QUALITY CONTROL

(QC)
&
QUALITY ASSURANCE
(QA), QUALITY GURUS’
CONTRIBUTION
Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA)
 Both Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) are
essential components of a quality management system, but they serve
different purposes. Understanding their differences and
interconnections helps organizations maintain and improve the
quality of their products, services, and processes.

Quality Control (QC)

 Definition:
Quality Control focuses on detecting and addressing defects in
products or services to ensure they meet established standards. It is
product-oriented and occurs after the product or service has been
developed.
Key Characteristics:
 Focus: Identifying defects or issues in the final product or service.
 Objective: To ensure that outputs meet quality standards and are free
from defects.
 Responsibility: Usually performed by a dedicated QC team.
 Approach: Reactive—responding to issues identified during
 Key Activities in QC:
 Inspection and Testing: Examining raw materials,
processes, and finished goods to ensure compliance with
standards.
 Sampling: Selecting a subset of products for testing
rather than testing the entire batch.
 Defect Identification: Spotting errors, defects, or
deviations from specifications.
 Corrective Actions: Taking steps to fix identified defects.
 Quality Reporting: Documenting findings for analysis
and process improvement.
 Tools and Techniques:
 Checklists
 Control Charts
 Statistical Process Control (SPC)
 Visual Inspections
Quality Assurance (QA)
 Definition:
Quality Assurance focuses on preventing defects by
ensuring that processes, systems, and standards are
designed to produce quality outcomes. It is process-
oriented and proactive.
Key Characteristics:
 Focus: Building quality into processes to prevent errors.
 Objective: To ensure that processes are designed and
followed in a way that consistently produces quality
outputs.
 Responsibility: Shared across the organization, often
coordinated by a QA team.
 Approach: Proactive—aims to prevent issues before
they occur.
Key Activities in QA:
 Process Design and Standardization: Developing
procedures and standards for consistent quality.
 Audits and Reviews: Periodically assessing processes to
ensure compliance and effectiveness.
 Training and Development: Educating employees on
quality standards and best practices.
 Documentation: Maintaining detailed records of processes,
procedures, and quality goals.
 Continuous Improvement: Implementing feedback and
lessons learned to enhance processes.
Tools and Techniques:
 Process Mapping
 Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle
 Six Sigma
 ISO Standards Compliance
 Quality Audits
 Comparison Between QC and QA
Aspect Quality Control (QC) Quality Assurance (QA)
Focus Product-oriented Process-oriented
Objective Detect and correct defects Prevent defects
Approach Reactive Proactive
Shared across all levels of
Responsibility Performed by QC teams
the organization
After production or During the planning and
Time of Implementation
development development stages
Product inspection, defect Process audits, standard
Examples of Activities
testing development

How They Work Together

 QA ensures that the processes used to produce a product or service
are effective and standardized, preventing defects from occurring.
 QC verifies that the outputs of these processes meet the required
standards, identifying and addressing any deviations.
 By integrating QA and QC, organizations can create a
comprehensive quality management system that emphasizes
prevention and ensures compliance with quality requirements.
 Conclusion
 While QA and QC serve distinct purposes, they are
complementary.
 QA lays the foundation for quality through
robust processes and standards, while QC
ensures that the final products or services meet
those standards.
 Together, they enhance customer satisfaction,
reduce costs, and support continuous
improvement.
Quality Gurus And Their Contributions To Quality
Management
 Several prominent quality experts, often referred to as "Quality Gurus," have
significantly influenced the field of quality management. Their theories, principles,
and methodologies form the foundation of modern quality practices, including Total
Quality Management (TQM).
 1. W. Edwards Deming
 Key Contributions:
 Emphasized the importance of statistical process control (SPC) and continuous
improvement.
 Developed the Deming Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act or PDCA) as a framework
for problem-solving and process improvement.
 Advocated for management's role in quality and the need for a systemic approach
to improvement.
 Key Concepts:
 14 Points for Management: Principles to transform business effectiveness.
 System of Profound Knowledge: A management philosophy based on
appreciation for a system, knowledge of variation, theory of knowledge, and
psychology.
 Impact: Played a pivotal role in the post-war economic recovery of
Japan, helping establish their reputation for high-quality
manufacturing.

