Quality is everyone’s responsibility.
W. Edwards Deming
4 Absolutes of Quality by Philip Crosby
The 4 Absolutes of Quality by Philip Crosby are the foundation of any quality improvement process that aims to have a sustained improvement. These absolutes are very easy to understand and communicate as compared to complex mathematical terms and creating examples that relate to any industry.
1. Absolutes of Quality definition of quality is conformance to requirements, not goodness.
This is a simple way but a specific one to define quality for each and everyone. thus, It puts ones on management to take the process of setting requirements seriously. Quality is not about goodness, but it’s about meeting requirements.
The management needs to respond according to it. They need to decide what it needs. If they don’t, the operator should do. In addition, management has to provide enough tools and techniques to achieve the requirements. It requires continuous support and encouragement .
Leader’s Tip
Emphasize the importance of setting clear quality standards and expectations to ensure consistent performance.
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2. The system of quality is prevention.
As we know, prevention is better than correction. also, In the whole process, you need to analyze what goes wrong and what is the preventive action required. So, we can reduce the extent of damage. In business, the primary method for ensuring quality is inspection, as it is a simple but effective way to ensure that doing it right the first time happens every time.
3. The performance standard is zero defects.
Here, Crosby is stating that nothing less than perfect quality has to be the aim, setting targets below 100% is sort of downward. As we know, when we are dealing with human behavior, perfection is not always realistic thing.
But we still want to expect perfection and be confident . It doesn’t mean the the work would have zero defect, but it means that there should be no zero known defects. It means that if a defect is discovered, then it should be fixed. There should be no known defect.
Leader’s Tip
Implement a robust measurement system to track performance, identify gaps, and effectively drive improvement efforts.
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4. The measurement of quality is the price of non-conformance , not indices.
This measure looks for the cost of failure when something is done incorrectly and does not meet their requirements. Most failure costs are caused when the management does not set achievable requirements and does not insist that all employees take requirements seriously.
FAQs:
Who is the quality guru who posits the four absolutes of quality?
Philip’s 4 absolutes of quality are the foundation of any quality improvement process that aims to have a sustained improvement. These absolutes are very easy to understand and communicate compared to complex mathematical terms and creating examples that relate to any industry.
What are the 4 absolutes of quality?
1. Their definition of quality is conformance to requirements, not goodness.
2. The system of quality is prevention.
3. The performance standard is zero defects.
4. The measurement of quality is the price of non-conformance , not indices.
Key Takeaways:
- Defining quality requirements and expectations is critical to achieving consistent results and meeting customer needs.
- Measurement allows you to objectively evaluate, identify areas for improvement, and track progress towards quality goals.
- Continuous improvement is driven by comparing performance to standards, identifying gaps and implementing corrective actions to improve quality.