Juran’s planning for quality

– A quality product does exactly what it’s intended to do. That straightforward definition of quality was introduced in the 1950s by Joesph Juran, one of the best known experts in the world. He wrote a quality control handbook in 1951 and professors still use those principles in college classrooms today. But he’s most widely known for his 1988 book, Juran’s Planning for Quality. In this book, he introduces a formal framework for quality management. His view of quality centers on four basic concepts. Most importantly, quality is defined as fitness for use, meaning the product does what it’s designed to do. In a factory, for example, the product must meet engineering specifications in every step of the process. That means you can eliminate defects and deliver a product that works correctly every time. Juran’s view also emphasizes understanding what the customer needs. Quality is making sure the products and services you create, satisfy customer requirements. It’s safe to say, most customers want products that work properly and they want them delivered on time. is measurement. His idea is to establish meaningful units of measure for top managers and workers alike. According to Juran, top managers measure in terms of dollars, like revenues and profits. And workers measure in terms of things, like materials and finished goods. Middle managers then work as translators between top managers and workers to make sure all measurements are being met. This leads to Juran’s fourth concept. Determine the cost of quality. What does it cost the company when quality is poor? For example, a factory can track the cost of rework, scrap, and customer returns but the cost of quality also includes the money you spend to prevent defects from happening. This total cost of quality has become a meaningful measurement for all levels of employees throughout the company, not just in the factory. Juran’s framework fits very well into a corporate culture of planning, controlling, and improving, which you find in most companies. For this reason, his emphasis on making products that do what the customer needs, eliminating defects, and capturing the cost of quality have been adopted by countless companies over the years. How about your company? What are the key concepts that drive your quality program? With just a brief look, I’m sure you’ll see some influence from Juran’s Planning for Quality. from Juran’s Planning for Quality.