10 Quality Basics

7/31/2019 10 Quality Basics

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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 Demings belief in continuous improvement, we called on several

Quality Progress contributors to write on 10 basic quality topicsthe 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 subjectand 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 havent thought about in a

while.

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

than likely theyre just a few clicks awayon a corner of ASQs 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 learningevery day.

QUALITY PROGRESS I JUNE 2007 I 25

QualityBasics

BASIC QUALITY

Learning is not compulsory ... neither is survival.


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A truly integrated quality system is based on threeprinciples: customer focus, process improvement andtotal involvement:

1. Customer focus encompasses both the external andinternal customers needs.

2. Process improvement is the lifeblood of an organiza-tion wishing to sustain growth.

3. Total involvement is the vehicle through which theorganization completes the daily activities thataccomplish 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 usedQMS models are the Baldrige National Quality Programcriteria and the eight quality management principles thatare the basis of the ISO 9000 family of QMS standards.These models provide insight into the component partsof 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 leadersestablish open environments in which all employeescan participate in meeting their organizations goals.

3. Involvement: People are the most important part ofany organization. Managers must ensure that em-ployees at all levels of the organization can fully par-ticipate and use all their skills to make theorganization successful.

4. Process management: The most successful organiza-tions understand they must manage all activities asprocesses.

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 somethingintangible, such as customer satisfaction, or somethingtangible, such as a truck tires air pressure, a chemicalsolutions conductivity or the thickness of the paper thisarticle is printed on. These are examples of the two broadtypes of measurements made in business quality man-agement systems (QMSs): process oriented and physical.

Process oriented measurements appear throughout aquality or business management system. Some measuresin sections 2.3 and 2.4 of ISO 9000,1 and conditions of theiruse fall under most of ISO 9001 section 8.2.2 Many processoriented measurement tools and methods are part of thefundamental 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 isa system of measurement, which includes agreementamong people about the meaning of the units of mea-surement. The Convention of the Metre treaty of 1875made 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 requirescalibrated IM&TE. Calibration verifies the ability of theIM&TE to make the required measurements when usedcorrectly and documents the measurement uncertaintyrelative 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 andmanageable level.

Physical measurements should be managed to ensure

the correct measurements are being made and that theIM&TE used are capable of making the measurement


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5. System management: In addition to the manage-ment of individual processes, successful organiza-tions understand that their many individualprocesses are interrelated and must be managedwithin an overall system.

6. Continual improvement: Continual improvement isthe key to long-term success and high performance.Successful managers recognize that processes must

be reviewed and improved continually to ensuretheir organization stays competitive.

7. Fact based decisions: Organizations that base theirdecisions on factual data are more likely to makethe correct decision.

8. Close supplier relationships: Organizations that

partner and work closely with their suppliersensure that both the organization and the supplierare better able to succeed.

There is no one right way to integrate quality princi-ples into a working environment. W. Edwards Demingespoused the data approach. He recommended we startwith 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: beginningwith the corporate vision, then drilling down through

Integrated quality system

Leadership Customer and

Strategic planning market focus

Information and analysis HR focus

Process management Business results

Processimprovement

Customerfocus

Totalinvolvement

Objective

Principles

Elements

Principles of an Integrated

Quality System

FIGURE 1

strategic, tactical and operational levels using the JuranTrilogy: quality planning, quality control and qualityimprovement.

Either approach to integrating the quality principles iseffective. Senior leadership should choose the approachthat most closely aligns with its organizational and cus-tomer requirements.

Grace L. Duffy

accurately. ISO 10012:2003 gives guidance for managinga measurement system.4

Organizations that calibrate IM&TE can be accreditedto 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 competentto make the calibration related measurements listed onits scope of accreditation document.

Competency is assessed through an accreditation auditand by the results of the labs mandatory participation inregular proficiency tests. Accreditation bodies that meetthe requirements of ISO/IEC 17011:2004 perform theaudits.6 The accreditation bodies are assessed when theyapply for membership in an international cooperatinglaboratory accreditation system such as the InternationalLaboratory Accreditation Cooperation or Asia PacificLaboratory Accreditation Cooperation.

