Elsmar Cove Forums Index - History of Quality Control

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History of Quality Control
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Posted by: Paul Simpson

A general request for help - and a far cry from my regular bad tempered defending of ISO certification.

I have been asked to put together a series of articles about Quality for the Institute of Quality Assurance (the UK's equivalent of ASQ). I'm looking for information about the early days of Quality Control (pre 1970).

I have some examples going back to the building of the pyramids but if anyone has any other examples they think are noteworthy I will have a look and include them - you will even get a mention (if possible under the contract).

Thanks in advance.

Posted by: Howard Atkins

Here is a start

"In the beginning God created......he saw all that he had created and it was good." (Genesis) Despite what should have been perfect planning and execution it was necessary to reject all mankind (apart from Noah). It is hard to say if the planning and execution were better the second time or the customer's requirements were less.

Posted by: Peter Fraser

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

A general request for help - and a far cry from my regular bad tempered defending of ISO certification.

Paul

I would have thought that an old duffer like you would remember pre-1970 - is it not short term memory loss that goes first (I can't quite recall...)?

Anyway, I thought that the origins of BS5750 were bombs going off in munitions factories in WW2?

Posted by: Jim Wynne

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

A general request for help - and a far cry from my regular bad tempered defending of ISO certification.

I don't have anything specific, but a few observations that might be of interest and help in your research:

The history of what we know as "quality control" traces roughly to the advent of interchangeable parts, when it became necessary to assure that each part made would work in any final assembly.
War has played a profound role in the establishment of the quality profession. The interchangeable parts milestone itself first gained prominence as a result of the need to rapidly manufacture firearms, and to be able to replace parts of them in the field. World War I brought with it mass production of airplanes and radios (and other nascent electronic technologies). There were similar phenomena in connection with WWII (Radar; building lots of ships in a big hurry after Pearl Harbor, e.g.) and of course the influence of Deming and Juran in the rebuilding of postwar Japan.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Fraser

Old duffer but not that old! I remember my Dad talking about the 70s ..... and as for the pyramids!

Seriously though, the information about who and how the MIL standards and AQAPs developed that arose from munitions issues is the kind of thing I'm looking for.

Now what did I come upstairs for?

Posted by: BradM

A pretty good paper that may have some references for you is :

Reeves, C.A. and Bednar, D.A. (1994). Defining Quality: Alternatives and Implications. Academy of Management Review, 19(3):419-445.

(I would post the article here, but not sure if that violates any copyright.)

They do a pretty nice job of summarizing quality ( up to the 90's). Too, since it's a premier journal, they have plenty of references for their citations.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Wynne

The history of what we know as "quality control" traces roughly to the advent of interchangeable parts, when it became necessary to assure that each part made would work in any final assembly.
War has played a profound role in the establishment of the quality profession. The interchangeable parts milestone itself first gained prominence as a result of the need to rapidly manufacture firearms, and to be able to replace parts of them in the field. World War I brought with it mass production of airplanes and radios (and other nascent electronic technologies). There were similar phenomena in connection with WWII (Radar; building lots of ships in a big hurry after Pearl Harbor, e.g.) and of course the influence of Deming and Juran in the rebuilding of postwar Japan.

Thanks, Jim. I seem to remember tales of an exhibition in London where three US cars (make?) were disassembled, parts mixed up and then the three cars were rebuilt and driven away to the amazement of the English audience - anyone got any more info?

Posted by: Bill Pflanz

Paul,

I have attached a Word document to get you started. It may give you some other examples for your article. You may also want to visit the ASQ web site since they have a section on the history of quality including some comments on the Mil Q standards.

Bill Pflanz

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Bill, Thanks a lot for your document. Some really good stuff there.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Thanks, Brad. I have found the site and contacted the editor.

Posted by: little__cee

You might not be able to use any of this, but I had a good laugh nonetheless:

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/gauge.htm

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Thanks, I had a giggle - comes under the general heading of standards!

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Thanks, Covers. You have set me going. Please have a look at the ASQ article.

http://www.asq.org/pub/sixsigma/past...2i4folaron.pdf

Posted by: Wes Bucey

Seems like you are on track for good resource material. The biggest challenge will be to aggregate the material and not be guilty of plagiarism.

Posted by: Randy

History of Quality? Try this...

