5 Software Quality Gurus

SOFTWARE QUALITY GURUS

 

Software Quality was improved by three important Gurus namely Deming, Juran and Crossby. This lesson discusses about the salient features of the points provided by Dr. Deming’s 14 Points for Management. Moreover, William Edwards Deming (October 14, 1900 – December 20, 1993) was an American electrical engineer, specialized in mathematics and statistics. He has worked as a professor and then as management consultant. He defined quality as ratio of results of work efforts to total costs. Dr. W. Edwards Deming proposed 14 key principles for management to be followed for significantly improving the effectiveness of an organization. The 14 points provided by him are:

  1.   Constancy of purpose
  2.   A new philosophy
  3.   Cease dependence on inspection
  4.   End lowest tender contracts
  5.   Improve every process
  6.   Institute training on the job
  7.   Institute leadership
  8.   Drive out fear
  9.   Break down barriers
  10.   Eliminate exhortations
  11.   Eliminate targets
  12.   Permit pride of workmanship
  13.   Encourage education
  14.   Create top management structures

Many of the principles of Deming are philosophical. Moreover, some of the other principles of Deming are more programmatic. However, all the principles of Deming are transformative in nature. When these 14 points were proposed by Deming, many people opposed it. Later on, based on the explanations provided by Deming and the people who used it, the world community started to accept his principles as a means for improving quality.

 

Below is the explanation of the 14 Points of quality for management proposed by Deming:

 

  1.  Create constancy of purpose:  According to this principle, every work must be started with a purpose         which is defined using aims and objectives. When it is applied to a project, the aims and objectives should          be      monitored continuously so that it is possible to compete in the business environment and to get            successes in making the products. Once, the business is successful, it is possible for the project to employ more people and hence it provides more jobs to people.
  2. Adopt the new philosophy: Change is always liked by people. If the changes lead to more income for the company, the leader who introduced the changes will be accepted as a good manager. Therefore, a manager must learn his responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.
  3.  Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality: It insists on eliminating the need for inspection on a mass basis by developing a quality model into the product in the first place.
  4.  Minimize total cost: Even though it is necessary to minimize the total cost, awarding contract to the lowest quotation will not provide good quality service. Hence, the aim must be to optimize the total cost.
  5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service:In order to improve quality and productivity, it is necessary to improve the process continuously.
  6. Institute training on the job: There is no need to provide training before starting the project. Training must be on the job through practice.
  7. Institute leadership: Make people to become supervisors and supervision will help them to do the job better.
  8.  Drive out fear: Everyone should work courageously for the company.
  9.  Break down barriers between departments: such as research, design, sales, and production effectively through co-operation.People in different departments of a company must work as a team to solve the problems.
  10. Eliminate exhortations: It is necessary to eliminate the slogans and targets for the work force asking for zero defects. Such exhortations will only create adversarial relationships and reduce quality.
  11. Eliminate targets: It is not always a good practice to set targets and forcing the workers to meet the target.
  12. Permit pride of workmanship: Everybody including the managers, engineers and workers must be given importance so that everybody will feel proud of their work
  13. Encourage education: The top management should encourage the people in every category to get some education. It should not be only for decision makers
  14. Create top management structures: A hierarchy must be created and all people in the hierarchy must be provided with some responsibilities.

Juran’s ten points for quality improvement

 

Joseph Moses Juran (December 24, 1904 – February 28, 2008) was a Romanian-born and American engineer. He was also a management consultant. His quality principles has made him as an evangelist for quality and quality management. He has written several books on quality and proposed ten points for quality improvement which are given below.

 

having written several books on those subjects

  1. Build awareness of need and opportunity for improvement
  2. Set goals for improvement
  3. Organize to reach the goals
  4. Provide training
  5. Carry out projects to solve problems
  6. Report progress
  7. Give recognition
  8. Communicate results
  9. Keep score
  10. Maintain momentum by making annual improvement part of the regular process of the company

 

  1. Build awareness of need and opportunity for improvement: One should realize that all processes are improvable. Hence, mistakes made in the past must be used to improve the quality of the next work. Everybody should be given a chance to learn and an opportunity for improvement. According to Juran, it is necessary to identify the reason for the mistakes and to avoid such mistake in future.
  1. Set goals for improvement: Juran provided some formulas for successful results by setting goals, planning to reach the goal, assigning responsibility for meeting the goals and to base the rewards on results achieved.
  1. Organize to reach your goals: According to Juran, one can organize the goals by establishing a quality council, identifying problems, selecting projects, appointing teams and designating facilitators.
  1. Provide training: Any company, which is actively engaged in moving towards Total Quality Management (TQM) during the past few years, will know how important education and training. These methods will improve the quality of managers, professionals and workforce.
  1. Carry out projects to solve problems: Large improvements in quality are usually the result of inter-departmental and cross-functional quality improvement teams. These teams can solve the chronic problems that were in the way of company progress for a long time.
  1. Report progress: The importance here is on the progress expected of a project and the actual progress that has been achieved. Based on the reports, necessary actions can be taken to improve the status.
  1. Give recognition: According to Juran, recognition is a means for providing morale to both those involved in the improvement activity and the others in the organization. Hence, it is necessary to give recognition for the activities done by the employees of a company.
  1. Communicate result: Communication of results learnt from the previous activities will help sharing the knowledge and to create interest in the work.
  1. Keep score: A Company’s goals are achieved through step-by-step goals. Hence, scoring based on goals will improve the quality.
  1. Maintain momentum by making annual improvement part of the regular process of the company: Actions which are taken in all the above steps must involve the people and sustaining their involvement in the improvement activities is a must to achieve the long-term organizational goals and to remain competitive.

