Splendor and decline of the quality system
during years 80-90, the step quality seemed to be the magic formula of management. Whatever the topic approached, he was better negotiable instrument to enamel its speech of terms chosen like “5 zeros”, “” or “quality circles”, and this, of a understood air as if it were obvious that one practiced these techniques since our more tender childhood. Height being reached when the specialist in the moment quoted the Japanese 5S! (
see the lexicon quality)
Japan was then with the mode. The eyes directed towards raising, the firms were tested with the subtle techniques of Japanese management. Without success of course. Transposed without precaution no, plated such as they are on organizations dying women, these “exotic” practices with the direction first of the term were likely any to succeed. In spite of the largely widespread belief in the world of management and elsewhere it is true, the miracle is not this world, the magic receipts either. In this feverish obsession, managers and good number of consultings be quality had forgotten the recommendations of good sense of the “founding fathers” like
Joseph : “When you have only one hammer, all the problems tend to resemble nails”. (1)
It is sure that one also easily does not throw to the nettles a heritage of practices and practices. In addition us it enters is necessary to be clear, the intention forever be to amend anything. Quality was to be the remedy with the proviso of not hustling the structures in place. It is besides rather symptomatic to note that quality became a function delimited well with its person responsible and even his Director.
It is in this context that with beginnings of the year 90 quality was standardized under the well-known reference from now on ISO 9000. With the first version 1994, true gas works, the designers had completely passed beside a basic principle: zero paper. Paper they generated these standards of them! They transformed the least corrective action into procedure clearly identified, formalized, classified. The firms avant-gardists which had chosen to adopt this reference frame collapsed under the procedures and the tons of paper. Vis-a-vis the official report and with criticisms justified, the experts quality control engineers of the ISO have plate to prepare again the younger generation, the standards ISO 9000 version 2000. Optimized better, more in phase with reality of the business life, the designers knew to catch with the flight the vagus nerve of “the guideline process” with the customer at the end of the chain.
However, the ISO standards are not dissociated for all that a heavy heritage . In the facts on the ground, the quality assurance is always with the continuation of the gaps in a tradition of control. The procedures implemented to the letter do not leave any place with the intelligence and the reflection, completely in the logic of work. Often denounced rightly like instrument of stresses, one is really very far from what should be quality: the good sense in any situation, the taste of work well done, the capture of unconstrained initiative, a stimulation of the intelligence, short all that can contribute to a spirit of dynamic innovation of every moment.
(1) I also appreciated in these times the works of Michel , but after a rapid seeks, they seem all exhausted. To see on the second-hand market.
on the same subject:
- Total quality and the common good sense
- Tools of lexicon quality of the terms of this text present.
- Zen and quality
- File quality six sigma - All bank notes “quality” of the
To also see in the work “the new instrument panels of the managers” the titrated chapter: The performance and the quality system page 62. It approaches the following topics:
Stages of the quality system
“Of the setting in static conformity to dynamic performance measurement.”
3 stages marking out the path towards total quality.
The system of performance measurement in the middle of the quality system
Variation around the 3 axes of progress usually selected: Times/Costs/Quality.
Quality provided to perceived quality
How to change : Desired quality - > provided quality - > perceived quality?
Copyright: Alain FERNANDEZ ©1998-2008- All rights reserved