BOOK REVIEW
‘Quality Without Tears’ - Philip B. Crosby
Quality Without Tears
Quality Without Tears, a book by Philip Crosby Written in the year 1984 It came about as a result of the author’s desire to make it clear that the key to quality improvement was understanding concepts, not implanting some complex system. The author wants to emphasize that causing quality was an ordinary part of the management job, not something that a special group was supposed to, or could, accomplish. The author believes that a hassle-free organisation was possible without beating up on the employees. People could use this a pragmatic guide for causing quality.
The profile of a Problem Organization
The outgoing product or service normally contains deviations from the published, announced, or agreed-upon requirements The company has an extensive field service or dealer network skilled in the work and resourceful corrective action to keep the customers satisfied Management does not provide a clear performance standard or definition of quality, so the employees each develop their own Management does not know the price of nonconformance Management denies that it is the cause of the problem
The Quality Vaccine
The organization can be vaccinated against nonconformance. The vaccine ingredients are: Integrity, Systems, Communications, Operations, Policies. The strategy to administer this will be three different management actions: Determination, Education, Implementation Quality Circles and Statistical Quality Control are excellent tools but are not management tools. To dehassle forever, it is necessary to change the company’s culture, to eliminate the causes that produce nonconforming products and service.
Demotivation
Getting employees “turned on” has become a major industry A “hassle” company is one in which management and employees are not on the same side. The hassle free company is one which has all employees are together and there are no sides. “Hassle-free” offers pleasant working relationships, a smooth system, and happy employees. It is an environment for maximum profit and growth potential Hassle means that the people inside the company spend more time working on each other than they do making something happen
A Quality Carol
Dickens story “The Christmas Carol” The author clarifies that the story is not his original, as imagined by many who had not heard of Dickens, but an adaptation of the original one. Through the story the author tries to explain the hassles of nonconformance The CEO and the other employees in the story can be imagined to an organization in the real world The purpose of the story is to drive the need for quality
Determination
Companies showing NOT much improvement have following characteristics: Effort is called a program rather than a process (process – never finishes & requires constant attention). All effort is aimed at the lower level of the organization. Training material is prepared by the training function. Management is impatient for results. Managers just lay back and wit for results. It brings everything to slowdown. Misconceptions like – “Zero defects is eastern thinking”, “We just have to satisfy customer’s perception of quality”, “Its impossible to do things right first time”.
Determination Real problem – MANAGEMENT does not take the REQUIREMENTS seriously. Success Mantra of Japanese – ‘Take requirements seriously’ Management think that problem is the ‘worker’ and hence just ask workers to act like Japanese workers. Not enough to look determined. Subject we are being determined about has to be clear in the minds of all involved. Credibility of commitment is the biggest problem, it has to be reinforced all the time.
First Absolute
Definition of Quality is conformance to requirements, not as goodness. Quality improvement is built on “DIRFT” ‘It’ – Requirements Causing it to happen is what the book is about Resolving same situation over and over cost service companies around 40% of their operating cost. Managers tend to get worried when subject of setting requirements comes up. Requirements, like measurements, are communications Three basic tasks to be performed by Management :
Establish requirements that employees are to meet Supply whatever employees need to meet requirements Spend all time encouraging and helping employees to meet those requirements.
Second Absolute The
system for Quality is Prevention, not appraisal. Appraisal (checking, inspection, testing, etc.)is always done after the fact. Appraisal is anexpensive & unreliable way of getting quality. ‘Prevention’ – business people just don’t talk about. Secret of prevention – ‘look at the process & identify opportunities for error’. Massive opportunities for error eliminated = ‘prevention’. Best laid plans for prevention can be undone by a careless executive policy.
Third Absolute Performance standard must be “Zero Defect”, not “that’s close enough”. Companies try all kinds of ways to help people not meet their requirements. {AQL: establish acceptance plan for inspection. However it represents no. of non-conforming items that can come in acceptable lot} Unfortunately, ‘ZD’ was accepted by industry as ‘motivation’ program and not as ‘Management Standard’. Advertising programs will show that people are working hard on quality. But products are NOT error free! Most companies don’t get serious about quality until survival becomes a question! Causes of Mistakes: Lack of knowledge & Lack of attention. Lack of attention is attitude problem, which must be corrected by person himself through reappraisal of his moral values. Error is function of importance that a person places on specific things. People will perform to the standard they are given, provided they understand it.
