history

Concerns for quality and process control is nothing new. Historians have traced the concept as far back as 3000 B.C. Process control is concept that may have begun with pyramids of Egypt, when a system for quarrying and dressing stone was designed.One has only to examine the pyramids at Cheops to appreciate this remarkable achievement.

In new history real quality and quality principles as we know now starts with Islam , we can mention for example Shura (consultation) , the so-called Hisba system (quality control) and the Dawaween system (management information control system).

(Allah loves someone who when works, he performs it exceptionally) Hadith " saying of prophet Mohammad peace be upon him"

Over the past few decades there have been several leaders who have been instrumental to developing the concept of quality as understood today.

Joseph M Juran is one of these key figures. Using eastern philosophies learnt in Japan, he advocated the idea that quality related to "fitness for use".

Juran believed that this definition of quality fell into two key areas. Higher quality products had a greater number of features which fit with the requirements of the consumer and also had fewer defects.

His book “Managerial Breakthrough” published in the 1960s was the first to offer a step-by-step sequence for improvement, while the Juran Trilogy, published in the 1980s, produced the three definitive quality management processes; quality planning, quality improvement and quality control.

W Edwards Deming also took what he learnt in Japan and brought it to the west. His 14 points were presented in his work “Out of the Crisis”, published in 1982 and had been learnt in Japan following the second world war.

His approach led to the creation of the theory of total quality management and linked the concept of quality with efficient management.

Deming said managers were required to have a system of profound knowledge, comprised of appreciation of a system, theory of knowledge, the psychology of change and knowledge about variation.

Philip Cosby is the man behind the four absolutes of quality management and furthered the idea that quality was about conforming to a series of requirements, rather than reaching a poorly defined benchmark of goodness.

His absolutes centred about the concept that quality should be prevented rather than detected and corrected, the standard for performance should be zero deficits and quality should be measured by the price of non-conformity.

Crosby laid out 14 steps for quality improvement, ensuring that the principle is embedded throughout the organisation and throughout all business processes.

Indeed, one of Crosby's most commonly quoted phrases is "If quality isn't ingrained in the organisation, it will never happen."