total quality management (TQM) Chapter 5

Psychological criteria

is a subjective definition that focuses on the judgmental evaluation of what constitutes product or service quality. Different factors contribute to the evaluation, such as the atmosphere of the environment or the perceived prestige of the product. For example, a hospital patient may receive average healthcare, but a very friendly staff may leave the impression of high quality. Similarly, we commonly associate certain products with excellence because of their reputation; Rolex watches and Mercedes-Benz automobiles are examples.

The expected operational life of a product is called its __________.

durability

Which of the following are examples of TQM tools for solving quality problems?

flowcharts, checklists, control charts, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto analysis, histograms

Fitness for use

focuses on how well the product performs its intended function or use. For example, a Mercedes-Benz and a Jeep Cherokee both meet a fitness for use definition if one considers transportation as the intended function. However, if the definition becomes more specific and assumes that the intended use is for transportation on mountain roads and carrying fishing gear, the Jeep Cherokee has a greater fitness for use. You can also see that fitness for use is a user-based definition in that it is intended to meet the needs of a specific user group.

A histogram

is a chart that shows the frequency distribution of observed values of a variable. We can see from the plot what type of distribution a particular variable displays, such as whether it has a normal distribution and whether the distribution is symmetrical. In the food service industry the use of quality control tools is important in identifying quality problems. Grocery store chains, such as Kroger and Meijer, must record and monitor the quality of incoming produce, such as tomatoes and lettuce. Quality tools can be used to evaluate the acceptability of product quality and to monitor product quality from individual suppliers. They can also be used to evaluate causes of quality problems, such as long transit time or poor refrigeration. Similarly, restaurants use quality control tools to evaluate and monitor the quality of delivered goods, such as meats, produce, or baked goods.

Value for price paid

is a definition of quality that consumers often use for product or service usefulness. This is the only definition that combines economics with consumer criteria; it assumes that the definition of quality is price sensitive. For example, suppose that you wish to sign up for a personal finance seminar and discover that the same class is being taught at two different colleges at significantly different tuition rates. If you take the less expensive seminar, you will feel that you have received greater value for the price.

A checklist

is a list of common defects and the number of observed occurrences of these defects. It is a simple yet effective fact-finding tool that allows the worker to collect specific information regarding the defects observed. The checklist in Figure 5.7 shows four defects and the number of times they have been observed. It is clear that the biggest problem is ripped material. This means that the plant needs to focus on this specific problem—for example, by going to the source of supply or seeing whether the material rips during a particular production process. A checklist can also be used to focus on other dimensions, such as location or time. For example, if a defect is being observed frequently, a checklist can be developed that measures the number of occurrences per shift, per machine, or per operator. In this fashion we can isolate the location of the particular defect and then focus on correcting the problem.

A flowchart

is a schematic diagram of the sequence of steps involved in an operation or process. It provides a visual tool that is easy to use and understand. By seeing the steps involved in an operation or process, everyone develops a clear picture of how the operation works and where problems could arise.

Support services

provided are often how the quality of a product or service is judged. Quality does not apply only to the product or service itself; it also applies to the people, processes, and organizational environment associated with it. For example, the quality of a university is judged not only by the quality of staff and course offerings but also by the efficiency and accuracy of processing paperwork.

One common name for TQM based team work is:

quality circle

Quality at the source is the belief that it is far better to _______ quality problems and _____ them than to discard defective items after production.

uncover the source of, correct

Studying business practices of companies considered "best in class" is called

Benchmarking

Juran stressed that quality improvement should be continuous as well as

Breakthrough

TQM team meetings take place

During time in the workday set aside for them

The purpose of the International Organization for Standardization is to

Establish international quality standards

Who developed a formula for determining the cost of poor quality?

Genichi Taguchi

The Baldrige Award is intended to

Reward and stimulate quality initiatives

Prevention costs

are all costs incurred in the process of preventing poor quality from occurring. They include quality planning costs, such as the costs of developing and implementing a quality plan. Also included are the costs of product and process design, from collecting customer information to designing processes that achieve conformance to specifications. Employee training in quality measurement is included as part of this cost, as well as the costs of maintaining records of information and data related to quality.

