The fallacy of zero defects
I recently had the zero defects phrase thrown at me, “we strive for zero defects in company X”, said the person (who appeared to have a serious crackberry habit). Hmm, I thought do you really know what you’ve just said to me? Is it possible to attain a zero defect level in a given process? It certainly sounds a reasonable concept and it may even motivate some people to attempt to attain this goal in the early days, weeks and months of a TQM program. However, as always not everything is exactly what is seems.
Whilst I respect Phil Crosby, who advocated many initiatives in addition to zero defects in his books (Quality Is Free: The Art of Making Quality Certain
For example in the book Re-imagine—Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age
“Zero defects is great … in a known environment. But it is Death itself … in Ambiguous Surroundings. So join me. Raise the Flag. 100% Against Zero Defects.”
Likewise, point 16 of Demings “deadly diseases and obstacles to success” (from Out of the Crisis) states:
“The fallacy of zero defects. Every system produces defects. Ultra high quality requires enormous sample universes to establish the defect rate.”
Also D.C. Montgomery, author of the book Introduction to Statistical Quality Control
The focus on attempting to attain zero defects slows down continuous improvement because it requires massive effort on defect detection as opposed to prevention.
I would suggest that using DFSS for a product or service ensures that a low defect level from launch will effectively mean that once released from the design stage customer expectations and needs (CTQs) are completely understood and a virtually zero level of defects can be realised.
In any case, six sigma is about continually looking for ways to improve performance and learning from your mistakes. It has room for making some errors or producing some bad product. Specifically, it allows you to have three defects for every million opportunities – to me that is a virtually zero-defect performance. Indeed professionals in other areas also understand the fallacy of zero defects as well.
Do you strive for zero defects? How successful have you been? Leave a comment below.
Originally posted 2008-03-12 19:26:38.
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Comments
By curiouscat on December 23rd, 2006 at 7:13 pm
I agree with Dr. Deming who said “No defects, no jobs. Absence of defects does not necessarily build business… Something more is required” – on page 10 of the New Economics. I discuss some more on this in Zero Defects
By curiouscat on December 23rd, 2006 at 2:13 pm
I agree with Dr. Deming who said “No defects, no jobs. Absence of defects does not necessarily build business… Something more is required” – on page 10 of the New Economics. I discuss some more on this in Zero Defects
By Francisco J Gutierrez on October 23rd, 2007 at 11:59 pm
Our General Manager is pushing our QC department to look for a zero defects program. I wonder what steps (training tools) should be taken to achieve this goal. May you give me some direction on what I should do to make a proposal plan for our GM?
Thanks.
By Francisco J Gutierrez on October 24th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Sorry,
I did give you a wrong e-mail on my previous mail.
We are Hyundai Translead a trailer manufacturer located in Tijuana Mexico. This year third quarter have been though for our business and that’s why our General Manager have requested QC department (I’m QC manager) to look a program to drive defects to “zero”. Reading your comments I wonder if you can give me some directions for the type of steps I should follow in order to implement such a program like “zer defects”.
I will appreciate your kind attention to this matter.
Thanks
F. Gutierrez
QC Manager & QMS administrator
Hyundai Translead
Tijuana Plants 1, 2 and 3
By Francisco J Gutierrez on October 23rd, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Our General Manager is pushing our QC department to look for a zero defects program. I wonder what steps (training tools) should be taken to achieve this goal. May you give me some direction on what I should do to make a proposal plan for our GM?
Thanks.
By Francisco J Gutierrez on October 23rd, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Sorry,
I did give you a wrong e-mail on my previous mail.
We are Hyundai Translead a trailer manufacturer located in Tijuana Mexico. This year third quarter have been though for our business and that's why our General Manager have requested QC department (I'm QC manager) to look a program to drive defects to “zero”. Reading your comments I wonder if you can give me some directions for the type of steps I should follow in order to implement such a program like “zer defects”.
I will appreciate your kind attention to this matter.
Thanks
F. Gutierrez
QC Manager & QMS administrator
Hyundai Translead
Tijuana Plants 1, 2 and 3
By admin on October 24th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
I refer you to this excellent page by John Hunter: http://curiouscat.com/deming/zerodefects.cfm
or this:
http://www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c060306a.asp
The latter article makes the point:
Since the slogan zero defects implies immediate compliance to a defect-free standard, it may not leave time for the continuous improvement process to occur. In fact, it may even slow down the continuous improvement process because of the massive resources that inspected-in quality entails.
Zero defects is a message that can carry with it confusion and misinterpretation, mixed with technical impracticality. It may be appropriate that the idea of zero defects be replaced with a policy of “zero escapes,” since the latter has limited interpretation. As a company is doing all it can to improve the product and business using continuous improvement techniques, it also needs to consider what it can do to prevent a random, low-level defect from reaching the final customer. In this regard, zero escapes of defects may be a complimentary activity to continuous improvement.
In other words forget zero defects, focus on improving continually!
By admin on October 24th, 2007 at 10:24 am
I refer you to this excellent page by John Hunter: http://curiouscat.com/deming/zerodefects.cfm
or this:
http://www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c06030...
The latter article makes the point:
Since the slogan zero defects implies immediate compliance to a defect-free standard, it may not leave time for the continuous improvement process to occur. In fact, it may even slow down the continuous improvement process because of the massive resources that inspected-in quality entails.
Zero defects is a message that can carry with it confusion and misinterpretation, mixed with technical impracticality. It may be appropriate that the idea of zero defects be replaced with a policy of “zero escapes,” since the latter has limited interpretation. As a company is doing all it can to improve the product and business using continuous improvement techniques, it also needs to consider what it can do to prevent a random, low-level defect from reaching the final customer. In this regard, zero escapes of defects may be a complimentary activity to continuous improvement.
In other words forget zero defects, focus on improving continually!
By Tijuana Prostitute on July 16th, 2008 at 10:52 am
In the Tijuana factory I work in, we are implementing Six Sigma and my feeling is that if no defects are found (and thus improvement impossible), the process itself has failed. It seems “zero defect” people miss the point entirely!
Great article.
By Tijuana Prostitute on July 16th, 2008 at 5:52 am
In the Tijuana factory I work in, we are implementing Six Sigma and my feeling is that if no defects are found (and thus improvement impossible), the process itself has failed. It seems “zero defect” people miss the point entirely!
Great article.
By anandg on November 11th, 2008 at 4:57 am
“Zero Defect or Zero Tolerance'”is an impossiable task, defects are bound to come.”8D” is a problem solving process that helps to get defect free porducts. In which whole team is involved in finding the defect and closing the issue with a celebration. In this, customers are happy to get Quality Products and crew is motiveted to dobetter.
By Latin Joe on August 5th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
I realize a lot of what I’m reading lately has to do with the current financial crisis, but your post is another story
thank you for sharing this!
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