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Walter Shewhart : The History Of Total Quality Management

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“The history of total quality management (TQM) began initially as a term coined by the Naval Air Systems Command to describe its Japanese-style management approach to quality improvement. An umbrella methodology for continually improving the quality of all processes, it draws on a knowledge of the principles and practices of: the behavioral sciences, the analysis of quantitative and nonquantitative data, economics theories and process analysis” (History of, n.d.).
Walter Shewhart Walter Shewhart was a former Bell Telephone employee that started the notions of Total Quality Management (TQM). “He preached the importance of adapting management processes to create profitable situations for both businesses and consumers, promoting the utilization of his own creation- the SPC control chart” (Walter Shewhart, n.d.). Shewhart thought that lack of information is what hindered management processes and controls in a production environment. To assist management in making efficient, scientific, and economical decisions, Shewhart developed the Statistical Process Control methods. Along with SPC he developed the Shewhart Cycle Learning and Improvement cycle, this combined statistical analysis with creative management. The cycle contains four continuous steps: Plan, Do, Study, and Act (this is later adapted by Deming as the PDSA cycle). The War Department that manufactured weapons during WWII adopted Shewhart’s control techniques and he served as a regular advisor to the military. After

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