According to Dr. Taguchi's view of quality

as conformance values move away from the target, loss increases as a quadratic function

ISO 14000 may become an important set of standards for promoting

environmental responsibility

Included in preventative costs are

planning costs

The cost of defect correction

is less costly the earlier they are corrected

Where is the Deming prize awarded?

Japan

Who is famous for his "14 Points?"

W. Edwards Deming

Suppose that you have a system with one component and two backups. What is the formula for the reliability of the system?

1 - [P(1st fails)][P(2nd fails)][P(3rd fails)]

It wasn't until what year that the first major ISO 9000 changes occurred?

2000

A quality circle is

A team of volunteer production employees and their supervisors who meet regularly to solve quality problems

Joseph M. Juran

After W. Edwards Deming, Dr. Joseph M. Juran is considered to have had the greatest impact on quality management. Juran originally worked in the quality program at Western Electric, a former equipment division of AT&T. He became better known in 1951 after the publication of his book Quality Control Handbook. In 1954, he went to Japan to work with manufacturers and teach classes on quality. Though his philosophy is similar to Deming's, there are some differences. Whereas Deming stressed the need for an organizational "transformation," Juran believed that implementing quality initiatives should not require such a dramatic change and that quality management should be embedded in the organization. One of Juran's significant contributions was his focus on the definition of quality and the cost of quality. Juran is credited with defining quality as fitness for use rather than simply conformance to specifications. As we have learned in this chapter, defining quality as fitness for use takes into account customer intentions for use of the product, instead of focusing only on technical specifications. Juran is also credited with developing the concept of cost of quality, which allows us to measure quality in dollar terms rather than on the basis of subjective evaluations. Juran is well known for originating the idea of the quality trilogy: quality planning, quality control, and quality improvement. The first part of the trilogy, quality planning, is necessary so that companies identify their customers, product requirements, and overriding business goals. Processes should be set up to ensure that the quality standards can be met. The second part of the trilogy, quality control, stresses the regular use of statistical control methods to ensure that quality standards are met and to identify variations from the standards. The third part of the quality trilogy is quality improvement. According to Juran, quality improvements should not be just breakthroughs, but continuous as well. Together with Deming, Juran stressed that to implement continuous improvement, workers need to have training in proper methods on a regular basis.

For a cause-and-effect diagram, causes could be related to all of the following except

Analysis

Armand V. Feigenbaum

Another quality leader is Armand V. Feigenbaum, who introduced the concept of total quality control. In his 1961 book Total Quality Control, he outlined his quality principles in 40 steps. Feigenbaum took a total system approach to quality. He promoted the idea of a work environment where quality developments are integrated throughout the entire organization, where management and employees have a total commitment to improve quality, and where people learn from each other's successes. This philosophy was adapted by the Japanese and termed "company-wide quality control."

Costs of quality inspections, testing, test equipment, and labs are examples of __________ costs.

Appraisal

One common definition of quality is __________ which focuses on measuring how well the product or service meets targets and tolerances determined by its designers.

Conformance to specifications

Genichi Taguchi

Dr. Genichi Taguchi is a Japanese quality expert known for his work in the area of product design. He estimates that as much as 80 percent of all defective items are caused by poor product design. Taguchi stresses that companies should focus their quality efforts on the design stage, as it is much cheaper and easier to make changes during the product design stage than later during the production process. Taguchi is known for applying a concept called design of experiment to product design. This method is an engineering approach based on developing robust design, a design that results in products that can perform over a wide range of conditions. The idea is that it is easier to design a product that can perform over a wide range of environmental conditions than it is to control the environmental conditions. Taguchi has also had a large impact on today's view of the costs of quality. He pointed out that the traditional view of costs of conformance to specifications is incorrect and proposed a different way to look at these costs. Let's briefly look at Dr. Taguchi's view of quality costs. Recall that conformance to specification specifies a target value for the product with specified tolerances, say . According to the traditional view of conformance to specifications, losses in terms of cost occur if the product dimensions fall outside of the specified limits. This is shown in Figure 5.4. However, Dr. Taguchi noted that from the customer's view there is little difference whether a product falls just outside or just inside the control limits. He pointed out that there is a much greater difference in the quality of the product between making the target and being near the control limit. He also stated that the smaller the variation around the target, the better the quality. Based on this, he proposed the following: as conformance values move away from the target, loss increases as a quadratic function. The Taguchi loss function is shown in Figure 5.5. According to the function, smaller differences from the target result in smaller costs: the larger the differences, the larger the cost. The Taguchi loss function has had a significant impact on changing views of quality cost.

