The Mere Act of Measurement…

…can change the process you're measuring.  Of course, quantum physicists declare that the act of measurement always changes the measured.  In the world of quality management we’re not dealing with such small scales.  But the concept still applies.

When we initiate quality improvement projects in business, we need to ask the question, “Are the results we’re getting simply the outcome of increased management attention to the issue?”  The worry is that after the project has been embedded as a standard procedure we assume that the benefits will continue. 

But do they really?

In the 1920s three of the icons of Quality, Shewhart, Deming, and Juran, worked at the Hawthorne Works of a Western Electric plant, which made telephones and associated equipment.  The plant experimented over years to improve quality and productivity.  

Among many variables, the amount of lighting applied in the workplace was studied.  Initially the light level was increased and worker productivity increased.  Over time, however, productivity returned to the pre-change level.  Then the light level was decreased and productivity magically increased, then returned to the pre-change level.

The study eventually concluded that simple observation of the workers caused the changes in productivity.  Although the methodology of the study has been criticized extensively, the phenomenon has been dubbed the Hawthorne Effect.

Let’s return to our expensive quality improvement project.  Can we assume that the benefits will continue after the project has been implemented?  What happens the minute management’s back is turned?  There are two ways that we can ensure that improvement projects’ outcomes are solidified for the long term:

• Embed the new behaviors as habits in your workers
• Track either the quality attributes of the product or Critical Process Parameters

Each of these is equally important.  The latter because, as James Harrington said,

“If you can’t measure something, you can’t understand it. If you can’t understand it, you can’t control it.  If you can’t control it, you can’t improve it.”

But the former is equally important.  You can’t automate everything.  You can’t write an SOP for everything.  Eventually it comes down to the actions of the workers and if they don’t have quality behaviors embedded as habits, you can never make a quality product.

How about you?  Do you have a similar story?  What has worked best for you?  Comment below.