactions among

them. The metrics used to control and measure process

performance (variation and capability) are derived from

a supply, input, process, output and customer diagram

and analyzed using statistical process control. Day-to-

day output metrics are compared with targets, and

longer-term analysis is done using trending techniques.

Documentation of all processes, including those used

for measurement and analysis, should include: process

objectives, procedures and work instructions, quality

plans, measurement and audit results, improvements

initiated, and results and lessons learned from improve-

ment initiatives.

Quality is monitored using an in-process and outgoing

finished product or service inspection method. Customer

satisfaction is measured with statistics derived from prod-

uct or service failures and other indicators, such as sur-

veys. Internal auditing techniques—including auditing the

quality management system, products and services, and

suppliers—furnish data for both management of the

If someone offered to sell you a gasoline additive that

would improve your car’s fuel economy and perfor-

mance, would you buy it?

Your decision would likely depend on the additive’s

cost, relative gains in economy and performance,

and other potential issues such as the impact

on engine life—the total economic value

of the product.

The same is true of quality activities,

whether it’s risk management, such as

implementing a formal quality man-

agement system, or a business

improvement initiative based on Six

Sigma or excellence criteria such as

Baldrige. In other words, whether the

activities make business sense depends

on the related costs, economic benefits

that would accrue and benefits resulting

from alternative uses of the resources.

The key is to know how to capture the three cate-

gories of quality related costs:

1. Prevention activities are those intended to ensure

that processes work without fail through actions

such as failure mode and effects analy-

sis, training and preventive main-

tenance.

2. Appraisal activities are those

used to see how well

processes such as product

and process approvals are

actually working via

activities such as inspec-

tion and testing.

3. Failure costs are those related

to failures that do occur and

are further classified as internal

(failure identified before it

reached the customer) or external

Being able to measure and

communicate the economics

of quality is a

foundational skill for quality

professionals.

Process Improvement And Process

processes. Outcomes might

include customer satisfac-

tion and retention, prof-

itability, environmental

and societal actions, and

ethical and legal respon-

sibilities. A favorable

effect not only sustains

an organization but also

fuels its growth, prosperity

and contribution to society.

An organization is, in itself,

a process—a system of interact-

ing processes, each with several

sub-processes. Management is responsi-

ble for how these processes function, react and produce

desired outcomes. For an organization to be effective, the

silos prevalent in past times must be supplanted with the

process approach, value stream and lean thinking, and a

supply chain management mentality.

—Russ Westcott


processes as well as indications of improve-

ments needed.

Several techniques and tools are avail-

able for improving processes, including:

• The plan-do-check-act cycle (to

guide planning and implementing

improvement).

• Problem solving techniques,

including prioritization and root

cause analysis (to identify problem

areas).

• Project management techniques.

• Waste reduction methods, including cycle

time reduction, process flow analysis, elimina-

tion of nonvalue added steps and preventing errors.

• Six Sigma methods for design, process, and product

and service improvement.

• Process reengineering, which reinvents a process to

take advantage of emerging technologies, work-

force skills, better materials or new approaches.

The effect these efforts have on the organization’s

overall outcomes is key to managing and improving

(detected after reaching the customer). The time and

expense of reprocessing failed products or services and

investigating failures could fall into either failure cat-

egory, depending on when the event occurs. Warranty

costs are decidedly external failures.

Organizations can measure the economics of quality

in different ways. Some measure total cost of quality,

including all three categories, while others measure only

the cost of poor quality, focusing on failure costs.

To assist in measuring quality costs, the International

Organization for Standardization has issued ISO 10014:2006, Quality Management—Guidelines for RealizingFinancial and Economic Benefits.

Financial measures of quality activities can be used as

strategic objectives, guiding organizations toward both

profitability and greater customer satisfaction. Process

owners can also use economics of quality measures at a

more tactical level to evaluate day-to-day activities and

improvement projects.

ISO 9004:2000, Quality Management Systems—Guidelines for Performance Improvement mentions econom-

ics of quality as a means for measuring and monitoring

processes, for analyzing process data and as part of man-

agement review.

