Managing Quality: New Challenges

This chapter puts forward the argument that there are two kinds of quality management – ‘old’ or classical quality management and ‘new’ quality management. The aim of classical quality management was to analyse errors and eliminate their causes and the associated variation by improved product and process design. In recent times a number of major changes have taken place, resulting in increased volatility in key areas of business which ‘old’ quality management has difficulty in addressing. These changes are being driven by developments in production operations, competitive pressure, the need for improved results from the financial market and reduction of buying points. This has led to pressure on prices, performance and innovation and the need for increased flexibility, agility and economics of scale, with a concentration on core competencies within the business. This situation demanded the development of a ‘new’ form of quality management.