Crosby’s 14 steps to quality management

 

Philip Bayard “Phil” Crosby, (June 18, 1926 – August 18, 2001) was a businessman and he was also an author who contributed to the management theory and the quality management practices. Crosby initiated the Zero Defects program at the Martin Company where he worked. The 14 points proposed by him are:

    1.      Take action to correct problems identified

2.      Establish a committee for the ‘zero defects’ programme

3.      Train supervision to actively carry out their role in quality improvement

4.      Hold a ‘zero defects day’ for all employees to highlight the changes

5.      Encourage individuals to established improvement goals

6.      Make it clear that management is committed to quality.

7.       Form quality improvement teams with each department represented.

8.      Determine where current and potential problems lie.

9.      Evaluate the cost of quality and explain its use as a tool.

10.    Raise the quality awareness and concern of all employees.

11.     Encourage communication with management about obstacles to improvement

12.    Recognize and appreciate participants

13.    Establish quality councils to aid communication

14.    Do it all over again to show it never ends

   1.   Management commitment: The need for quality improvement must be supported, recognized and adopted by the management. This will provide an emphasis on the need for defect prevention. Moreover, since quality improvement is equated with profit, the management must frame policies for effective improvement.

 

2.     Quality improvement team: Representatives from each department of a company must be grouped together to form a quality improvement team. These people must be provided with sufficient authority to commit the area they represent to action.

 

3.  Quality measurement: The status of quality should be determined throughout the company by establishing quality measures for each of the activities that are recorded to show where improvement is possible, and where corrective action is necessary.

 

4.   Cost of quality evaluation: According to Crosby, the cost of quality is not an absolute performance measurement, but it is an indication of where the action necessary to correct a defect that will result in greater profitability.

 

5.   Quality awareness: It involves through training and the provision of visible evidence of the concern for quality improvement. Therefore, quality awareness will make the employees aware of the cost to the company of defects and to avoid defects.

 

6.   Corrective action: Discussion about problems will bring solutions to light and also raise other elements for improvement. People need to see that problems are being resolved on a regular basis and taking corrective action should become a regular habit.

 

7.    Establish an ad-hoc committee for the Zero Defects Programme: Crosby wanted to celebrate a Zero Defects programme. However, its purpose is to communicate and establish the notion that everyone should do things right first time but not always Zero Defects.

 

8.   Supervisor training: All managers should undergo a formal training on the 14 steps proposed by Crosby before they are implemented in the company. Moreover, a manager should understand each of the 14 steps well enough to be able to explain them to his or her people.

 

9.  Zero Defects Day: It is important that the commitment to make a Zero Defects Day was insisted by Crosby. In that day the supervisors of the company must explain their programs to people to get a new attitude.

10.  Goal setting: Each supervisor must get his or her people to establish some specific, measurable goals to strive for. Usually, these goals must comprise of 30-60 days and 90 days goals.

 

11.  Error cause removal: Employees of a company must be asked to describe, on a simple, one-page form about any problems that prevent them from carrying out error-free works. In this way, all the problems should be acknowledged within twenty-four hours by the function or unit to which the problem is addressed and the errors must be removed.

 

12.   Recognition: It is important to recognize those employees who meet their goals or perform some outstanding acts with a prize or award. This need not be in financial form but it must be the act of recognition which is important.

 

13.  Quality Councils: The quality professionals and team-leaders must meet regularly and discuss about improvements and upgrades necessary for the company through quality programmes.

 

14.   Do it over again: During the course of a typical programme, lasting from 12 to18 months, turnover and change may dissipate much of the educational processes. Therefore, it is important to set up a new team of representatives and to begin the programmes over again, starting with Zero Defects day.

 

Finally, the quality Gurus discussed in this session are compared by providing a comparative analysis based on the principles proposed and followed by them. This table will make the learner of quality management techniques to understand the need for quality, aims and objectives of providing quality and to achieve them by following the principles proposed by Deming, Juran and Crosby.

W. Deming J.M.Juran P.Crosby
Definition Predictable degree of Fitness for purpose Conformance to
uniformity and requirements
dependability at low cost
Senior Responsible for 94% of Responsible for >80% Responsible for
Management problems of problems quality
Responsibility
Performance Many scales: use SPC Avoid campaigns to Zero defects
standard exhort perfection
General approach Reduce variability: Emphasis on Prevention
continuous improvement management of human
aspects
Structure 14 points 10 steps 14 steps
SPC SPC must be used Recommends SPC, but Rejects statistically
cautions against tool- acceptable level of
based approach quality
Basic for Continuous: eliminate Project-based approach: A process, not a
improvement goals set goals programme
Teamwork Employee participation Team/quality circle Quality
in decisions approach improvement teams:
quality councils
Costs of quality No optimum, continuous Optimum, quality is Quality is free!
improvement NOT free
Purchasing Use SPC through strong Complex problems, use Supplier is extension
co-operation formal survays of business
Vendor rating No Yes, but work with Yes
suppliers
Single sourcing of Yes No
supply

Summary:

  • Three quality gurus opinions are good for enhancing quality.
  • Zero defects day was proposed to enhance quality.
  • Humans are important for quality.
  • Working environment is also important for improving the quality.