Ishikawa defines quality by stating that “People engage in quality control in order to manufacture

products with the quality which can satisfy the requirements of consumers”. According to
Ishikawa, high quality is essential to satisfy the ever-changing consumer expectations.
Ishikawa’s essential points are

(1) Quality is equivalent to consumer satisfaction.

(2) Quality must be defined comprehensively.

(3) Consumers’ needs and requirements change continuously, therefore, the definition of quality
is ever changing

(4) Price of a product or service is an important part of its quality.

CONTRIBUTION

Ishikawa, a pioneer in quality control activities in Japan, bases his work on that of Deming, Juran
and Feigenbaum. Dale (2003) says that Ishikawa has been credited with originating the concept
of quality circles and cause-and-effect diagrams. Ishikawa claimed that there had been a period
of over-emphasis on statistical quality control (in Japan), and as a result, people disliked quality
control. They saw it as something unpleasant because they were given complex and difficult
tools rather than simple ones. Furthermore, the resulting standardization of products and
processes and the creation of rigid specification of standards became a burden that not only made
change difficult, but made people feel bound by regulations. Ishikawa saw worker participation
as the key to the successful implementation of TQM. Quality circles, he believed, were an
important vehicle to achieve this (Pycraft, Singh & Phihlela 2000). Ishikawa took the concepts
proposed by people like Deming and Juran and brought them to the level of the common worker
(Rao et al. 1996).

Ishikawa’s enormous influence on quality is often unrecognized simply because his contributions
have become so ingrained that they seem a natural part of things. He brought customers into the
quality equation, redirecting focus to them rather than the methods of production.
He emphasized training and education of workers as a foundation of quality. He created quality
circles, increasing the role of workers in solving problems and identifying opportunities for
improvement. Taking this further, he emphasized total involvement of employees in improving
quality and coined the phrase “company-wide quality control.” Throughout his life, he provided
a model of selfless dedication to quality that inspired others around the world. Under his
leadership, the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers adopted training as a primary
mission. One of Ishikawa’s greatest achievements was the codification of basic quality tools that
fit well within the quality frameworks presented by Deming and Juran. His Guide to Quality
Control is an international classic that concisely defines what have become known as the “seven
basic tools” of quality. Written for workers, not statisticians, the book is credited with
democratizing statistics and making these techniques accessible to those who really need to use
them.

Arguably the most impressive and widely used quality principle of Ishikawa’s is the

Fishbone Diagram. Commonly known as the: Cause and Effect diagram, the Fishbone Diagram,

and lastly the Ishikawa diagram. It was developed to “graphically represent the relationship
between a problem and its potential causes. Fishbone diagrams can help a group examine

thoroughly all possible causes of a quality problem and discern the relationships among them”

(Hackman, 1995). Through the construction and use of this diagram, company’s can get a good

look at the cause of a problem and then figure out how to reduce or eliminate that problem

through the use of improved quality controls.

GURU STRENGTHS WEAKNESS
ISHIKAWA Strong emphasis on the importance of people Some of his problem-solving
and participation in the problem-solving process methods seen as simplistic.
A blend of statistical and people oriented Does not deal adequately with
techniques moving quality circles from
ideas to action.
Introduces the idea of quality control circles.

Source: Adapted by Waldman (1994) and Yong & Wilkinson (2001)

Differences between Ishikawa’s Philosophy of TQM

GURU DEFINITION EMPHASIS DOMINANT FACTORS

Deming Customer led Process Control of variation

Juran Customer led People Fitness for purpose

Crosby Supply led Performance Zero defects

Feigenbaum Customer led Process Total quality control

Groocock Value led Process Chain of conformance

Taguchi Supply led Process/Design Quality loss function

value to society

Ishikawa Value led People Company wide quality control/quality circles

APPLICATION OF ISHIKAWA’S POSTULATES OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Planning- In recent applications some major airport security teams discovered to be using the
Fishbone Diagram not as a problem-solving tool but instead as a planning tool. This was never
The intended design of Ishikawa’s model. They use it to plot out how a passenger can board a
Plane with a weapon. So, as to the way the diagram is set up, they layout the possible ways a

passenger can board with a weapon as the “bones” of the fish. They will involve the security
experts at that particular airport and think through the potential issue before it happens. Since
the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, this has been a growing use for the Fishbone
Diagram. The application of this method is a great way to analyze how your company controls
the quality of its products

Quality through Leadership

a) Market-in quality: Ishikawa emphasized quality as it contributes immensely to business

competitiveness. This is because it ensured than an organization evaluated products and
services according to customers’ acceptability. Ishikawa argued that in order to achieve
quality work, the top management requires hands on leadership thus quality should be
viewed as the first basic operating principle of an organization.

He focused the world on defining quality from the view of the customer rather than the internal
perspective of the company. His emphasis on the business customer was unique at the time
because most quality efforts focused on industrial quality control and internal applications for
manufacturing. Ishikawa created customer focus within the quality movement, and today, this is
the fundamental starting point of quality.

Worker involvement: Ishikawa was the father of quality control circles. He believed all workers
must be involved in quality improvement through teams to enhance the capability of individual
workers and improve work processes.

Presently most organizations consider work as both corrective and preventive action to uncover
and resolve problems downstream from the customer engagement point. This is the most cost
effective way to operate. To be able to perform these tasks, workers must be trained in basic
problem solving tools and quality control methods and work in cross functional teams to resolve
process problems that cross the functional boundaries of workgroups. Ishikawa emphasized
teaching workers about the basic quality tools to equip them with the ability to be self-regulatory
in their work environment. This supported both the quality improvement and productivity
emphases in Japanese management. Ishikawa’s unique conviction that workers had the ability to
make creative contributions to improve the performance of their work arose out of his direct
experience with Japanese workers in improving chemical work processes and grew with each
subsequent exposure to the frontline workers of the gemba (workplace). Today, we think
walking around the workplace and involving employees are natural aspects of good
management, but we should really be thanking Ishikawa for his convictions.

Quality begins and ends with education: To understand the true meaning of Ishikawa’s
teaching about education, it is essential to recognize how he differentiated between education
and training. He believed training improves skills and competence, and education builds a
person’s character and develops a deeper level of understanding. Ishikawa put his ideas together
into a systematic perspective of quality that is pervasive today:

Education accelerates life experience and enables people to understand truth. Ishikawa taught
that the next step in each work process is the customer, who deserves attention, and processes
should be analyzed to uncover the facts and data about performance from the viewpoint of the
customer. Customer oriented quality requires breaking down functional boundaries that inhibit
the flow of de

ect free products to the market. Education transforms workers into informed skeptics. Education
creates understanding and a willingness to doubt because doubters have confidence in their
ability to find the truth. If members of a management team provide education for their workers,
the workers can collectively determine the best way to manage the work processes and produce
the outcomes required by customers. Universal worker education in basic

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