This post introduces the Quality Gurus who collectively have defined significant foundations of the Quality Management Body of Knowledge.  By introducing them it is hoped that it will direct the reader to sections of the Body of Knowledge which may be applicable to their tasks in hand.When seeking the identity of the Quality Gurus one observes that they fall into two categories, those originating in the West and those from Japan.  The Gurus are as follows:

1. Western Gurus

• Improved Quality through reduction of Statistical Variance

• All employees should be trained in Statistics. [Post Author notes: therefore a solely quantitative approach implied]

• Promotes Quality professionals and Statisticians

• Introduces the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle for continuous improvement - termed the Shewhart Cycle

• Identifies 7 Deadly sins which detail
  
  • Consistency of purpose
  
  
• Emphasis on short term profits

• Performance evaluation

• Merit rating or annual reviews

• Management Mobility

• Running on visible figures alone

• Excessive liability costs

• A great contributor to the Body of Knowledge

• 1940's provides statistical advice to technical specialists

• 1950's first to focus on the importance of a management and supportive approach

• Quality must be fully integrated in the management [and project management] function

• Companies must seek to reduce the Cost of Quality for success.

• Defines what is "fit for purpose" - Design, conformance, Availability, and Field Service

• His mantra:
  
  • Quality Planning
  
  
• Quality Control

• Quality Improvement

• He defined 'Total Quality Control' as being "the effective system for integrating the quality development, quality maintenance, and quality improvement efforts …...so as to enable marketing, engineering, production, and service at the most economical levels which deliver full customer satisfaction".

• Communication is seen as essential

• Promotion of customer oriented operations

• Promoted as serious financial approach to quality

• Abandon short termism

• Identified three categories for Quality cost
  
  • Appraisal costs
  
  
• Prevention costs

• Failure costs

• The Total Quality Costs = Sum of all three cost categories

• Great motivator and influencer of senior management thinking

• Stressed increasing profitability through ongoing quality improvement

• Higher Quality equates to higher profits

• His four absolutes:
  
  • Quality is defined as conformance to requirements
  
  
• The system for improving quality is prevention NOT appraisal

• The only performance standard is Zero Defects

• The measurement of quality is the Cost of Quality

• The farther of Statistical Process Control (SPC)

• Control Charts.  He laid the foundation of SPC and modern quality improvement practices which include Six Sigma

• Introduced the use of Control Charts to determine Assignable and Chance Causes of Variation

• The Original founder of the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) Cycle

2. Japanese Gurus

• He brings together various Quality Management Theories, Tools and Techniques to present an holistic approach to Quality …… KAIZEN

• Kaizen.  "the process of incremental, systematic, gradual, orderly, and continuous improvement through the use of optimum techniques..... [TPM, JIT, SMED, and PDCA cycle]

• Everything should be considered in its totality

• Mantra: " Make it better each day"

• He has three main areas of contribution:
  
  • The simplification and widespread use of the seven main quality tools
  
  
• Driving company wide improvement

• The use of Quality Circles based upon:

• Simple and clear methods

• Working as a team to solve issues

• Removal of barriers to improvement

• Cause and effect diagram

• Co-operational and education

• Mantra: The use of Quality Circles can sole 30% of a company's problems

• The contribution he made to the development of the Toyota Production System is legendary and his written book outlines a number of process methods (e.g. JIT, Scheduling, workplace layout, MRS, stock control, SMED, and mistake proofing) for improving quality and productivity

• JIT - Just in time

• MRS = Material Resource Planning

• SMED = Single Minute Exchange of Dies

• Poke Yoke - Fool Proofing
  
  • Motion Step Methods - Failure to follow predetermined actions
  
  
• Warning Methods - signal abnormalities

• Control Methods - detect error and stop

• He was the executive director of the American Supplier Institute, the director of the Japan Industrial Institute, and an honorary professor at the Nanjing Institute of Technology on China.  Taguchi is well known for developing a methodology to improve quality and reduce costs.

• Taguchi Methods - geared towards pushing the concepts of quality and reliability back into the design stage, (i.e. prior to manufacturing, prototype testing and simulation)

• Taguchi Loss Function

• Three stages of Robust Design include:
  
  • System design
  
  
• Parameter Design Stage

• Tolerance Design Stage

• Quality Engineering promoted throughout all stages of life cycle

• Human work should include:
  
  • Creativity
  
  
• Physical Activity

• Sociality

• Four points for action:
  
  • When issuing work instructions, clarity of the true aims are essential
  
  
• Ensure that people have a strong sense of responsibility for deliverance

• Facilitate the creation of ideas

• Nurture ideas and bring to fruition

• Management must have:
  
  • A vision and  promote shared goals
  
  
• Strength and tenacity of purpose

• Ability to achieve support

• Subject matter expert and source of advice

• Developer of the Toyota Production System (TPS)

• The Toyota Production System led to the development of the LEAN Manufacturing Concept

• Seven Wastes (Muda)
  
  • Transportation
  
  
• Inventory

• Waiting

• Motion

• Over Production

• Over Processing

• Defects

• Go to Gemba - 'Go, Look, See' approach

Whilst all the Body of Knowledge may not be directly applicable to every project focus the post author suggest that most of what has been signposted offers a powerful toolset in delivering projects.  The purpose of this post has been to advise the reader of where to find the 'knowledge' in the literature and enable those working in projects to have knowledge of the power of the tools that reside within the toolbox when required.  The effective deliverance of projects goes much further than the scope (and confines) of the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK).  When searching for an example of the essential interrelationship between Project Management and Quality Management one needs look no further than the development of the COVID 19 vaccine.  The effective application of both sets of knowledge is self evident!