Question.3038 - Armand Feigenbaum made significant contributions to quality management. Research on Feigenbauma's contributions, and write a short paper on his three step approach to quality.
Answer Below:
Armand V. Feigenbaum and the term Quality Control go hand in hand. He is an American Quality Expert and a businessman. He was instrumental in devising the concept of Total Quality Control which later came to be known as Total Quality Management. The first edition of the book Total Quality Control was printed when Mr. Armand was a doctoral student at the Masachusetts Institute of Technology. He was the founding chairman for International Academy for Quality and also presided over the American Society for Quality Control which got him lot of records and recognitions. The Total Quality control concept has made a positive impact on quality and productivity for many organizations. Feigenbaum defined quality control as “an effective system for coordinating the quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various groups in an organization so as to enable production at the most economical levels which allow for full customer satisfaction.” Feigenbaum showed a three step approach to quality. Those were; a) Quality Leadership b) Modern quality technology c) Organizational commitment These can be achieved by; ? Devising clear and achievable quality standards ? Enhancing existing working conditions to reach the desired quality standards ? Setting new quality standards with an aim to further improve Feigenbaum, represented quality as a holistic process and the entire life cycle of manufacturing of a product should have quality as one of its focus. Starting from designing of the product, manufacturing, quality checks, sales, after sales service and customer satisfaction when the good is delivered to the customer, should be with quality. He showed how to control the manufacturing of the product; ? New-design control ? Incoming material control ? Product control ? Special process studies. Feigenbaum, did not believe in the idea that statistical tools could be used to control the quality efficiently. According to him Statistical Tools were only a small subset of the entire quality control program. Feigenbaum recommendations for quality control are; ? Increasing the operator efficiency by educating them regarding on quality in order to enhance overall quality. ? Aiming to increase quality awareness throughout the organization. ? Involving the entire organization in each and every quality initiative undertaken. According to him quality control cannot be used as a cost reduction tool, rather it should be used as a administrative tool: ? Provide a channel for knowledge integration and communication, thus enhancing product quality. ? Encourage employee participation in organizational quality control initiatives Feigenbaum, book on Total Quality Control lists down 10 attributes which is used in many organizations today are; 1. Quality control must be a company-wide process. 2. Quality is defined by the customer. 3. Quality and cost is a sum, not a difference. 4. Quality requires both individual and team enthusiasm. 5. Quality is a way of managing. 6. Quality and innovation are interdependent. 7. Quality is an ethic. 8. Enhanced quality demands continuous improvement. 9. Quality is the most cost-effective and least capital-intensive route to productivity. 10. Quality is implemented with a total system connected with customers and suppliers. Thus we can say that Feigenbaum, vision on Total Quality Control has been appreciated widely. Many companies continue to implement, the Quality control to successfully deliver good and generate value. But this can only be achieved when the entire organization is dedicated to achieve the same. ASQ. (n.d.). Retrieved July 03, 2013, from http://asq.org/about-asq/who-we-are/bio_feigen.html Enote. (n.d.). Quality Guru. Retrieved July 03, 2013, from http://www.enotes.com/quality-gurus- reference/quality-gurus Karwowski, W. (n.d.). Total Quality Management. Retrieved July 03, 2013, from http://www.wsiz.rzeszow.pl/kadra/wkarwowski/Dokumenty_Local_WSIiZ/WK%20TQM%20Q5-03.pdf Ten Steps Inc. (2004). Armand V. Feigenbaum - The Proponent of Total Quality Control. Retrieved July 03, 2013, from http://www.tenstep.fr/01_Publique/90.3_EspaceDeLaQualite/Anglais/700ArmandVFeigenbaum.pdfMore Articles From Operation Management
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