Warranty claims, customer complaints, and costs of litigation are examples of __________ costs.

External failure

Cause-and-effect diagrams are often called

Fishbone diagrams

What was the first US company to receive the Deming Prize?

Florida Power & Light

Who developed quality control charts?

Genichi Taguchi

FIGURE 5.3 Time line showing the differences between old and new concepts of quality

The term used for today's new concept of quality is total quality management or TQM. Figure 5.3 presents a time line of the old and new concepts of quality. You can see that the old concept is reactive, designed to correct quality problems after they occur. The new concept is proactive, designed to build quality into the product and process design. Next, we look at the individuals who have shaped our understanding of quality.

Cause-and-effect diagrams

Identify potential causes of particular quality problems. They are often called fishbone diagrams because they look like the bones of a fish (Figure 5.8). The "head" of the fish is the quality problem, such as damaged zippers on a garment or broken valves on a tire. The diagram is drawn so that the "spine" of the fish connects the "head" to the possible cause of the problem. These causes could be related to the machines, workers, measurement, suppliers, materials, and many other aspects of the production process. Each of these possible causes can then have smaller "bones" addressing specific issues that relate to each cause. For example, a problem with machines could be due to a need for adjustment, old equipment, or tooling problems. Similarly, a problem with workers could be related to lack of training, poor supervision, or fatigue. FIGURE 5.8 A general cause-and-effect (fishbone) diagram

TABLE 5.1 Dimensions of Quality for Manufacturing versus Service Organizations

In contrast to manufacturing, service organizations produce a product that is intangible. Usually, the complete product cannot be seen or touched. Rather, it is experienced. Examples include delivery of healthcare, the experience of staying at a vacation resort, and learning at a university. The intangible nature of the product makes defining quality difficult. Also, since a service is experienced, perceptions can be highly subjective. In addition to tangible factors, quality of services is often defined by perceptual factors. These include responsiveness to customer needs, courtesy and friendliness of staff, promptness in resolving complaints, and atmosphere. Other definitions of quality in services include time, the amount of time a customer has to wait for the service; and consistency, the degree to which the service is the same each time. For these reasons, defining quality in services can be especially challenging. Dimensions of quality for manufacturing versus service organizations are shown in Table

Which of the following is not characteristic of TQM?

Inspecting products after they have been made

The Japanese term for continuous improvement is

Kaizen

Kaoru Ishikawa

Kaoru Ishikawa is best known for the development of quality tools called cause-and-effect diagrams, also called fishbone or Ishikawa diagrams. These diagrams are used for quality problem solving, and we will look at them in detail later in the chapter. He was the first quality guru to emphasize the importance of the "internal customer," the next person in the production process. He was also one of the first to stress the importance of total company quality control, rather than just focusing on products and services. Dr. Ishikawa believed that everyone in the company needed to be united with a shared vision and a common goal. He stressed that quality initiatives should be pursued at every level of the organization and that all employees should be involved. Dr. Ishikawa was a proponent of implementation of quality circles, which are small teams of employees who volunteer to solve quality problems.

Employee Empowerment

Part of the TQM philosophy is to empower all employees to seek out quality problems and correct them. Under the old concept of quality, employees were afraid to identify problems for fear that they would be reprimanded. Often, poor quality was passed on to someone else in order to make it "someone else's problem." The new concept of quality, TQM, provides incentives for employees to identify quality problems. Employees are rewarded for uncovering quality problems, not punished. In TQM, the role of employees is very different from what it was in traditional systems. Workers are empowered to make decisions relative to quality in the production process. They are considered a vital element of the effort to achieve high quality. Their contributions are highly valued, and their suggestions are implemented. In order to perform this function, employees are given continual and extensive training in quality measurement tools. To further stress the role of employees in quality, TQM differentiates between external and internal customers. External customers are those that purchase the company's goods and services. Internal customers are employees of the organization who receive goods or services from others in the company. For example, the packaging department of an organization is an internal customer of the assembly department. Just as a defective item would not be passed to an external customer, a defective item should not be passed to an internal customer.