Why is that important? If your calibration suppliersaccreditation body is not a member of an internationalcooperation, then you will have a much harder time get-

ting your products accepted in other countriesand insome cases by your own country or statewhich will

cost you time and money if you want to expand yourmarkets. A large (but not complete) list of internationalcooperations and worldwide accreditation bodies isavailable 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 of

testing and calibration laboratories.

6. ISO/IEC 17011:2004 Conformity assessmentGeneral require-

ments for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodiies.

Graeme C. Payne


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BASIC QUALITY

ToolsTools are organizational or analytical techniques that

assist in understanding a problem. Quality tools areapplied to solving problems to improve quality in ser-vice organizations and manufacturing plants.

There are basic quality tools that have been popularfor several decades and new tools, too, that have cometo 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 arecapable 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 areuseful for acquiring and displaying basic data. If mul-tiple sources of variation in the process need to beinvestigated, then stratification is useful.

For example, a part might be produced from a sequenceof milling operations on different machines. The qualitypractitioner might need to investigate if any one machineis producing more variation in a dimension than anothermachine. Examining the variation of the parts is not suffi-

cient. Control charts are needed to determine whether theprocess 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 a

structured, prepared form

Histogram Analyzes frequency of occurrence of items

Stratification Separates data gathered from a variety of

sources to discern patterns

Control chart Studies how a process changes over time

using 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, cause

and 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 thepotential of interrelated factors, then a scatter plot can beused 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

repeatedlyas he did with the first published control

chart in 1924to learn, for example, its percentage

defective, the number we get will change from sample to

sample, even though the process doesnt change.

This phenomenon is the handiwork of the random vari-

A fundamental concept of statistics probably predates

Platos Republic and his allegory of the cave, which

describes people as being separated from the real worldand 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 qualitys 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 into

natural relationships

Relations diagram Determines cause-and-effect relationships

Tree diagram Breaks down broad categories into finer

levels of detail

Matrix diagram Organizes knowledge in a matrix format

to show the relationship among groups of

information

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

Process decision Identifies what might go wrong in a plan

program chart under development

Arrow diagram Shows the required order of tasks in a

project 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 rootcauses 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. Theremaining new tools can be systematically applied tomove from an idea of the problem to a complete plan tosolve the problem.

First, a relations diagram can be used to discernwhether there are any interacting subproblems. This toolis useful because merely identifying the problem is usu-ally not sufficient. The practitioner must also know ofany causally related problems. Next, a tree diagram can

be used to break down the goal into a set of specificactivities, which can be prioritized using the matrixmethod. Once the priorities of activities are known, anarrow diagram can be created to analyze the timing ofthe process and identify any potential bottlenecks.

Using either basic or new quality tools is highlydependent on the problem to be solved. However, theexamples here should prove helpful when dealing withmany 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 ofuncertainty.

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 Strategy

Vision 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 workas the SWOT matrix: strengths, weak-

nesses, opportunities and threats.

The principal notion of this first

generation of strategy is optimiza-

tionknowing 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 youve created for

relieving the strain by moving the endpoints togetherin 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 Groups2 market

share enlightenment, Michael

Porters3 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 whoanticipate can respond with more certainty

Having strategy

allows everyone in an

organization to benefit

from understanding the

organizations intent. It

sets the organizations

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 results3

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 suppliers 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

SystemsSpecifications 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 strategyand discussions

about the futureongoing, 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 basedfor

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 organizations intent. It sets the

organizations compass.

While vision represents the end state, strategy repre-

sents the starting point and the context in which allother 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-

zations desired outcomes. Having and implementing a plan for improving

processes in which strategic improvement is worth-while.

Process mapping, a refined flowcharting method, ismost often used to identify the primary processes, theflow within these processes and the interactions amongthem. The metrics used to control and measure processperformance (variation and capability) are derived froma supply, input, process, output and customer diagramand analyzed using statistical process control. Day-to-day output metrics are compared with targets, andlonger-term analysis is done using trending techniques.

Documentation of all processes, including those usedfor measurement and analysis, should include: process

objectives, procedures and work instructions, qualityplans, measurement and audit results, improvementsinitiated, and results and lessons learned from improve-ment initiatives.

