25 Knowledge Points on Quality Management

Thread Content

Excerpted from Mr. Ishikawa Kaoru’s “Introduction to Quality Management”, 3rd edition, translated by Mr. Liu Dengbao. 1. The higher the level of education, the more modernized the production processes, and the more important quality management becomes. 2. Quality management is a team effort; it cannot be accomplished by an individual alone, and it should be carried out through a team or a collaborative framework ； If it is not possible to carry out ideological work at the middle level, then quality management cannot be advanced. 3. Quality management starts from new product planning and extends all the way to the consumer. 4. TQC is not a quick-acting remedy like penicillin; rather, it is like traditional Chinese medicine, which requires long-term use to gradually show effects and improve the quality of the enterprise ； QC that doesn’t yield results is not true QC; what’s needed is quality management aimed at making money, and making money even more. 5. If top management cannot truly understand quality management and does not go to the front lines to drive it, no results will be achieved; it is the responsibility of managers to establish methods and standards for evaluating quality. 6. Conducting a 100% inspection seems to imply that there are defective products in our products; quality management that focuses on inspections is an old-fashioned approach to quality control. 7. Quality needs to be “built in” during the engineering process ； Quality needs to be “built in” during design and engineering, rather than being detected through inspection. 8. Control charts are not meant for inspection purposes, but rather to assist the operator in their own work, to help them perform it better. 9. Quality management can only be successful when team leaders and even the workers themselves are also responsible for the project. 10. If quality management is implemented well, cost management becomes quality management. 11. Without knowledge of statistical methods, good quality management cannot be achieved ； Without proper stratification, effective management and analysis are not possible ； Variation exists in all work. The foundation of management lies in accurate data and correct information; fake data must be eliminated ； The responsibility for fake data appearing at the work site lies with the superiors. 13. Data is collected for use and to enable the taking of actions; data that is no longer necessary for such actions should cease to be collected. 14. Without statistical techniques, it is impossible to establish good standards or implement effective management. 15. 95% of the problems in a company can be solved using simple statistical methods ； Most problems can be solved using Pareto charts and cause-and-effect diagrams. 16. Only through engineering management can the actual conditions on site be clarified, thereby enabling the project to achieve its maximum potential, advancing technology, and realizing the project and design objectives. 17. Continuously drive the qualitative PDCA of all work ； 18. Where there are managers, there must be policies; correct policies are established based on accurate information. Are the policies and plans specific? Was a scale for evaluation provided? Were the methods for implementing and communicating the policy correct? Is there sufficient integration between the supervisor’s policies and those of the subordinates? Are they implemented all the way to the lowest levels? Are the policies thoroughly carried out at the most basic levels? Do the policies become more specific as one moves further down the hierarchy? 19. Control charts and graphs are tools that should be used and monitored by leaders at all levels. 20. It is necessary to clarify who will check what ； Failing to review plans, commands, and the outcomes of actions leads to lax management ； One should always consider taking measures. There are no measures; we can only play a fun game. If accidents keep occurring for the same reason, it cannot be said that management is being carried out ； Management without inspections is the ideal form of management. 21. When people at a regular workplace fail, the responsibility of those at the lowest level is 1/5 to 1/4, while the responsibility of managers is 3/4 to 4/5 ； Humans are prone to making mistakes, and one should not blame subordinates for their errors. 22. Only a few issues are important; there are numerous issues of no value ； There are only 2 or 3 main reasons that have a significant impact on the work (project). 23. Without thorough analysis and sufficient technical knowledge, improvement and standardization cannot be properly carried out, good management cannot be achieved, nor can management charts used for management purposes be effectively created. 24. If one thinks there are no problems, progress will stop, or even regression will occur ； Understanding the current situation is the first step in QC ； After deciding on important issues, everyone must work together to resolve them. 25. Rather than eliminating the symptoms, focus should be placed on eliminating the causes; further still, it is necessary to eliminate the root causes and prevent their recurrence.