Evolution of quality

Evolution of quality

One of the important issues that business has focused on in the last two decades is ―quality . The other issues are cost and delivery. Quality has been widely considered as a key element for success in business in the present competitive market. Quality refers to meeting the needs and expectations of customers. It is important to understand that quality is about more than a product simply working properly.

Quality refers to certain standards and the ways and means by which those standards are achieved, maintained and improved. Quality is not just confined to products and services. It is a homogeneous element of any aspect of doing things with high degree of perfection. For example Business success depends on the quality decision making.

EVOLUTION OF QUALITY

 Time    Events   

       Until 1960s   

 Prior to the 20th century :  Quality is an art Demands overcome potential production An era of workmanship    

 F.Taylor 1900s :  The scientific approach to management resulting in rationalization of work        and its break down leads to greater need for standardization, inspection and       supervision    

 Shewart 1930s :  Statistical beginnings and study of quality control. In parallel, studies by R          A Fisher on experimental design; the beginning of control charts at western       Electric in USA    

 Late 1930s :   Quality standards  and  approaches  are  introduced  in France  and  Japan.         Beginning of SQC, reliability and maintenance engineering   

 1942 :     Seminal work by Deming at the ministry of war in USA on quality control       and sampling          Working group setup by Juran and Dodge on SQC in US army       Concepts of acceptance sampling devised   

 1944 :     Daodge and Deming carried out seminal research on acceptance sampling 

 1945 :     Founding of the Japan standard association   

 1946 :     Founding of the ASQC    

 1950 :     Visit of Deming in Japan at the invitation of K Ishikawa   

 1951 :     Quality assurance increasingly accepted   

 1954 :     TQC in Japan ; Book published 1956   

 1957 :     Founding of European organization for the control of quality   

 After 1960s :        

 1961 :     The  Martin  Co  in  USA  introduces  the  zero  defects  approach  while       developing and producing Pershing Missiles. Quality motivation is starting       in the US and integrated programmes begun   

 1962 :     Quality circles are started in Japan   

1964 :     Ishikawa publishes book on Quality management

1970 :     Iskiawa publishes the book on the basics of quality circles and the concept     of Total Quality is affirmed and devised in Japanese industries

1970 :   to Just – in –Time and quality become crucial for competitiveness. A large

1980  :    number of US and European corporations are beginning to appreciate the     advance  of  Japan‘s  industries.  Taguchi  popularizes  the  use  of    environmental design to design robust systems and products

1980+ :     Facing the rising sun challenge in quality management     Development  and  introduction  of  FMSs  and  greater  dependence  on     supplier contracts. Growth of economic based on quality control, information software packages

1990+ :  The management of quality has become a necessity that is recognized at all levels of management Increasing importance is given to off line quality management for the design of robust manufacturing processes and products. The growth of process optimization