- Quality means conformance to requirements
- Quality comes from prevention
- The quality performance standard is zero defects
- The quality measurement is the price of non-conformance
What does it mean when one speaks of “quality”? Dictionaries may have a definition like this:
qual-i-ty (ˈkwälətē/) Noun.
1. Degree of excellence of something “quality of life.”
2. General excellence of standard or level “quality beer”
To better define quality for businesses, quality guru, Phillip B. Crosby proposed that quality management had four absolutes.
- Quality means conformance to requirements – Quality is defined as conformance to customers’ requirements.
- Quality comes from prevention – The system for improving quality is prevention.
- The quality performance standard is zero defects – The performance standard is zero defects, a commitment to conform to requirements each and every time.
- The quality measurement is the price of non-conformance.
1-) Conformance is one of the three key elements in quality. For Garvin (1988), it is one of the eight dimensions of quality management. The finished product or service supplied must be the closest possible to the original design, there is to say, according pre established specifications or standards.
2-) Prevention is the key for most activities and so: “Forewarned is forearmed”. Prevention also helps a lot in previewing possible problems (like possible risks), and in avoiding they can happen. Prevention is also the best way that possible customer complaints can succeed.
3-) The performance standard is zero defects (relative to requirements): to check or verify that, those checks or statistical verifications should succeed by measuring quality very often.
Here, it is right the use of “Quality is Free” [Crosby, 1979], a work where he stated “DIRFT” (Doing It Right The First Time”) as the key for free quality. In other words, Crosby defended that if you avoided having defects in a product or service of yours, then you won’t have to pay to find and remove them.
4-) If quality has to be measured, that is because something was nonconformance. For Crosby, the measurement of quality by nonconformance. Here are they:
- the lower cost is a “mistake proof” operation (example: A cost of $10 to “mistake-proof” an operation so no defects are produced)
- the following cost is to find a defect and having to fix it during an operation (example: A cost of $100 to find the defect and fix it during the operation so it enters the final assembly without defect)
- the next cost will be having the customer finding the defect, complaining and asking for a replacement (example: A cost of $1,000 to find the defect before it is shipped to the customer and replace it with a good item)
- the highest cost before the net one is having to do a recall of a big quantity of defective parts (example: A cost of $10,000 to have the customer find the defect, complain about it and ship them a replacement + A cost of $100,000 to have to do a recall of a large number of defective parts)
- and, finally, the highest cost of all is due to the payment of large quantities of money for lawsuits due to injuries, death, etc., caused by those defective parts (example: A cost of $1 million to handle the lawsuit that results from injury caused by the malfunction of the defective item)
Well, in sum, the cost of a nonconformance can go from a few dollars to many and many millions of dollars. That’s why previewing – possible – defect(s) is so important. There are subsequent “emerging damages and incidental lost profits. But by measuring quality often, all and every worst scenarios can be avoided. In the worst scenarios, the production can even have to be halted, and/or products or services recalled for a – always costly – “reconformance”. With other problems and risks, connected with a loss of confidence from the customer. The worst scenario of all is a possible bankrupcy.
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Five Erroneous Assumptions by Philip Crosby
Of course Crosby had to “fight” five erroneous assumptions (EA) of quality. For each one, Philip Crosby (PC) had a different assumption for each (old) erroneous one.
EA: Quality is intangible, so not measurable.
PC: Quality can be measured by the cost of nonconformance.
EA: Quality means goodness, elegance.
PC: Quality is conformance to requeriments.
EA: Quality is the responsible of the Quality Department/Section/Whatever.
PC: Quality must be shared by every department, executive, function, etc.
EA: Quality problems are originated by or with the workers.
PC: Most problems are originated while planning and developing.
EA: The economics quality are prohibitive, and not relevant.
PC: It is ALWAYS a lot cheaper “DIRTFT” (“Doing It Right The First Time”) Crosby tried to implement his quality “program” anyway, anywhere, because in most organisations he knew, quality almost came in last, and was often neglected or even completely “forgotten”.
Conclusion
Philip Crosby’s “Four Absolutes of Quality” provide a clear and actionable framework for achieving excellence in any organization. By defining quality as conformance to requirements, emphasizing prevention over inspection, setting zero defects as the performance standard, and measuring quality through the cost of non-conformance, Crosby shifts the focus from vague ideals to measurable practices. This approach encourages organizations to proactively build quality into their processes, leading to improved customer satisfaction and reduced costs. Embracing these principles fosters a culture of continuous improvement and accountability, making quality a strategic advantage rather than a reactive fix.
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