Quality professionals sometimes perceive resistance

to quality activities by managers. While the idealism

that drives many to the quality profession and their

detailed knowledge of quality tools are laudable, they

must understand that they work in a capitalist economy.

Senior management is tasked with maximizing the eco-

nomic value of the resources under its control.

Senior management must achieve an acceptable

return on investment, and quality professionals must be

able to demonstrate that allocation of resources to quali-

ty activities that can support this. Being able to measure

and communicate the economics of quality is therefore

a foundational skill for quality professionals.

—Duke Okes

For an organization to be

effective, the silos prevalent

in past times must be

supplanted with the process

approach, value stream and

lean thinking, and a supply

chain management

mentality.

Management


BASIC QUALITY

Top executive teams, project teams, cross-functional

teams, product-market teams. They come in several vari-

eties, but they all have one thing in common: Teams are

constructed entities designed to get a job done.

Empowerment is key. A team that is empowered has

the authority, information and skills to make decisions

that ratchet up performance and drive results. Also, how

well a team functions depends largely on how well it is

structured (its architecture), how well team members

behave toward one another (their interpersonal relation-

ships) and the quality of team leadership.

Think of a team leader as an architect. If the architect’s

blueprint, or construction plan, for the team includes five

key elements, then the team is poised for high performance.

First, the team must be guided by a clear strategy.

Strategy directs decision making and gives team mem-

bers a sense of purpose. Otherwise, what’s the advantage

LeadershipLeadership is the process by which an individual

influences a group to move toward the attainment of a

superordinate goal. Superordinate goals benefit groups

instead of simply individuals.1

Leading involves a power sharing relationship between

two or more individuals in which the power is distributed

unevenly. For example, a leader will have monetary and

organizational authority that can be applied toward

achieving goals. Therefore, leaders must effectively and

fairly use power.

This power can take different forms:

• Expertise power: You have spe-

cial knowledge.

• Reward power: You can

bestow gifts for the right

behavior.

• Coercive power: You can

use force to get what you

want.

• Referent power: You are

charismatic and persuasive.

• Legitimate power: You have

positional authority that

allows you to make decisions.

Teamwork and Empowermentof being empowered?

Second, operational goals that flow from the strategy

must be clear. At the day-to-day tactical level, a team

without clear, specific operational goals can easily

become a house divided, with each member empow-

ered to follow only his or her own pet initiatives.

Third, roles and responsibilities must be clear and

agreed upon. Otherwise, empowerment is apt to

devolve into passing the buck, blame fixing and silo

behavior.

Fourth, business relationships must be transparent

and honest. Effective empowerment assumes team

members can confront issues—and one another—

openly. No amount of empowerment will cure a cul-

ture that avoids conflict and buries disagreements.

Fifth, protocols for decision making must be put in

place. Empowerment often gets derailed because there

Relating to quality management, the BaldrigeCriteria for Performance Excellence states, “Your lead-

ers should ensure the creation of strategies, systems

and methods for achieving performance excellence,

stimulating innovation, building knowledge and

capabilities, and ensuring organizational sustainabil-

ity.”2 As we can see, when a leader exercises leader-

ship, he or she will be involved in planning,

controlling, communicating, teaching, advising and

delegating.

According to W. Edwards Deming, “The

aim of leadership should be to improve

the performance of man and machine,

to improve quality, to increase out-

put, and simultaneously to bring

pride of workmanship to people.”3

This is a positivist view of leader-

ship that involves more than

assigning blame and removing

people who are viewed as problem

employees. In his 14 points for

management, Deming showed what

principles direct effective quality man-

agement leaders.

Part of effective

leadership is to discover

your own leadership

traits that you can develop

to lead the quality

improvement efforts in

your organization.


is no upfront agreement on

whether decisions will be made:

• Unilaterally: by one person

with no input from others.

• Consultatively: by one person

after soliciting input from the fewest

number who will add value.

• By consensus: everyone has input and must

agree to live with the outcome of majority rule.

In addition to getting the team to agree on how deci-

sions will be made, team leaders must establish a deci-

sion making process that includes:

• Identifying the decisions the team must make. The

old laundry list on a flip chart works well.

• Identifying decision subteams. For each decision

identified, assemble a subteam that becomes a steer-

ing committee responsible for making the decision.