Philip B. Crosby

Philip B. Crosby is another recognized guru of TQM. He worked in the area of quality for many years, first at Martin Marietta and then, in the 1970s, as the vice president for quality at ITT. He developed the phrase "Do it right the first time" and the notion of zero defects, arguing that no amount of defects should be considered acceptable. He scorned the idea that a small number of defects is a normal part of the operating process because systems and workers are imperfect. Instead, he stressed the idea of prevention. To promote his concepts, Crosby wrote a book titled Quality Is Free, which was published in 1979. He became famous for coining the phrase "quality is free" and for pointing out the many costs of quality, which include not only the costs of wasted labor, equipment time, scrap, rework, and lost sales but also organizational costs that are hard to quantify. Crosby stressed that efforts to improve quality more than pay for themselves because these costs are prevented. Therefore, quality is free. Like Deming and Juran, Crosby stressed the role of management in the quality improvement effort and the use of statistical control tools in measuring and monitoring quality.

TABLE 5.2 Quality Gurus and Their Contributions

Quality Gurus To fully understand the TQM movement, we need to look at the philosophies of notable individuals who have shaped the evolution of TQM. Their philosophies and teachings have contributed to our knowledge and understanding of quality today. Table 5.2 summarizes their individual contributions.

Chapter Five Highlight

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a tool used to translate customer needs into specific engineering requirements. Seven problem-solving tools are used in managing quality. Often called the seven tools of quality control, they are cause-and-effect diagrams, flowcharts, checklists, scatter diagrams, Pareto analysis, control charts, and histograms.

Seven features of TQM combine to create the TQM philosophy: customer focus, continuous improvement, employee empowerment, use of quality tools, product design, process management, and managing supplier quality.

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a tool used to translate customer needs into specific engineering requirements. Seven problem-solving tools are used in managing quality. Often called the seven tools of quality control, they are cause-and-effect diagrams, flowcharts, checklists, scatter diagrams, Pareto analysis, control charts, and histograms.

For Juran's quality trilogy, which part stresses that processes should be set up to ensure that the quality standards can be met?

Quality planning

The strength of the relationship between customer requirements and product characteristics is shown in the __________ matrix.

Relationship

Chapter Five Highlight

Reliability is the probability that the product will function as expected. The reliability of a product is computed as the product of the reliabilities of the individual components.

The last step in constructing the house of quality includes

Setting targets for our own product

Chapter Five Highlight

Seven features of TQM combine to create the TQM philosophy: customer focus, continuous improvement, employee empowerment, use of quality tools, product design, process management, and managing supplier quality.

What characterizes TQM is the focus on identifying root causes of quality problems and correcting them at the source, as opposed to inspecting the product after it has been made. Not only does TQM encompass the entire organization but it stresses that quality is customer driven. TQM attempts to embed quality in every aspect of the organization. It is concerned with the technical aspects of quality as well as the involvement of people in quality, such as customers, company employees, and suppliers. Here we look at the specific concepts that make up the philosophy of TQM. These concepts and their main ideas are summarized in Table 5.3.

TABLE 5.3 Concepts of the TQM Philosophy

Team Approach

TQM stresses that quality is an organizational effort. To facilitate the solving of quality problems, it places great emphasis on teamwork. The use of teams is based on the old adage that "two heads are better than one." Using techniques such as brainstorming, discussion, and quality control tools, teams work regularly to correct problems. The contributions of teams are considered vital to the success of the company. For this reason, companies set aside time in the workday for team meetings.

Chapter Five Highlight

The Malcolm Baldrige Award is given to companies to recognize excellence in quality management. Companies are evaluated in seven areas, including quality leadership and performance results. These criteria have become a standard for many companies that seek to improve quality. ISO 9000 is a certification based on a set of quality standards established by the International Organization for Standardization. Its goal is to ensure that quality is built into production processes. ISO 9000 focuses mainly on quality of conformance.

Reliability is the probability that the product will function as expected. The reliability of a product is computed as the product of the reliabilities of the individual components.

The Malcolm Baldrige Award is given to companies to recognize excellence in quality management. Companies are evaluated in seven areas, including quality leadership and performance results. These criteria have become a standard for many companies that seek to improve quality. ISO 9000 is a certification based on a set of quality standards established by the International Organization for Standardization. Its goal is to ensure that quality is built into production processes. ISO 9000 focuses mainly on quality of conformance.