Quality is monitored using an in-process and outgoingfinished product or service inspection method. Customersatisfaction is measured with statistics derived from prod-uct or service failures and other indicators, such as sur-veys. Internal auditing techniquesincluding auditing thequality management system, products and services, andsuppliersfurnish data for both management of the

If someone offered to sell you a gasoline additive that

would improve your cars fuel economy and perfor-

mance, would you buy it?

Your decision would likely depend on the additives

cost, relative gains in economy and performance,

and other potential issues such as the impact

on engine lifethe total economic valueof the product.

The same is true of quality activities,

whether its 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


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processes. Outcomes mightinclude customer satisfac-

tion and retention, prof-itability, environmentaland societal actions, andethical and legal respon-sibilities. A favorableeffect not only sustainsan organization but also

fuels its growth, prosperityand contribution to society.

An organization is, in itself,a processa system of interact-ing processes, each with several

sub-processes. Management is responsi-ble for how these processes function, react and producedesired outcomes. For an organization to be effective, thesilos prevalent in past times must be supplanted with theprocess approach, value stream and lean thinking, and asupply chain management mentality.

Russ Westcott

QUALITY PROGRESS I JUNE 2007 I 33

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 (toguide planning and implementingimprovement).

Problem solving techniques,including prioritization and rootcause analysis (to identify problemareas).

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 productand service improvement.

Process reengineering, which reinvents a process totake advantage of emerging technologies, work-force skills, better materials or new approaches.

The effect these efforts have on the organizationsoverall 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 ManagementGuidelines for Realizing

Financial 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 idealismthat 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 architects

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, whats the advantage

LeadershipLeadership is the process by which an individualinfluences a group to move toward the attainment of asuperordinate goal. Superordinate goals benefit groupsinstead of simply individuals.1

Leading involves a power sharing relationship betweentwo or more individuals in which the power is distributedunevenly. For example, a leader will have monetary andorganizational authority that can be applied towardachieving goals. Therefore, leaders must effectively andfairly use power.

This power can take different forms: Expertise power: You have spe-cial knowledge.

Reward power: You canbestow gifts for the rightbehavior.

Coercive power: You canuse force to get what youwant.

Referent power: You arecharismatic and persuasive.

Legitimate power: You have

positional authority thatallows 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 transparentand honest. Effective empowerment assumes team

members can confront issuesand 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, systemsand methods for achieving performance excellence,stimulating innovation, building knowledge andcapabilities, 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 anddelegating.

According to W. Edwards Deming, Theaim of leadership should be to improvethe performance of man and machine,

to improve quality, to increase out-put, and simultaneously to bringpride of workmanship to people.3

This is a positivist view of leader-ship that involves more thanassigning blame and removingpeople who are viewed as problem

employees. In his 14 points formanagement, 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 personsomeone

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 fullteam, its 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 leadingquality:4

Quality planning: Learning about customers andfinding ways to satisfy them.

Quality control: Comparing product performanceto product goals and eliminating the gaps betweenthem.

Quality improvement: Establishing teams and pro-viding them resources to make improvements in aplanned way.

In doing this, Juran provided a method for leadingimprovement in an organization. On the other hand,Armand V. Feigenbaum showed that individuals on theshop floor could provide leadership of their own.5

Feigenbaums approach was reflected in the way Japanesefirms approached quality improvement. More recently, SixSigma Champions have provided leadership in selecting,qualifying and rationing projects to Black Belts.6

Service quality management might be different insome fundamental ways from product quality manage-ment. One research study of service firms found thateffective leaders tended to display three traits:7

1. Service vision: You have a vision of how to providegreat service.

2. High standards: You communicate these standardsfor others to emulate.

3. In-the-field leadership style: You get out in thefield and make things happen.

In general, effective leaders can fall into two cate-gories: those who direct the work of others to achievean end and those who help others discover and achievetheir potential. Part of effective leadership is to discoveryour own leadership traits that you can develop to leadthe quality improvement efforts in your organization.

REFERENCES

1. S. Thomas Foster Jr., Managing Quality: Integrating the Supply

Chain, Prentice Hall, 2007.

2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Baldrige

National 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, Delivering

Service Quality, Free Press, 1990.S. Thomas Foster Jr.

