Genichi Taguchi
Genichi Taguchi was an engineer and statistician. From the 1950s onwards, Taguchi developed a methodology for applying statistics to improve the quality of manufactured goods. Wikipedia On 2nd of June 2012 the quality profession lost another icon: Genichi Taguchi died at the age of 88 years.
Taguchi is well-known for developing a methodology to improve quality and reduce costs, known as “Taguchi Methods”. He developed the quality loss function which is used to measure financial loss to society resulting from poor quality.
He is also known for his innovations in Design Of Experiments (DOE), where thousands of potential combinations of numerous variables (at different settings or levels) can be evaluated for the best parameters combination for the process, through a very small number of experiments.
Taguchi believed that quality starts from the design stage and not just as at inspection. In short, he believed quality was related to process design.
Taguchi authored more than 40 books with some of the most recent listed below:
2004 – Taguchi’s Quality Engineering Handbook
2004 – Computer-based Robust Engineering
2002 – The Mahalanobis-Taguchi Strategy
2002 – Paradoxical Strategy for Technology
2002 – Technology Development Using Mahalanobis-Taguchi Systems

Born: January 1, 1924, Tokamachi
Died: June 2, 2012
Education: Kyushu University
Books: Taguchi on Robust Technology Development,The mahalanobis-taguchi strategy, Taguchi Methods
Awards: Shewhart Medal

Frederick Winslow Taylor
Frederick Winslow Taylor was an American mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. He is regarded as the father of scientific management and was one of the first management consultants.Wikipedia Taylor thought that by analyzing work, the "One Best Way" to do it would be found. He is most remembered for developing the stopwatch time study, which combined with Frank Gilbreth's motion study methods later, becomes the field of time and motion study. He would break a job into its component parts and measure each to the hundredth of a minute. One of his most famous studies involved shovels. He noticed that workers used the same shovel for all materials. He determined that the most effective load was 21½ lb, and found or designed shovels that for each material would scoop up that amount. He was generally unsuccessful in getting his concepts applied and was dismissed from Bethlehem Steel. Nevertheless, Taylor was able to convince workers who used shovels and whose compensation was tied to how much they produced to adopt his advice about the optimum way to shovel by breaking the movements down into their component elements and recommending better ways to perform these movements. It was largely through the efforts of his disciples (most notably H.L. Gantt) that industry came to implement his ideas. Moreover, the book he wrote after parting company with Bethlehem Steel, Shop Management, sold well.

Born: March 20, 1856, Philadelphia
Died: March 21, 1915, Philadelphia
Spouse: Louise Spooner
Education: Stevens Institute of Technology, Phillips Exeter Academy
Books: Scientific Management, Comprising Shop Management

Shigeo Shingo
Shigeo Shingo, born in Saga City, Japan, was a Japanese industrial engineer who distinguished himself as one of the world’s leading experts on manufacturing practices and the Toyota Production System. Wikipedia Shigeo Shingo’s contribution to management methodology is better known than his name in BPI [Business Process Improvement].
Shigeo Shingo was born in 1909 at Saga City, Japan. In 1930 after perusing his graduation from Yamanashi Technical College he went to work for the Taipei Railway, Japan. In 1943 Dr.shingo got transferred to the Amano Manufacturing Plant as Manufacturing Section Chief. He shown his magnificent performance of raising productivity level at 100% there. Dr.Shingo worked for several manufacturers during 1945-46 and also began a professional