Chapter Five Highlight

The seven most notable individuals who shaped today's concept of quality are Walter A. Shewhart, W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, Armand V. Feigenbaum, Philip B. Crosby, Kaoru Ishikawa, and Genichi Taguchi.

Total quality management (TQM) is different from the old concept of quality because its focus is on serving customers, identifying the causes of quality problems, and building quality into the production process.

The seven most notable individuals who shaped today's concept of quality are Walter A. Shewhart, W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, Armand V. Feigenbaum, Philip B. Crosby, Kaoru Ishikawa, and Genichi Taguchi.

Another way companies implement continuous improvement is by studying business practices of companies considered "best in class."

This is called benchmarking. The ability to learn and study how others do things is an important part of continuous improvement. The benchmark company does not have to be in the same business as long as it excels at something that the company doing the study wishes to emulate. For example, many companies have used Lands' End to benchmark catalog distribution and order filling because Lands' End is considered a leader in this area. Similarly, many companies have used American Express to benchmark conflict resolution.

The important thing in Quality Function Deployment competitive evaluation is

To identify customer requirements that should be pursued and how we fare relative to our competitors

Chapter Five Highlight

Total quality management (TQM) is different from the old concept of quality because its focus is on serving customers, identifying the causes of quality problems, and building quality into the production process.

W. Edwards Deming

W. Edwards Deming is often referred to as the "father of quality control." He was a statistics professor at New York University in the 1940s. After World War II, he assisted many Japanese companies in improving quality. The Japanese regarded him so highly that in 1951 they established the Deming Prize, an annual award given to firms that demonstrate outstanding quality. It was almost 30 years before American businesses began adopting Deming's philosophy. A number of elements of Deming's philosophy depart from traditional notions of quality. The first is the role management should play in a company's quality improvement effort. Historically, poor quality was blamed on workers—on their lack of productivity, laziness, or carelessness. However, Deming pointed out that only 15 percent of quality problems are actually due to worker error. The remaining 85 percent are caused by processes and systems, including poor management. Deming said that it is up to management to correct system problems and create an environment that promotes quality and enables workers to achieve their full potential. He believed that managers should drive out any fear employees have of identifying quality problems and that numerical quotas should be eliminated. Proper methods should be taught, and detecting and eliminating poor quality should be everyone's responsibility. Deming outlined his philosophy on quality in his famous "14 Points." These points are principles that help guide companies in achieving quality improvement. The principles are founded on the idea that upper management must develop a commitment to quality and provide a system to support this commitment that involves all employees and suppliers. Deming stressed that quality improvements cannot happen without the organizational change that comes from upper management.

One of the most common types of teams is the quality circle, a

a team of volunteer production employees and their supervisors whose purpose is to solve quality problems. The circle is usually composed of eight to ten members, and decisions are made through group consensus. The teams usually meet weekly during work hours in a place designated for this purpose. They follow a preset process for analyzing and solving quality problems. Open discussion is promoted, and criticism is not allowed. Although the functioning of quality circles is friendly and casual, it is serious business. Quality circles are not mere "gab sessions." Rather, they do important work for the company and have been very successful in many firms.

Teams vary in their degree of structure and formality, and different types of teams solve different types of problems. One of the most common types of teams is the quality circle

a team of volunteer production employees and their supervisors whose purpose is to solve quality problems. The circle is usually composed of eight to ten members, and decisions are made through group consensus. The teams usually meet weekly during work hours in a place designated for this purpose. They follow a preset process for analyzing and solving quality problems. Open discussion is promoted, and criticism is not allowed. Although the functioning of quality circles is friendly and casual, it is serious business. Quality circles are not mere "gab sessions." Rather, they do important work for the company and have been very successful in many firms.

Control charts

are a very important quality control tool. We will study the use of control charts at great length in the next chapter. These charts are used to evaluate whether a process is operating within expectations relative to some measured value such as weight, width, or volume. For example, we could measure the weight of a sack of flour, the width of a tire, or the volume of a bottle of soft drink. When the production process is operating within expectations, we say that it is "in control." To evaluate whether or not a process is in control, we regularly measure the variable of interest and plot it on a control chart. The chart has a line down the center representing the average value of the variable we are measuring. Above and below the center line are two lines, called the upper control limit (UCL) and the lower control limit (LCL). As long as the observed values fall within the upper and lower control limits, the process is in control and there is no problem with quality. When a measured observation falls outside of these limits, there is a problem.

