
Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa (July 13, 1915 – April 16, 1989) was a Japanese Quality Guru. A renowned Professor at the Faculty of Engineering in The University of Tokyo, He was a key figure in the development of quality initiatives in Japan and noted for his quality management innovations particularly the quality circle .Dr. Ishikawa developed the Ishikawa diagram, also known as the fishbone or cause-effect diagram which is often used in the analysis of industrial processes and determining root causes of problems.
He was known for popularizing the seven basic tools of quality and the philosophy of total quality. The seven tools are