Operations - Methods of Ensuring Quality

Question 1

List the 6 methods of ensuring quality

Answer 1

1. Quality Control
2. Quality Assurance
3. Quality Circles
4. Benchmarking
5. Total Quality Management
6. Quality Inputs

Question 2

Define Quality Control and give 2 advantages and disadvantages of this.

Answer 2

• Products are checked at the start and end of the production process only. If is doesn’t meet the standard it is either reworked or discarded

ADVANTAGES
* Ensures customers don’t get faulty goods
* Keeps business’s reputation high

DISADVANTAGES
* Products aren’t checked till the end of product → creates wastage
* Products may have to be reworked from scratch which → costs time and money

Question 3

Define Quality Assurance and give 1 advantage and 2 disadvantages of this.

Answer 3

• All staff check ALL items at all stagees of production
• Aims to prevent faulty products from reaching the end.

ADVANTAGES
* Less wastage → errors spotted quickly

DISADVANTAGES
* Production is slowed → many processes are inspected
* Increases cost of wages (QA Manager)

Question 4

Define Benchmarking and give advantages and disadvantages of this

Answer 4

• Businesses compare their practises to the best in the industry and try to imitate them.

ADVANTAGES
* Product is as good as market leader
* Saves time → business doesn’t need to develop their own quality approach

DISADVANTAGES
* Difficult gaining info on other businesses quality methods
* The business will only ever be as good as the best on the market at that time

Question 5

Define Quality Circles and give advantages and disadvantages of this

Answer 5

• Small groups of workers from different levels in the organisation come together to solve problems in production.

ADVANTAGES
* Employees will feel valued → increases motivation
* More knowledge → employees that do the job frequently will know what needs changing

DISADVANTAGES
* Employees have to meet during production → wastes time