• Assigning accountability.

Each decision requires a

point person—someone

responsible for achieving clo-

sure within the subteam.

• Selecting a decision making mode

for each decision. Then, setting a

deadline for the subteam to keep it on

track and ensure that members of the larger team

know their deadline for giving input.

Once the decision is made and announced to the full

team, it’s on to implementation.

While the leader might be the architect of the high-per-

forming, empowered team, success depends equally on

the team members’ willingness and ability to step up and

perform at a new level for greater results.

—Howard M. Guttman

J.M Juran proposed his trilogy diagram for leading

quality:4

• Quality planning: Learning about customers and

finding ways to satisfy them.

• Quality control: Comparing product performance

to product goals and eliminating the gaps between

them.

• Quality improvement: Establishing teams and pro-

viding them resources to make improvements in a

planned way.

In doing this, Juran provided a method for leading

improvement in an organization. On the other hand,

Armand V. Feigenbaum showed that individuals on the

shop floor could provide leadership of their own.5

Feigenbaum’s approach was reflected in the way Japanese

firms approached quality improvement. More recently, Six

Sigma Champions have provided leadership in selecting,

qualifying and rationing projects to Black Belts.6

Service quality management might be different in

some fundamental ways from product quality manage-

ment. One research study of service firms found that

effective leaders tended to display three traits:7

1. Service vision: You have a vision of how to provide

great service.

2. High standards: You communicate these standards

for others to emulate.

3. In-the-field leadership style: You get out in the

field and make things happen.

In general, effective leaders can fall into two cate-

gories: those who direct the work of others to achieve

an end and those who help others discover and achieve

their potential. Part of effective leadership is to discover

your own leadership traits that you can develop to lead

the quality improvement efforts in your organization.

REFERENCES

1. S. Thomas Foster Jr., Managing Quality: Integrating the SupplyChain, Prentice Hall, 2007.

2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, BaldrigeNational Quality Award Criteria for Performance Excellence, ASQ

Quality Press, 2007.

3. W. Edwards Deming, Out of the Crisis, MIT CAES, 1986.

4. Joseph Juran, Juran on Leadership for Quality, Free Press, 1989.

5. Armand V. Feigenbaum, Total Quality Control, McGraw-Hill,

1983.

6. Greg Brue, Six Sigma for Managers, McGraw-Hill, 2002.

7. V.A. Zeithaml, A. Parasuraman and L.L. Berry, DeliveringService Quality, Free Press, 1990.

—S. Thomas Foster Jr.

A team that is empowered

has the authority, information

and skills to make decisions

that ratchet up performance

and drive results.

PAUL E. BORAWSKI is executivedirector and chief strategic officer ofASQ. He joined ASQ in 1986 asdirector of programs and technicalservices and was appointed to execu-tive director in 1988.

GRACE L. DUFFY is vice president ofASQ and president of Managementand Performance Systems, Tavares,FL. She earned a master’s degree inmanagement and information sys-tems from Georgia State University.A fellow of ASQ, Duffy is certifiedas a quality manager, quality auditorand quality improvement associate.

S. TOM FOSTER JR. is a professorof quality and supply chain manage-ment at Brigham Young University.He is a member of ASQ and hasserved twice as a Baldrige examiner.

HOWARD M. GUTTMAN is princi-pal of Guttman Development Strat-egies, a management consulting firmin Ledgewood, NJ. He earned a mas-ter’s degree in organizational devel-opment from Case Western ReserveUniversity in Cleveland.

LYNNE B. HARE is director ofapplied statistics at Kraft FoodsResearch and Development in EastHanover, NJ. He received a doctoratein statistics from Rutgers Univers-ity. Hare is a past chairman ofASQ’s Statistics Division and a fel-low of both ASQ and the AmericanStatistical Assn.

DUKE OKES is a knowledge architect and ASQ fel-low. He is currently a consultant, focusing on help-ing organizations improve root cause analyses. Okesholds a master’s degree in education from TusculumCollege, Greeneville, TN. He is an ASQ fellow and acertified quality auditor, quality engineer, qualitymanager and quality technician.

