Dr. Ishikawa-Quality Improved
Craig Bemis
BSOP326-Total Quality Management
Professor Thomas
13 November 2011

Dr. Ishikawa-Quality Improved

Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa changed the way quality is viewed in the workplace by focusing on the workplace as a whole, instead of quality by individuals. His concept began in Japan in the early 1960s and then moved west. Dr. Ishikawa used many charts and diagrams as tools to emphasize his points on quality. His determination to improve quality throughout the world earned him many prizes and has changed the way businesses are run today. Dr. Ishikawa was born in Japan in 1915. He graduated from Tokyo University in 1939 from the Engineering Department where he majored in applied chemistry ("Rise to fame," 2009). Dr. Ishikawa eventually earned a Doctorate of Engineering. He was a professor at Tokyo University and in addition to teaching, he spent his time researching and writing about Quality Control. He was awarded for his writings in terms of a Deming Prize, Nihon Keizia prize, and the Industrial Standardization Prize. He also received the Grant Award from the American Society of Quality Control. Initially, Dr. Ishikawa focused on technical techniques as ways to improve quality. After visiting with Deming and Juran in the 1950s he discovered that turning to organizational techniques would be more beneficial. He believed that quality was company-wide and called for continued customer service on all levels. This practice would begin with top management by supplying support and leadership to every employee in the company. This would mean that quality must be performed on all levels: product, service management, the company itself, and the people. Quality was not only about the product and the customer’s experience while purchasing the product, but companies had the obligation to extend quality practices even after the sale was complete. Dr. Ishikawa developed his cause-and-effect diagram (also referred to as a “fishbone diagram”) to use as a problem solving tool in customer service. The cause-and-effect diagram helps visually display potential causes for a problem. It is particularly useful in a group setting where there is little quantitative data available ("The cause and," ) . As part of Dr. Ishikawa’s attempt to prove that quality is company-wide, he developed a concept that he called, “Quality Circles”. The intentions of Quality Circles are to support and improve the development of the company, respect human relations in the workplace and increase job satisfaction, and draw out employee potential (Swinton, 2004). Dr. Ishikawa also showed the importance of seven quality tools to help improve quality. He believed that utilizing control charts, run charts, histograms, scatter diagrams, Pareto charts, and flowcharts would help organize and improve quality. Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa passed away in 1989. He left a lasting impression on business quality throughout the world. Thanks to Dr. Ishikawa’s research and development of new practices, companies have better quality throughout their organizations. Not only has he helped improved the quality of companies and their products, but he has also improved moral. Because Dr. Ishikawa’s approach involves the entire company, each employee feels valued and that they have a part in making their company successful.

References

The cause and effect (a.k.a. fishbone) diagram. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.isixsigma.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1416:the-cause-and-effect-aka-fishbone-diagram&Itemid=200
Rise to fame. (2009, June 24). Retrieved from http://quality.dlsu.edu.ph/chronicles/ishikawa.html

Swinton, L. (2004, December). Dr kaoru ishikawa - quality circles. Retrieved from http://www.mftrou.com/kaoru-ishikawa.html