TQM
What has made Japanese quality so good?
In any competition an important element of grand strategy is to understand the strengths of the competitor. The more we understand the ingredients of the Japanese revolution in quality, the more effective will be our response.
The Japanese could have chosen an evolutionary approach, gradually learn by experience how to compete with the West. Instead, the Japanese industrialists chose to create a revolution in quality. To this end they made three radical departures from prior practice:
1. A massive quality related training program
2. Annual programs of quality improvement
3. Upper management leadership of the quality function