2.4.4 quality

Question 1

define quality

Answer 1

quality is the extent to which a product or operation meets customer standards

Question 2

what is quality control

Answer 2

making sure the quality of a product meets specified quality performance criteria
QUALITY CONTROL IS ABOUT THE PRODUCT

Question 3

what methods are quality control?

Answer 3

• inspection
• testing
• sampling

Question 4

pros and cons of quality control

Answer 4

+ improves customer satisfaction
+ uses resources more effectively
- expensive
- mainly about detecting faulty output rather than preventing it

Question 5

define quality control

Answer 5

is about how a business can design the way a product or service is produced or delivered to minimise the chances that output will be sub-standard
QUALITY ASSURANCE IS ABOUT THE PROCESS

Question 6

features of quality assurance?

Answer 6

• all employees are involved in quality assurance
• quality is considered at every step of the production process
• focuses on continual improvement of quality

Question 7

pros and cons of quality assurance

Answer 7

+ improves process control
+ increases worker engagement
- time consuming
- each worker will have different standards therefore no consistency

Question 8

define quality circle

Answer 8

a group of workers meeting regularly to solve problems and discuss work issues.

Question 9

what factors might influence the type of quality management a business decided to use?

Answer 9

competitors, financial situation, current market, economy, customers

Question 10

methods of achieving quality?

Answer 10

• invest in technology
• work with high quality suppliers
• have a clear understanding of customer needs
• train employees in quality procedures

Question 11

what is the difference between quality control and quality assurance?

Answer 11

quality control is about the product whereas quality assurance is about the process

Question 12

consequences of poor quality?

Answer 12

• if products need recalling it can be expensive
• can damage brand reputation
• can cause legal costs

Question 13

difficulties in proving quality

Answer 13

• customer perception of quality is constantly changing

- measuring quality can be difficult

Question 14

define total quality management (TQM)

Answer 14

a managerial approach that focuses on quality and aims to improve the effectiveness, flexibility and competitiveness of a business

Question 15

pros and cons of total quality management

Answer 15

\+ more satisfied customers
\+ enhanced reputation
\+ more involved with workers - motivating
- takes time to introduce 
- costs to train staff

Question 16

what is kaizen?

Answer 16

means continual improvement.

is an approach of constantly introducing incremental changes in a business in order to improve quality or efficiency

Question 17

pros and cons of using kaizen

Answer 17

+ encourages employees to take ownership and improve their performance
+ less money on research and development
- difficult to implement on existing systems
- costs to train employees

Question 18

what is the difference between quality assurance and total quality management?

Answer 18

quality assurance focuses solely on the process whereas TQM is a management approach