“If a builder constructs a house for a man but does not make his work strong with the result that the house which he built collapses and so causes the death of the owner of the house ... the builder shall be put to death”

Hamorabi, Emperor of Babylon, c 1750 BC

Probably the 1st recorded quality (and safety) requirement unless the Egyptians or Chinese had something I haven't heard of.

Posted by: harry

Would you agree that it goes back beyond the history of 'Man" where animals choose the best partner to mate in the hope of producing the best so as to survive in an environment where the fittest survive.

Shall we call that QC in nature! Sounds like Darwin's theory of evolution and PDCA in action.

Regards.

Posted by: Randy

Yeah, it's amazing how intelligent animals are compared to stupid business owners and leaders.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Thanks again to all who have contributed. As Wes said the tough job ahead is to go thorugh all the suggestions and come up with a sensible article (Plagiarism, Wes - c'mon!). Be assured I will post here first for some constructive criticism.

Posted by: Claes Gefvenberg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

I'm looking for information about the early days of Quality Control (pre 1970).

Interesting....

Ok, how about a timeline? Feel free to expand on this:

~1800: Just about all manufacturing is handicraft. Direct communication between Customer and supplier/operator.

1800 - 1900: Mass production becomes more common, but the methods can still be regarded as handicraft. In the year 1900 for instance, Peugeot was the biggest car manufacturer in the world with a production of appr. 2000 vehicles, all built using handicraft methods.

1900 - 1920: Mass produktion enters the scene in ernest. The car and telephone industries are good examples. Taylor, specialization, splitting tasks up in smaller components, interchangable parts,and tolerances are the buzz words of the day. The strategy is inspection. The customer is no longer in contact with the operator.

1920 - 1950: Mass production is refined. Inspection and measuring tchniques, as well as statistic methods are developed and established. The latter makes great progress during WWII. The strategy is inspection and measuring technique.

1950 - 1970: Further development of inspection and measuring technique. The concepts of Reliability and Quality control surfaces. The western strategy is heavily focused on production capability. Use of Quality Control standards take off in the US, and within NATO. Japanese companies begin to grab market shares.

/Claes

Posted by: Wes Bucey

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

Thanks again to all who have contributed. As Wes said the tough job ahead is to go through all the suggestions and come up with a sensible article (Plagiarism, Wes - c'mon!). Be assured I will post here first for some constructive criticism.

What has happened to me and several of my colleagues still in Academia is that we find ourselves being struck by certain phrasing as we read through dozens, even hundreds of documents in our research. After months of research, we begin to write our own document. Out of hundreds of documents read, we may select only a couple of dozen to use as citations and those don't contain the phrases that still echo in our heads. When committing our own document to the written word, we inadvertently use those phrases without attribution, thus committing plagiarism. It may not be on purpose, but it is plagiarism nonetheless.

As I read through some documents posted on the web, I occasionally come across some of my own phrases used without attribution. Since there is no money involved, I don't get too excited. I am also aware of some folks who have simply cut and pasted some of my work and passed it off to their bosses as their own work. (Those folks are just pitiful and soon betray their inability to "walk the walk.")

The ones I keep my eye peeled for are the ones who publish books, plagiarizing my work or some of the work of colleagues. We don't look to the deep pockets of the direct plagiarist, but to the deep pockets of the publisher.

My point is, simply: it is easy to become an unconscious plagiarist.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Thanks for the explanation, Wes. Having written my share of stuff over the years - both here informally and for some more formal applications I am conscious of the dangers. Particularly when there are only so many ways of stringing the same set of facts together!

Posted by: BradM

Wes, thanks.

Not quoting proper sources is unacceptable. Not finding the original source for information is borderline.

I am in a quality control class right now that had Juran's Trilogy Diagram. They did provide the source, but completely left off a couple of sections of the diagram. Why? Did they not agree? Or did they even look at the original diagram?

That's why I provided the source on this subject that I did. As a premier journal, they heavily cite their sources, and they are good sources, too. Also, authors that do the work should get the credit.

Posted by: Ettore

I saw that nobody referred to: Juran's quality handbook fifth edition
section 35 Quality and society
see also
35.1 The background
36 Quality and the national culture
37 Quality in developing countries
38 Quality in Western Europe
39 Quality in central and eastern Europe
40 Quality in the Unated states
41 Quality in japan
42 Quality in the people's republic of china ( historical backround very interesting too)
by

Posted by: Jennifer Kirley

To build on what Jim said about quality and military: U.S. quality systems were pumped up after the USS Thresher was lost in 1963.