A team that is empowered

has the authority, informationand skills to make decisions

that ratchet up performance

and drive results.


12/13

PAUL E. BORAWSKI is executive

director and chief strategic officer of

ASQ. He joined ASQ in 1986 as

director of programs and technical

services and was appointed to execu-

tive director in 1988.

GRACE L. DUFFY is vice president of

ASQ and president of Management

and Performance Systems, Tavares,

FL. She earned a masters degree in

management and information sys-

tems from Georgia State University.

A fellow of ASQ, Duffy is certified

as a quality manager, quality auditor

and quality improvement associate.

S. TOM FOSTER JR. is a professor

of quality and supply chain manage-

ment at Brigham Young University.

He is a member of ASQ and has

served twice as a Baldrige examiner.

HOWARD M. GUTTMAN is princi-

pal of Guttman Development Strat-

egies, a management consulting firm

in Ledgewood, NJ. He earned a mas-

ters degree in organizational devel-

opment from Case Western Reserve

University in Cleveland.

LYNNE B. HARE is director of

applied statistics at Kraft Foods

Research and Development in East

Hanover, NJ. He received a doctorate

in statistics from Rutgers Univers-

ity. Hare is a past chairman of

ASQs Statistics Division and a fel-

low of both ASQ and the American

Statistical 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. Okes

holds a masters degree in education from Tusculum

College, Greeneville, TN. He is an ASQ fellow and a

certified quality auditor, quality engineer, quality

manager and quality technician.

GRAEME C. PAYNE is president of GK Systems, a

consulting firm near Atlanta, GA, specializing in

measurement science. He is the 2006-2007 chair of

the ASQ Measurement Quality Division. Payne is a

senior member of ASQ, certified quality technician,

calibration technician and quality engineer.

JAMES J. ROONEY is a senior risk and reliability

engineer with ABS Consulting, Public Sector

Division, in Knoxville, TN. He earned a masters

degree in nuclear engineering from the University of

Tennessee. Rooney is a fellow of ASQ and holds the

following ASQ certifications: biomedical auditor,

hazard analysis and critical control points auditor,manager of quality/organizational excellence, quality

auditor, 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 consultant

and business adviser. He served on the board of exam-

iners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality

Award from 1990 to 1993 and is past chair of the

U.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 management

standards. He is an ASQ fellow.

RUSS WESTCOTT is president of R.T. Westcott and

Associates, Old Saybrook, CT. He is an ASQ fellow

and a certified quality auditor and manager of quali-

ty/organizational excellence.

about the authors

36 I JUNE 2007 I www.asq.org

Borawski

Duffy

Foster

Guttman

Hare Westcott

West

Rooney

Payne

Okes

(in alphabetical order)


13/13

Management and Leadership

Armand V. Feigenbaum, Total Quality Control, third edition,

McGraw-Hill, 1991.National Institutes of Standards and Technology,Malcolm Baldrige

National Quality 2007Award : Criteria for Performance Excellence(Business), ASQ Quality Press,2007.

The Quality System

Charles A. Mills, The Quality Audit: A Management Evaluation Tool,McGraw-Hill, 1989.

Product and Process Design

Patrick D. T. OConnor, Practical Reliability Engineering, fourthedition, John Wiley, 2001.

Product and Process Control

ANSI/ASQ Z1.4-2003: Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspectionby Attributes, ASQ Quality Press, 2003.

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

Continuous Improvement

Michael Brassard and Diane Ritter, The Memory Jogger II, A PocketGuide of Management and Planning Tools for Continuous Improvementand Effective Planning, Goal/QPC, 1994.

Shigeru Mizuno, ed.,Management for Quality Improvement: The

Seven 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,Jurans 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. Afterall, the questions will keep coming, and

finding the answers is part of the funandsweatof the quality business.

JOSEPH D. CONKLIN is a math-

ematical statistician at the U.S.

Department of Energy in

Washington, D.C. He earned a

masters degree in statistics from

Virginia Tech and is a senior

member of ASQ. Conklin is also

an ASQ certified quality manager, quality engi-

neer, quality auditor and reliability engineer.

Buildinga basic

quality 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 ofthe 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

10 Quality Basics

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