Re: Modelling the cost of quality

[Myron Tribus <mtribus@snipe.prod.itd.earthlink.net>]

The earliest reference I have to the concept of "cost of quality" is in the
"Quality Control Handbook", third edition, edited by J. M. Juran, Frank M.
Gryna, Jr., and R. S. Bingham, Jr, published by McGraw-Hill, (1979)  This
third edition was preceded by editions in 1951, 1962 and 1974.  It runs
about a thousand pages!  Section 5 is devoted to quality costs and defines
these cost, roughly, as the costs due to flaws plus the cost due to
prevention.  Dr. Juran held the view that there was an optimum amount to be
spent on quality, defining quality as failure to meet specifications.
Around 1982 he recognized that this view of quality and cost was in error
for it left out the potential contribution of creativity.  When quality is
improved by improving the process, costs go down.  The prior conception was
based upon keeping the process and just working harder.

Myron Tribus,  350 Britto Terrace,  Fremont, CA 94539
Phone:(510) 651 3641  Fax:(510) 656 9875   e-mail: mtribus@earthlink.net
Youth is not a crop to be winnowed.  Rather it must be developed, for it
carries the seeds of our future.
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