Even though the reasons for Thresher's loss are still argued (submariners I've spoken with maintain the conspiracy theory) the truth is that the modern Navy's quality systems were redesigned right after Thresher. Here's a link.

Let's not forget Philip Crosby's Zero Defects program. From Wikipedia:

Quote:

The Martin Company (later Martin Marietta after a 1961 merger) was awarded a CPFF (cost-plus-fixed-fee) contract for research, development, and initial production of the Pershing system under the technical supervision and concept control of the government. As Martin's quality control manager for the Pershing, Phil Crosby developed the concept of Zero Defects that enhanced the production and reliability of the system.

Posted by: C Logan

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Atkins

Here is a start

"In the beginning God created......he saw all that he had created and it was good." (Genesis) Despite what should have been perfect planning and execution it was necessary to reject all mankind (apart from Noah). It is hard to say if the planning and execution were better the second time or the customer's requirements were less.

Good one, a unique perspective unthought of.

Posted by: Howard Lee

In The Metrology Handbook, edited by Jay Bucher in Chapter One, History and Philosophy of Metrology/Calibration, it tells about the Royal Cubit in Ancient Egypt that was the carved out of stone and the length of Pharoh's arm. Certain slaves were keepers of the working cubits that were used to make measurements and made of wood. These slaves were required to bring in the working cubits every full moon to be compared to the Royal Cubit or face a penalty of death. It seems quality was taken pretty seriously in Ancient Egypt.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

It's getting close! Thanks to all who have taken the time to provide input to the article. Please find attached a version that is almost complete.

Any comments gratefully received!

Posted by: ralphsulser

Good work Paul. I think this is the first time I have seen the entire history in one article.

Posted by: Icy Mountain

I learned this one in a Strategic Planning training session about 10 years ago. See the 3rd paragraph of Chapter VI The Unity of the Social Process, in The New State, written by Mary Parker Follett in 1918. The presenter put forth the suggestion that this was the first documented introduction of the the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle and the grand idea of continual improvement. Mary Parker Follett Website.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icy Mountain

I learned this one in a Strategic Planning training session about 10 years ago. See the 3rd paragraph of Chapter VI The Unity of the Social Process, in The New State, written by Mary Parker Follett in 1918. The presenter put forth the suggestion that this was the first documented introduction of the the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle and the grand idea of continual improvement. Mary Parker Follett Website.

Thanks, Icy, not one I found. I will have a look!

Posted by: Claes Gefvenberg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

Any comments gratefully received!

Good job

Some comments:

Your reference to Darwin is a good angle I had not thought about before, and I think it is a good idea to point out that QA in fact seems to be as old as man.
That Egypian rule that "failure to bring their cubits back (for calibration) was punishable by death" sounds interesting, and perhaps worth trying here...
When it comes to statistical methods I would like to suggest a reference to... none other than Sir Isaac Newton: As Warden of the Mint in London, he used statistical methods to assure that the coins held the correct weight. I'm afraid I cannot remember where I read it, but still...

/Claes

Posted by: tyker

I've only had time to give the article a quick scan this morning but it looks a very thorough job, Paul. I'll read it more thoroughly over the weekend.

That bit about Deming helping to transform Ford into a profitable car maker seems a bit ironic given recent performance. Maybe an article about the history of the lack of quality could be a future project.

Posted by: Claes Gefvenberg

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyker

Maybe an article about the history of the lack of quality could be a future project.

There's an idea... Quality bloopers throughout history. I somehow get the feeling that a mere article would not suffice, though: It would probably be more like an encyclopedia... And a big one, at that.

/Claes

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claes Gefvenberg

When it comes to statistical methods I would like to suggest a reference to... none other than Sir Isaac Newton: As Warden of the Mint in London, he used statistical methods to assure that the coins held the correct weight. I'm afraid I cannot remember where I read it, but still...

/Claes

Thanks, Claes. Great lead to Isaac Newton. Next draft will have the following passage:

Another individual credited for optical and physics research but not renowned for quality control was Sir Isaac Newton. He became Master of the Mint in 1699. Around this time there were huge problems with counterfeiting and control of the quality of coin. One practice was for so called “clippers” to trim the edges of coins to melt down the clippings for sale while still passing on the coins as whole. To counter this under Newton’s leadership the mill introduced milling on coin edges and engraving in the milled edges of "Ducus et tutamen," Latin for "An ornament and a safeguard." This would enable recipients to tell if someone had clipped the edges. One of the hardest tasks at the Mint was controlling the quality of the coins. Each had to have the same weight and composition. Newton developed special ladles for taking molten metal samples to his office for testing.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icy Mountain

Icy, I found a load of stuff about Mary Parker Follett and leadership (outside the scope of my article really) but nothing about PDCA - any other leads?

