Evidence of Quality Management

Re: What Quality Management System is "Best?"

The recent announcement of the AGC initiative to form an industry-wide Quality Coalition (Q * C) has caused some to raise the issue "What system should we use, i.e. which might be best?"

Speaking ONLY for myself, I would suggest one considers first what the current spectrum of " Q.Systems" look like. A model for evaluating them follows:

A --> B --> C --> D --> E --> F --> G --> H --> I --> (?);

Where A is the "Get Lucky" system:
"Thank god we caught it before it got out the door" , or, "Who let this out the door?..bring them to me" ;

B, MIL-Specs;

C, ISO 9000;

D, QS 9000:

E, Ford's Q1;

F, President's Award;

G, MBNQA;

H, Deming Prize;

I, "World Class"


First, my apologies for unintentionally leaving out those other awards, e.g. European, Asia-Pacific, National, state, etc. My only intent in the spectrum above is to illustrate that it is a spectrum, where the evolution of a firm's quality management system is supported by clear VISIBLE evidence..."In god we trust, everyone else brings data"...of it's results...top-down,bottom-up, and side-to-side...internally and externally to the organization.

The Q * C has decided/agreed to begin it's discussions, arguments, dialogue, at the level of C. above, the ANSI/ASQC Q9000-1994, a.k.a. ISO 9000 level, as the benchmark from which our industry can learn, and then improve the intended consistent planning, control, management ,and improvement of quality.

Best regards,

Bill Hayden Jr.

Email: wmhayden@ix.netcom.com