AOS3 - KK6 - Strategies to Improve Both the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Operations Related to Quality Flashcards
Quality
the degree of excellence of goods or services and their fitness for a stated purpose.
Types of Quality Management Strategies
- Quality control
- Quality assurance
- Total quality management
Quality control
the use of inspections at various points in the production process to check for problems and defects
Aim of quality control
to identify problems early so they can be rectified quickly
Advantages of Quality control
- Ensures products meet the desired standard before making it to the consumer
- Can identify errors early so they can be rectified quickly, which can reduce waste
Disadvantages of Quality control
- It can slow down production if inspections occur regularly.
- It only detects defects – it doesn’t prevent the defects from occurring.
Quality assurance
the use of a system, such as an audit, checklist or the development of standards, that enables a business to achieve set standards in production
Advantages of Quality assurance
- Reduces the chance of errors / defects from occurring, which can reduce waste.
- If a certificate is obtained, this provides customers with assurance that the product is of good quality, which improves customer satisfaction. (ISO 9001)
Disadvantages of Quality assurance
- It can be expensive to obtain a certificate.
- Obtaining a certificate can also be time consuming due to the documentation
- Employees will need to be aware of the standards, which may involve training.
What is quality control considered
A reactive approach
It only detects product faults once they have been produced. It doesn’t prevent the defect / issue / fault from occurring.
What is quality assurance considered
A proactive approach
It aims to prevent quality faults / defects / issues from occurring before the product has been produced.
Total quality management
an ongoing, business-wide commitment to excellence that is applied to every aspect of the business’s operation. (based on three principles)
Three principles of total quality management
- continuous improvement
- employee empowerment
- customer focus
Advantages of Total quality management
- Employees are empowered to improve quality, which can improve morale.
- Can help a business achieve a competitive advantage due to the improved product quality.
Disadvantages of total quality management
- Quality circles can be time-consuming.
- Employees may become solely focused on improving quality than performing work.
- It can be difficult to gain a business-wide commitment from all employees.
