ARMAND VALLIN FEIGENBAUM

Armand Vallin Feigenbaum was an American quality control expert and businessman. He was
born on April 6, 1920 and died on November 13, 2014. He devised the concept of Total Quality
Control which inspired Total Quality Management. His life’s work has hugely influenced the
thinking of Quality Improvement (QI), with his book ‘Quality Control: Principles, Practice, and
Administration’ helping to bring together his ideas and principles on the theory of Total Quality
Control (TQC). He is also famous for his concept of the ‘hidden plant’ which showed how much
capacity is lost due to mistakes made during production. His work focuses on how businesses
can improve productivity through better quality.

TOTAL QUALITY CONTROL

Total quality control is an effective system for integrating the quality development, quality
maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various groups in an organization so as to
enable production and service at the most economical levels which allow full customer
satisfaction.

HIDDEN PLANT
Armand V. Feigenbaum is also known for his concept of the hidden plant. According to him
every factory a certain proportion of its capacity is wasted by not achieving what is required the
first time. In every factory, a certain proportion of its capacity is wasted by not getting it right
the first time. Feigenbaum quoted a figure that up to 40% of the plant's capacity is wasted. At
the time, this was an unbelievable figure; even today, some managers are still to learn that this
is a figure not too far removed from the truth.
The hidden plant notion emphasizes how important it is for businesses to find and fix these
hidden inefficiencies to boost output and performance. Organizations may streamline their
processes, cut expenses, and raise customer happiness by locating and selecting these remote
waste areas.
It's crucial to remember that, even though Feigenbaum may not have been directly involved in
the notion, it does adhere to the concepts of continuous improvement and Total Quality
Management (TQM), which Feigenbaum stressed in his writing. TQM pushes businesses to find
and remove waste, simplify operations, and concentrate on providing value to clients.
Armand Vallin Feigenbaum, a pioneer in the field of Total Quality Management (TQM),
emphasized the importance of customer focus in achieving organizational excellence. To enable
a totally customer-focused approach, Feigenbaum identified several key elements of total
quality.

The elements of total quality to enable a totally customer focus (internal and external)

 Quality is the customers perception of what quality is, not what a company thinks it is.
 Quality and cost are the same not different.
 Quality is an individual and team commitment.
 Quality and innovation are interrelated and mutually beneficial.
 Managing Quality is managing the business.
 Quality is a principal.
 Quality is not a temporary or quick fix but a continuous process of improvement.
 Productivity gained by cost effective demonstrably beneficial Quality investment.
 Implement Quality by encompassing suppliers and customers in the system.
 Total quality requires a relentless commitment to customer satisfaction.
 Total quality recognizes that employees are a valuable asset in achieving customer
focus.