Best Practices

Quality Management | Big Q and little q

Big Q and little q is a term coined by Dr Juran and is key in fully understanding quality. It contrasts the difference between managing for quality in all aspects of business process, products and services which is Big Q. While little q relates to a much more limited capacity. For example not taking the larger picture into consideration but rather just focusing on a product itself. Big Q is about a broad, strategic and complex perspective and little q is about a micro aspect an operational issue such as quality control.
Oct. 5, 2011

Big Q and little q is a term coined by Dr Juran and is key in fully understanding quality. It contrasts the difference between managing for quality in all aspects of business process, products and services which is Big Q.  While little q relates to a much more limited capacity. For example not taking the larger picture into consideration but rather just focusing on a product itself. Big Q is about a broad, strategic and complex perspective and little q is about a micro aspect an operational issue such as quality control. Simply put little q sees just a tiny piece of the picture and Big Q sees the whole picture. For many what their understanding of quality is little q and they miss out on what quality management can really provide. Do you see the whole picture?

About the Author

Denis Leonard

Denis Leonard has a degree in construction engineering an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in quality management. Denis is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality, a Certified Quality Manager, Auditor and Six Sigma Black Belt. He has been an Examiner for the Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners a Judge on the International Team Excellence Competition and a Lead Judge on the National Housing Quality Award. A former Professor of Quality at the University of Wisconsin, he has experience as a quality manager in the homebuilding industry as well as construction engineer, site manager and in training, auditing and consulting with expertise in strategic and operational quality improvement initiatives. His work has achieved national quality, environmental and safety management awards for clients.

Denis is co-author of 'The Executive Guide to Understanding and Implementing the Baldrige Criteria: Improve Revenue and Create Organizational Excellence'.

http://www.BusinessExcellenceConsulting.net

[email protected]

Full listing of blogs https://www.probuilder.com/author/denis-leonard

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