This paper sets out to provide a historical review and an evaluation of the current situation of the Quality and Productivity (Q&P) efforts in Brazil through the evolution of the concept of quality control within the framework of the current process of changes in the production system. This paper also outlines the challenges, future prospects and limitations that these efforts offer to professionals of Production Engineering. The scope of this analysis is mainly based on the comparison between the practice of Q&P within Brazilian industry and the theoretical concept of Q&P as understood by those professionals. The main assumption in this paper is that "Q&P (in its wider meaning) should not be viewed as part of Production Engineering, but it is the raison d'etre of Production Engineering (in an equally wider meaning). Two main ideas stem from this assumption, which are: (I) the demandfor Q&P provides ample room for the application of the specialized knowledge in Production Engineering and (2) the fundamental assumptions of Q&P enable the formulation of a new theoretical and practical framework for Production Engineering. Finally, this paper describes a set of actions which can be implemented by researchers, associations of professionals and foster-organizations so that this field of knowledge can be put in practice more widely for the benefit of the whole Brazilian society.
Evaluation; Quality; Productivity; Production Engineering; Prospects Limitations