Quality Control: Explanation and Illustration
In the 1950s, Japan faced industrial hardships characterised by low-quality products and a largely illiterate population. During this time, the concept of quality management and quality control was first successfully implemented in Japanese businesses. One such business, Toyota, would go on to revolutionise the manufacturing industry with its Total Quality Management (TQM) approach.
Toyota's TQM practices are perhaps best exemplified by the implementation of the kanban system, a visual workflow management method designed to optimise production efficiency and reduce waste. Developed by Toyota, the kanban system is a physical signal that triggers a specific action, such as the request for another part, maintaining a lean inventory.
The kanban system supports Toyota's just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, a core element of its TQM practices. Each part of Toyota's assembly line was assigned a physical card with an associated inventory number. The removal of a card from a part before installation triggers the request for another of the same part, ensuring that only the necessary inventory is kept on hand to fill customer orders as they are generated.
This approach allowed Toyota to reduce overstocking of unnecessary assets and significantly improve its efficiency. The just-in-time inventory process is a key component of Toyota's TQM implementation.
Toyota integrated the kanban system with continuous improvement philosophies such as Kaizen, empowering workers to halt production when defects are detected to encourage immediate quality correction and process refinement.
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach emphasising continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and employee involvement across all organisational aspects. It promotes a culture where every employee is responsible for maintaining high standards, aiming to consistently meet or exceed customer expectations.
By the end of the 1960s, Japan had transformed its reputation and was recognised as one of the most efficient export countries. Toyota's successful implementation of TQM contributed to its reputation for producing high-quality, cost-effective products.
The method of statistical process control (SPC) was collectively created based on theories of statistics in the 1920s and 1950s, and was instrumental in the development of TQM. The first-ever known control chart was made in 1924.
In summary, TQM is more than just a set of guidelines—it is embodied through real tools and cultural practices driving quality and operational excellence in a global business leader like Toyota.
- The implementation of the kanban system, a visual workflow management method developed by Toyota, plays a crucial role in maintaining lean inventory within the Toyota's just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, which is a core component of its Total Quality Management (TQM) approach.
- Toyota integrated the kanban system with continuous improvement philosophies such as Kaizen, empowering workers to halt production when defects are detected, encouraging immediate quality correction and process refinement.
- The statistical process control (SPC) method, collectively created based on theories of statistics in the 1920s and 1950s, was instrumental in the development of TQM, contributing significantly to Toyota's reputation for producing high-quality, cost-effective products.
