Crosby

Philip B Crosby is known for the concepts of “Quality is Free” and “Zero Defects”, and his quality improvement process is based on his four absolutes of quality:

1.      Quality is conformance to requirements

2.      The system of quality is prevention

3.      The performance standard is zero defect

4.      The measurement of quality is the price of non-conformance

 

His fourteen steps to quality improvement are:

1.      Management is committed to a formalised quality policy

2.      Form a management level quality improvement team (QIT) with responsibility for quality

            improvement process planning and administration

3.      Determine where current and potential quality problems lie

4.      Evaluate the cost of quality and explain its use as a management tool to measure waste

5.      Raise quality awareness and personal concern for quality amongst all employees

6.      Take corrective actions, using established formal systems to remove the root causes of problems

7.      Establish a zero defects committee and programme

8.      Train all employees in quality improvement

9.      Hold a Zero Defects Day to broadcast the change and as a management recommitment and

            employee commitment

10.  Encourage individuals and groups to set improvement goals

11.  Encourage employees to communicate to management any obstacles they face in attaining their improvement goals

12.  Give formal recognition to all participants

13.  Establish quality councils for quality management information sharing

14. Do it all over again – form a new quality improvement team