Dr Armand Vallin Feigenbaum

About
Armand Vallin Feigenbaum (April 6, 1922 November 13, 2014) was an American quality
control expert and businessman. He devised the concept of Total Quality Control, later
known as Total Quality Management (TQM).
Feigenbaum received a bachelor's degree from Union College, his master's degree from the
MIT Sloan School of Management, and his Ph.D. in Economics from MIT. He was Director
of Manufacturing Operations at General Electric (19581968), and was later the President
and CEO of General Systems Company of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, an engineering firm that
designs and installs operational systems. Feigenbaum wrote several books and served as
President of the American Society for Quality (19611963). On November 13, 2014, he died
at the age of 92.

Background
Dr Armand Life Career and Achievements

1922, April 6 - New York City, NY - date of birth

1937 - 1958 - work in General Electric Company, NY

1951 - the first book Quality Control: Principles, Practice, and Administration
published

1958 - 1968 - Director of Manufacturing Operations, General Electric Company

1958 - 1961 - Vice President of the American Society for Quality

1961 - 1963 - President of the American Society for Quality

1968 - CEO, General Systems Company Pittsfield MA

1988 - appointed to the first Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award Program.

1992 - elected to the National Academy of Engineering of the United States.

1998 - the American Society for Quality established the Feigenbaum Medal to be
granted annually for excellence in performance

2005 - The Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award was established in Dubai

2014, November 13 - Pittsfield, MA - date of death

Contribution to Quality Management

Armand V. Feigenbaum is also known for his concept of the hidden plant. That is in
every factory a certain proportion of its capacity is wasted through not getting it right the first
time. Dr. Feigenbaum quoted a figure of up to 40% of the capacity of the plant being wasted.
At that 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 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.

The several editions of Total Quality Control have been published in more than twenty
languages including French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Russian, and are
widely used throughout the world as a foundation for management practice.
Dr. Feigenbaums establishment of General Systems with his brother Donald, made it
possible for him to further refine TQM and widely bring to many companies and
organizations the benefits of the total quality and management practices he had developed.
This has brought demonstrable economic, environmental and social business benefits to these
companies and their customers, and correspondingly to Americas economy. Equally
important, far more than General Systems Company clients have benefitted from his intellect,
creativity and experience.
He co-authored The Power of Management Capital with his brother and business partner,
Donald S. Feigenbaum (see bio), a former GE engineer and manager, setting a new direction
for innovation in management in the twenty first century not only in industry but also in
health care, education, public administration and technology. The book has been translated
into Japanese, Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, in several other languages and an
edition in India.

Dr. Feigenbaum has been exceptionally generous, sharing his concepts, processes and
implementation knowledge through numerous books, articles, interviews, keynotes and
leadership as President of such groups as the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the
International Academy for Quality (IAQ). He is well known, highly visible, revered
worldwide, and his name in synonymous with Total Quality. He is considered one of the
Worlds Gurus of Quality.

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armand_V._Feigenbaum

https://ceopedia.org/index.php/Armand_Feigenbaum

http://www.feigenbaumfoundation.org/about/dr-armand-v-feigenbaum/