Quantum improvements in software system quality
Lowell Jay Arthur · Communications of the ACM · 1997
uantum I mprovem I n 1989, U S WEST Technologies began implementing Total Quality Management (TQM).In the years that followed, TQM spread throughout the company.In retrospect, we did almost everything wrong.Ultimately we learned how to adapt and focus TQM to deliver not just incremental improvements, but quantum improvements in speed, quality, and cost.Quantum improvement delivers 50% or greater reductions in cycle time, defects, or cost.This is our story.The Technologies group began with goals in terms of number of people trained and number of teams started.These goals drove our behavior.More than 4,000 people were trained.More than 100 teams were started.Each team brainstormed problems-quality ini-