 2. Joseph Juran
 Key Contributions:
 Focused on quality planning, control, and improvement, collectively
known as the Juran Trilogy.
 Highlighted the financial impact of quality and introduced the
concept of the Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).
 Advocated for top management involvement in quality initiatives.
 Key Concepts:
 Fitness for Use: Quality should be judged by how well a product or
service meets customer needs.
 Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule): Applied to quality to emphasize that
80% of problems often come from 20% of causes.
 Impact: Provided a strategic framework for integrating quality into
business planning.
 3. Philip B. Crosby
 Key Contributions:
 Popularized the idea that "quality is free," emphasizing that
the cost of preventing defects is less than the cost of fixing
them.
 Developed the Zero Defects concept, focusing on doing
things right the first time.
 Advocated for building a quality culture within organizations.
 Key Concepts:
 Four Absolutes of Quality Management:
 Quality is defined as conformance to requirements.

 The system for quality is prevention.

 The performance standard is zero defects.

 The measurement of quality is the cost of non-conformance.

 Impact: His work led to a shift in quality management from

inspection to prevention.
 4. Kaoru Ishikawa
 Key Contributions:
 Introduced quality control concepts that are practical and
easy to use for all employees, not just specialists.
 Developed the Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram, a tool for
root cause analysis.
 Advocated for company-wide quality control (CWQC),
emphasizing teamwork and employee involvement.
 Key Concepts:
 Quality Circles: Small groups of employees who work
together to solve quality problems.
 Customer Focus: Emphasized the importance of
understanding customer requirements and satisfaction.
 Impact: His tools and methods became staples in TQM and
are widely used globally.
 5. Genichi Taguchi
 Key Contributions:
 Developed the Taguchi Method for robust design and
reducing variation in manufacturing.
 Introduced the concept of the Loss Function, which
measures the cost of quality loss to society.
 Key Concepts:
 Design of Experiments (DOE): A systematic
approach to optimizing processes and products.
 Robust Design: Focus on designing products that
perform consistently under varying conditions.
 Impact: His methods help companies improve product
reliability and reduce manufacturing costs.
 6. Armand V. Feigenbaum
 Key Contributions:
 Introduced the concept of Total Quality Control
(TQC), which later evolved into TQM.
 Emphasized that quality is a company-wide
responsibility and not just limited to the quality
department.
 Key Concepts:
 Quality Costs: Distinguished between prevention,
appraisal, and failure costs.
 Systems Approach: Integrated quality into all
aspects of business operations.
 Impact: Promoted the idea that quality is a strategic
business activity.
 7. Shigeo Shingo
 Key Contributions:
 Pioneer of Lean manufacturing and Just-in-Time
(JIT) production systems.
 Developed the Poka-Yoke (mistake-proofing)
concept to prevent errors in processes.
 Key Concepts:
 Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED): Reduced
setup times in manufacturing.
 Zero Quality Control: Focus on preventing defects
through process design.
 Impact: His methods significantly increased efficiency
and reduced waste in manufacturing.
 8. Walter A. Shewhart
 Key Contributions:
 Father of Statistical Quality Control (SQC).
 Introduced Control Charts to monitor process
variability and maintain quality.
 Laid the foundation for the Deming Cycle (PDCA).
 Key Concepts:
 Variation: Differentiated between common cause
and special cause variation in processes.
 Impact: His statistical methods are fundamental to
modern quality control.
 SUMMARY TABLE
Guru Key Contributions Key Concepts
W. Edwards Deming PDCA Cycle, 14 Points Continuous improvement, SPC
Joseph Juran Juran Trilogy, Pareto Principle Fitness for use, COPQ
Philip B. Crosby Quality is free, Zero Defects Cost of non-conformance
Ishikawa Diagram, Quality
Kaoru Ishikawa Root cause analysis, CWQC
Circles
Genichi Taguchi Robust Design, Loss Function Taguchi Method, DOE
Systems approach, quality
Armand Feigenbaum Total Quality Control
costs
Shigeo Shingo Poka-Yoke, SMED Error-proofing, JIT
Walter A. Shewhart Control Charts, Variation Common vs. special causes

Conclusion
The Quality Gurus' contributions form the foundation of modern quality management practices.
Their collective work emphasizes continuous improvement, process optimization, employee
involvement, and customer satisfaction, which are core principles of Total Quality Management
(TQM). Organizations continue to use their tools and philosophies to achieve excellence in
quality.