The Early Phases of Quality Management

Modern quality management encompasses three fundamental management methods, which are closely linked to one another. These methods are embodied in the Juran Trilogie®. In addition to quality assurance, the Juran Trilogie shows the systematic way to improve quality. The individual steps are quality planning, quality control and quality improvement. Planning assumes a position of central importance in this trilogy [jur]. The term quality planning is currently classified as belonging to areas of activity which, as the definition suggests, constitute quality management in its entirety, alongside quality control, quality testing, quality improvement, quality management reporting and the quality audit [dg1]. Quality planning is defined as “Planning and refining the quality requirements to be met by the unit concerned [dg1].”