Quality System:

A culture (concepts, beliefs, knowledge, thoughts, skills, and practices) of people who function as a unit or team to define, design, develop, produce, deliver, sell, service, support, use, and dispose of products that meet customer needs and expectations.

Quality Paradigms:

1. Custom-Craft Paradigm:

        The custom-craft paradigm focuses on the product and product performance relative to customer demands. Each product unit is designed and built exactly the way the customer wants it.

Requirements: Skilled craftsperson, basic hand tools, demand for unique product.

2. Mass Production and Sorting Paradigm:

        The focus in the mass production and sorting paradigm is on production rates. Products are designed and built, then customers generated.

Requirements: Interchangeable parts, factory power, unskilled labor pool, large customer pool, hard-selling.

3. Statistical Quality Control Paradigm:

        The statistical quality control paradigm is similar to the mass production and sorting paradigm with the difference that more attention is given to production processes. Products are designed and built, statistical process control and statistical sampling are used, then customers are generated.

Requirements: Interchangeable parts, factory power, unskilled labor pool, large customer pool, hard-selling, statistical methods.

4. Total Quality Management Paradigm:

        The total quality management paradigm involves customers and suppliers in addition to mass production and statistical methods. Potential customers tell the producer what to design and build. Using proactive and reactive quality strategies and tools the producer deliver a product the customers want.

Requirements: Interchangeable parts, factory power, statistical methods, empowered employees, supplier partnerships, customer relationships.

5. Techno-craft Paradigm:

        The techno-craft paradigm is the sociotechnical counterpart to the custom-craft paradigm. Each unit is designed and build exactly the way the customer wants it built.

Requirements: Interchangeable parts, factory power, statistical methods, empowered employees, supplier partnerships, customer relationships, customer aided design, customer aided manufacturing.

Comparison of quality paradigms

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