GRAEME C. PAYNE is president of GK Systems, aconsulting firm near Atlanta, GA, specializing inmeasurement science. He is the 2006-2007 chair ofthe ASQ Measurement Quality Division. Payne is asenior member of ASQ, certified quality technician,calibration technician and quality engineer.

JAMES J. ROONEY is a senior risk and reliabilityengineer with ABS Consulting, Public SectorDivision, in Knoxville, TN. He earned a master’sdegree in nuclear engineering from the University ofTennessee. Rooney is a fellow of ASQ and holds thefollowing ASQ certifications: biomedical auditor,hazard analysis and critical control points auditor,manager of quality/organizational excellence, qualityauditor, quality engineer, quality improvement asso-ciate, quality process analyst, quality technician,reliability engineer and Six Sigma Green Belt.

JOHN E. “JACK” WEST is a management consultantand business adviser. He served on the board of exam-iners for the Malcolm Baldrige National QualityAward from 1990 to 1993 and is past chair of theU.S. technical advisory group to ISO technical com-mittee 176 and lead delegate to the committee respon-sible for the ISO 9000 family of quality managementstandards. He is an ASQ fellow.

RUSS WESTCOTT is president of R.T. Westcott andAssociates, Old Saybrook, CT. He is an ASQ fellowand a certified quality auditor and manager of quali-ty/organizational excellence.

about the authors


Borawski

Duffy

Foster

Guttman

Hare Westcott

West

Rooney

Payne

Okes

(in alphabetical order)


Management and LeadershipArmand V. Feigenbaum, Total Quality Control, third edition,

McGraw-Hill, 1991.

National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Malcolm BaldrigeNational Quality 2007 Award : Criteria for Performance Excellence(Business), ASQ Quality Press, 2007.

The Quality SystemCharles A. Mills, The Quality Audit: A Management Evaluation Tool,

McGraw-Hill, 1989.

Product and Process DesignPatrick D. T. O’Connor, Practical Reliability Engineering, fourth

edition, John Wiley, 2001.

Product and Process ControlANSI/ASQ Z1.4-2003: Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection

by Attributes, ASQ Quality Press, 2003.

Donald J. Wheeler and Richard W. Lyday, Evaluating the MeasurementProcess, second edition, Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1990.

Continuous ImprovementMichael Brassard and Diane Ritter, The Memory Jogger II, A Pocket

Guide of Management and Planning Tools for Continuous Improvementand Effective Planning, Goal/QPC, 1994.

Shigeru Mizuno, ed., Management for Quality Improvement: TheSeven New QC Tools, Productivity Press, 1988.

Quantitative Methods and Tools

Eugene L. Grant and Richard S.

Leavenworth, Statistical Quality Control,seventh edition, McGraw-Hill, 1996.

J. M. Juran and A. Blanton Godfrey,

Juran’s Quality Control Handbook, fifth edi-

tion, McGraw-Hill, 1999.

The references under the sections man-

agement and leadership, the quality system,

and continuous improvement are particular-

ly helpful for building a broad understand-

ing of quality concepts and practices. After

all, the questions will keep coming, and

finding the answers is part of the fun—and

sweat—of the quality business.

JOSEPH D. CONKLIN is a math-ematical statistician at the U.S.Department of Energy inWashington, D.C. He earned amaster’s degree in statistics fromVirginia Tech and is a seniormember of ASQ. Conklin is also

an ASQ certified quality manager, quality engi-neer, quality auditor and reliability engineer.

Building a basicquality Libraryby Joe Conklin

key skill for any quality professional is knowing where to find the answers to questions. A well-

stocked quality library saves considerable time and trouble. How does the conscientious quality pro-

fessional begin building such a well-stocked library, particularly if his or her employer does not have one?

Of the hundreds of quality-related books I have seen or heard of, I have devised my own personal set of

the vital few that can form the core of a good working library. The titles are organized around the cate-

gories in the body of knowledge for the certified quality engineer exam. They cover the basics well, are

written with not only the expert in mind, and have shortened many of my searches for quality-related

answers.

They might be considered the top 10 titles for the quality beginner.

A

basic quality quality basics l - niatx: home duffy.pdf · in the spirit of deming’s belief in...

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