Fourth Absolute Measurement
of quality is the ‘price of nonconformance’. Quality is never looked at in financial terms the everything else is. Cost of Quality divided into: PONC – All expenses involved in doing things wrong {Represent 20% of sales in Manufacturing & 30% of operating costs in Service companies}. POC – What’s necessary to spend to make things right, which includes quality functions, prevention effort, quality education. {represents 3-4% of sales}.
Main problem of quality as a management concern is that it is not taught in Management’s schools.
EDUCATION Continuous
information interchange. Education should become routine. Common language. Individual’s role. Do it right at first time.
Executive Education. Role
clarification. What should be taught to others. Two and one-half days at a minimum. No more than 22 students.
Management Education Executive
education + several things. Emphasis on presentation. Four and one-half days. No more than 22 students.
Employee Education 95%
of employees. Prior subject material. 15 mins. Video clipping. Real time simulation. Discussion. Work assignment. Consistent process with equipped trainers
Employee Education… Need
for quality improvement. Concepts of quality improvement. Requirements. Measurement of conformance. Prevention of Nonconformance. Need for performance standards. Price of Nonconformance.
Employee Education… Quality
Brief Company. Elimination of Nonconformance. Team approach to problem elimination. Causing Quality Improvement Company’s Role. Manager’s Role. Supplier’s Role.
Implementation Step 1:Management Commitment A corporate policy on quality needs to be issued Quality should be made the first item on the agenda of the regular mgmt. status meetings. The CEO and COO need to compose clear quality speeches in their minds and deliver them to everyone.
Implementation (contd..) TEAM ACTIONS Step 2:The Quality Improvement team(QIT) Purpose of a team:To guide,coordinate & support the process QIT’s are set up with the thought that they will take on the task of “improving things around here” Team requires a clear direction and leadership Should represent all functions of the operation Top mgmt,the co-ord.,and the team chairperson lay out the overall strategy
Implementation (contd..) Step 3:Measurement It is just the habit of seeing how we are going along Many QIT’s look on it as the ultimate hassle. Once we’ve got the input, process and output,it easily leads to measurement.
Implementation (contd..) Step 4:The Cost of Quality Set up a special workshop, bring together comptroller and other interested parties and help them work out a procedure that fit their accounting system. Once it has been identified and fed into the regular mgmt process, it serves as a very good and positive stimulus for the QIT’s.
Implementation (contd..) Step 5:Quality Awareness Becomes a part of the regular company newsletter. It is spreading information. Must be adapted to the culture of the company. Extends all the way thro mgmt’s actions
Implementation (contd..) Step 6:Corrective Action Real purpose is to identify and eliminate problems forever. Corrective action systems have to be based on: Data that show what the problems are & Analysis that show the causes of the problems
Implementation (contd..) Team Executions Step 7:Zero Defects Planning The ZD’s commitment represents a major step forward in the thrust and longevity of the Quality mgmt process Step 8:Employee Education Traditional-Training Dept. Complete quality education system that provide a standard message.
Implementation (contd..) Step 9:Zero Defects Day Step 10:Goal Setting Step 11:Error-Cause Removal Step 12:Recognition Step 13:Quality Councils Step 14:Do It All Over Again….
Some Success Stories Cost of Quality Computer Manufacturer Semiconductor Manufacturer Communication Company Sweeper Manufacturer
Contd… PAPER WORK Computer Manufacturer - reduced paper work from $154,000 Sweeper Manufacturer - reduced invoice errors by 38%
Data Entry Errors Chemical Energy Power
Company
Company
Company
Automobile
Supplier
Defect Reduction
Semiconductor Computer Sweeper
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
MIXING THE VACCINATION SERUM Integrity : Determination Education Implementation Systems: Determination Education Implementation
MIXING THE VACCINATION SERUM Communications: Determination Education Implementation
Operations: Determination Education Implementation
MIXING THE VACCINATION SERUM Policy: Determination Education Implementation
SEMINAR : Book Review
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