Philip Crosby Quality Management Philosophy

Philip Crosby Quality Management Philosophy

Mr. Crosby defined quality as a conformity to certain specifications set forth by management and not some vague concept of "goodness." These specifications are not arbitrary either; they must be set according to customer needs and wants.

With this approach comes the 4 absolutes of Quality:

1. Quality is conformance to requirements

Following the same example, suppose I clean my room with great care. Thinking I have done a great job. However, my mother's idea of a clean room might be different. Leaving her dissatisfied. Thus clarity and agreement about the requirements must be established between the supplier and the customer. I must know what my mother means when she says, "Clean the room." Whether: a. the room has to be swept b. the articles have to be dusted c. the bed cover has to be changed Once I know the requirements, then 'Quality' is meeting the exact requirements without any 'defect'.

2. Quality comes from prevention - not detection

Quality can be established only before the task is performed. After a task is finished only analysis can be done. If while dusting, I keep thinking of my birthday party, I might forget to dust half the articles in the room. I do not have all the time in the world to clean the room as guests will be coming in 15 minutes. Hence I must have expertise with the broom, with the duster napkin and the ability to fold the bed neatly. This comes with practice. Hence at the core of Quality is practice. It takes years of practice before a trapeze artist can test the limits of human ability and perform the impossible. (S)he cannot afford a slip. A student must acquire skills of writing, comprehension and alertness to prepare for the exams beforehand to prevent unsatisfactory grades. Thus we must learn to think prevention. Prevention of defects.

3. The standard for Quality is Zero-Defect

Zero-Defect is not perfection. It is meeting the agreed requirements between the customer and the supplier without any gap. That is why the first step in Quality is to clarify the requirements of the customer and agree to meet them to the exact specifications. So, if I have swept the room, dusted the articles and changed the bedcover, in 15 minutes, I have met the exact requirements of my mother and have delivered zero-defect Quality. It is important to understand that a defect in Quality is always with respect to requirements agreed between the customer and the supplier. Our aim should be doing it right the first time, every time.

4. Quality is measured by the price of non-conformance

Whenever the requirements of the customer are not met, there is a price to pay. In the world of business this price is expressed in terms of money. In other spheres of human interaction, the price takes different forms - extra effort, hassles, de-motivation, lack of recognition, frustration, failure, etc. So, if I have not delivered Quality to my mother in terms of cleaning the room, I invite her anger and pay the price of unpleasant moments.