The evolution of Quality

From inspection to total quality

At the beginning of the manufacturing concepts, the work of an operator was inspected and the decision was made whether it was accepted or rejected. As the business grew, the role of inspector became full-time.

With the creation of inspection functions, other problems arose:

Technical problems appeared, which required specialized skills that production workers did not possess
Inspectors lacked training
Inspectors were ordered to accept defective products, in order to increase production
Skilled workers were promoted to other roles, leaving less skilled workers to perform operational activities, such as production

These changes led to the creation of the inspection department coordinated by a "chief inspector", who was subordinated to the production manager or the factory manager. With the creation of this new department, new services and also problems have emerged, such as standards, training, data recording and the accuracy of measuring equipment. It became clear that the responsibilities of the "chief inspector" were more than just accepting the product and the need arose to address defects’ prevention.

Therefore, the quality control department evolved, with a “quality control manager” in charge, with responsibility for inspection services and quality control engineering.

In the 1920s, statistical theory began to be applied effectively to quality control, and in 1924, Shewhart made the first sketch of a modern control diagram. His work was later developed by Deming. However, these techniques were rarely used in factories until the late 1940s.

At that time, the Japanese industrial system was practically destroyed and had a reputation for cheap imitation. The Japanese recognized these problems and began to solve them with the help of notable quality gurus - Juran, Deming and Feigenbaum.

In the early 1950s, quality management practices developed rapidly in Japanese factories and became a major theme in the Japanese philosophy of management, so that by 1960, quality control and management had become a national concern.

By the late 1960s / early 1970s, Japan's imports into the US and Europe had increased significantly due to cheaper and higher quality products compared to those of Western counterparts.

The economic performance of any country and the reputation of quality are evaluated based on the reputation and performance of its companies and the products / services offered.

In 1987, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 became an internationally recognized standard for quality management systems. It includes a set of standards that specify requirements for the documentation, implementation and maintenance of a quality system.