Posted by: BradM

Nice work, Paul. It's a lot of work doing writing like this.

You know, if we really wanted to... we could go back to Genesis for the first example of quality. Cain gave fruits, and Abel gave of the first-born of the flock. Favor was found with Abel, and not with Cain. Isn't that quality in it's simplicity?

Of course, look what it got Abel!

Posted by: Claes Gefvenberg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

Next draft will have the following passage

/Claes

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradM

Nice work, Paul. It's a lot of work doing writing like this.

You know, if we really wanted to... we could go back to Genesis for the first example of quality. Cain gave fruits, and Abel gave of the first-born of the flock. Favor was found with Abel, and not with Cain. Isn't that quality in it's simplicity?

Of course, look what it got Abel!

V. true. Some (female) friends of mine would also say that Adam & Eve was the first example of corrective action:

Adam was, of course, non-conforming product ....
Eve was a case of right second time!

Posted by: martin elliott

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

V. true. Some (female) friends of mine would also say that Adam & Eve was the first example of corrective action:

Adam was, of course, non-conforming product ....
Eve was a case of right second time!

As you going to tell God he failed on APQP or me?

Posted by: Paul Simpson

In case anyone wants to see where this article will go. The following link to the CQI will show where it fits in.

Expected to be live in April (my guess is May).

Posted by: harry

Nice write-up. Just wonder if the following few points are worth mentioning.

1. The influence of ‘supply and demand’
At the initial stage when the market detects a demand, manufacturers or suppliers rushed in to fill the gap and their pockets with both good and crappy goods. Both find demand in different segments as people who pay different dollars have different expectations. As the market matures and overproduction creeps in coupled with consumers becoming more educated, a supply exceeding demand situation builds up. Companies have to innovate to survive. Efficiency and cost control coupled with quality finished goods (in other words, a QMS) are the way to go.

2. The influence and experience gained from the major wars.
Craft or skill based production was good enough in the old days but the effect of war saw sudden and huge surges in demand. In between, a lot of crappy goods were produced. A huge percentage of rifles sent to the war front were defective and is true of the ammunition as well as aircraft and ships. These gave rise to the pioneering efforts of the military in the quality field (control for the mass production of quality goods).

3. The cold war and arms race.
The battle was fought in many fronts. The number of successful missile launches, accuracy, payload, capability, etc. All these translate to ‘quality and technology’. The battle soon extends to space and gives rise to techniques such as FMEA and a host of others (advance techniques to ensure the production of complex quality products).

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Hi, all. My last (?) version of quality control article. As ever any comments gratefully received.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Just a thank you to BradM for reviewing my article and taking the time to pull out all the grammar errors and generally tidy up the article. Thanks, Brad. You're a star!

Posted by: Ajit Basrur

Hi Paul,

Just curious - in your previous draft, there was mention about India but do not see in the final version. Any specific reason for removing it ?

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qualityalways

Hi Paul,

Just curious - in your previous draft, there was mention about India but do not see in the final version. Any specific reason for removing it ?

Well spotted. In the last version it had a heading of its own. Now it is in with other Ancient QC (currently incorrectly headed "Ancient China"). I will update.

Posted by: BradM

Paul,

Thanks for the mention. I enjoyed helping. Writing is hard work, and I appreciate anyone who takes time to do it.

Posted by: Ajit Basrur

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

Well spotted. In the last version it had a heading of its own. Now it is in with other Ancient QC (currently incorrectly headed "Ancient China"). I will update.

Paul, your article is superb. It has given me inputs for my training.

Posted by: Paul Simpson

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qualityalways

Paul, your article is superb. It has given me inputs for my training.

A small percentage of your day rate or monthly pay check will be ample reward, Qualityalways. Drop me a PM and I'll send you details of where to send the money.

Posted by: Ajit Basrur

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Simpson

A small percentage of your day rate or monthly pay check will be ample reward, Qualityalways. Drop me a PM and I'll send you details of where to send the money.

I think there is some problem with your PM as it doesnot go and my system hangs