|
That progression of words says a lot about how quality will
be practiced inthe 21st century. At least that is one of the
conclusions that can be drawn from the observations of the
21 voices of quality that the editors of this magazine have
selected to mark the beginning of the 21 st century.
When we began this project, our goal was to identify 21 new
voices of quality. But we quickly recognized that our approach
was leading us into a trap. For one thing, many of the established
voices of quality continue to say newand valuable things,
and so it seemed unfair to exclude someone from the list just
on the basis of longevity. We also ran into trouble when we
started to probe into international and nontraditional sectors
of the quality profession. The voices that we heard in those
areas may have been new to many in the American Society for
Quality, but they were hardly new in their home countries
or specialized fields.
As a result we set ourselves a slightly different charge-to
identify and amplify 21 voices whose individual and collective
statements could serve to stimulate thinking about how quality
will be applied in the 21 st century. Clearly there are many
more than 21 quality practitioners who could serve in this role,
and no slight is intended to anyone not included on this list.
Our hope is simply that readers will find value in considering
the interplay of ideas from a selection of original thinkers
who are grappling with the evolution of quality from the Industrial
Age into the Information Age.
One such interplay can be found in the terms e-quality and
equality.
In one sense the word e-quality implies the development of
new forms of quality that can be applied in the emerging world
of electronic commerce, a rough and tumble place where the
rewards are great but where the rules are still being written.
In this environment quality faces a quandary, because to a large
degree some of its traditional strengths can start to look like
liabilities. Quality in the 20th century proved its worth by
showing the value of conformance to specifications, of standardization
and of taking the time to do things right the first time around.
In the 2lst century many business leaders have come to believe
that the true keys to success will be innovation; flexibility
and speed. Thus turning quality into e-quality is one of the
major challenges facing the profession.
Another challenge is represented by the idea of equality
This concept has been at the core of many powerful social,
political and economic movements, as men and women and indeed
entire nations have fought for a more equal distribution of
wealth and more equal access to the fruits of progress, such
as higher education and advanced health care. In.the 2lst
century, quality will surely play a vital role in such efforts,
whether they be primarily social or primarily economic.
Quality's applications will range from improving schools and
hospitals to bringing entire national economies into stronger
positions in the global system of trade and commerce. Just as
quality was an important factor in raising Japan's standard
of living after World War II, it will play a similar role in
other nations whose economies are poised to expand in the coming
decades. As part of this process, quality will help to increase
opportunities for groups that have historically been disenfranchised,
and particularly at the local level it will be used in creative
ways to attack social ills and promote continuous improvement
in the delivery of commuruty services. |