Internal failure costs

are associated with discovering poor product quality before the product reaches the customer site. One type of internal failure cost is rework, which is the cost of correcting the defective item. Sometimes the item is so defective that it cannot be corrected and must be thrown away. This is called scrap, and its costs include all the material, labor, and machine cost spent in producing the defective product. Other types of internal failure costs include the cost of machine downtime due to failures in the process and the costs of discounting defective items for salvage value.

External failure costs

are associated with quality problems that occur at the customer site. These costs can be particularly damaging because customer faith and loyalty can be difficult to regain. They include everything from customer complaints, product returns, and repairs to warranty claims, recalls, and even litigation costs resulting from product liability issues. A final component of this cost is lost sales and lost customers. For example, manufacturers of lunch meats and hot dogs whose products have been recalled due to bacterial contamination have had to struggle to regain consumer confidence. Other examples include auto manufacturers whose products have been recalled due to major malfunctions such as problematic braking systems and airlines that have experienced a crash with many fatalities. External failure can sometimes put a company out of business almost overnight. Companies that consider quality important invest heavily in prevention and appraisal costs in order to prevent internal and external failure costs. The earlier defects are found, the less costly they are to correct. For example, detecting and correcting defects during product design and product production is considerably less expensive than when the defects are found at the customer site.

Scatter diagrams

are graphs that show how two variables are related to one another. They are particularly useful in detecting the amount of correlation, or the degree of linear relationship, between two variables. For example, increased production speed and number of defects could be correlated positively; as production speed increases, so does the number of defects. Two variables could also be correlated negatively, so that an increase in one of the variables is associated with a decrease in the other. For example, increased worker training might be associated with a decrease in the number of defects observed. The greater the degree of correlation, the more linear are the observations in the scatter diagram. On the other hand, the more scattered the observations in the diagram, the less correlation exists between the variables. Of course, other types of relationships can also be observed on a scatter diagram, such as an inverted ∪. This may be the case when one is observing the relationship between two variables such as oven temperature and number of defects, since temperatures below and above the ideal could lead to defects.

Appraisal costs

are incurred in the process of uncovering defects. They include the cost of quality inspections, product testing, and performing audits to make sure that quality standards are being met. Also included in this category are the costs of worker time spent measuring quality and the cost of equipment used for quality appraisal.

Pareto analysis

is a technique used to identify quality problems based on their degree of importance. The logic behind Pareto analysis is that only a few quality problems are important, whereas many others are not critical. The technique was named after Vilfredo Pareto, a nineteenth-century Italian economist who determined that only a small percentage of people controlled most of the wealth. This concept has often been called the 80-20 rule and has been extended to many areas. In quality management the logic behind Pareto's principle is that most quality problems are a result of only a few causes. The trick is to identify these causes. One way to use Pareto analysis is to develop a chart that ranks the causes of poor quality in decreasing order based on the percentage of defects each has caused. For example, a tally can be made of the number of defects that result from different causes, such as operator error, defective parts, or inaccurate machine calibrations. Percentages of defects can be computed from the tally and placed in a chart like the one shown in Figure 5.7. We generally tend to find that a few causes account for most of the defects.

Conformance to specifications

measures how well the product or service meets the targets and tolerances determined by its designers. For example, the dimensions of a machine part may be specified by its design engineers as inches. This would mean that the target dimension is 3 inches, but the dimensions can vary between 2.95 and 3.05 inches. Similarly, the wait for hotel room service may be specified as 20 minutes, but there may be an acceptable delay of an additional 10 minutes. Also, consider the amount of light delivered by a 60-watt light bulb. If the bulb delivers 50 watts, it does not conform to specifications. As these examples illustrate, conformance to specification is directly measurable, though it may not be directly related to the consumer's idea of quality.

Walter A. Shewhart

was a statistician at Bell Labs during the 1920s and 1930s. Shewhart studied randomness and recognized that variability existed in all manufacturing processes. He developed quality control charts that are used to identify whether the variability in the process is random or due to an assignable cause, such as poor workers or miscalibrated machinery. He stressed that eliminating variability improves quality. His work created the foundation for today's statistical process control, and he is often referred to as the "grandfather of quality control."