Kaoru Ishikawa

One of the leaders in philosophy of total quality management is Kaoru Ishikawa , he is a pioneer in quality control activities inJapan.

In 1943, he developed the cause-and-effect diagram. Ishikawapublished many works, including What Is Total Quality Control?, TheJapanese Way, Quality Control Circles at Work, and Guide to QualityControl. He was a member of the quality control research group of the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers while also working as an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo.

Kaoru Ishikawa’s philosophy of total quality management can be summarized by his 11 points:

1. Quality begins and ends with education.

2. The first step in quality is to know the requirements of the customer.

3. The ideal state of quality control is when quality inspection is no longer necessary.

4. Remove the root cause, not symptoms.

5. Quality control is the responsibility of all workers and all divisions.

6. Do not confuse means with objectives.

7. Put quality first and set your sights on long-term objectives.

8. Marketing is the entrance and exit of quality.

9. Top management must not show anger when facts are presentedto subordinates.

10. Ninety-five percent of the problem in a company can be solved by seven tools of quality.

11. Data without dispersion information are false data.