operations: quality methods Flashcards
quality assurance
this is where a firm checks the quality of a product at each stage of the production process
benefits of quality assurance
- stops faulty products reaching the end of the production line
- problems are spotted quickly
costs of quality assurance
- can result in waste as products are tested
- can slow up the production line
quality control
this is where the firm checks the quality of the finished product
benefits of quality control
- Reduces chance of poor quality products reaching end users
- Only some employees need to be trained as inspectors to look for faults
costs of quality control
- Faults only found at the end of production
- High wastage costs
- Reworking faulty products costs time and money
benchmarking
a firm will investigate the best in the field and aim to match the standards of their product to the market leader
advantages of benchmarking
- Can provide a goal for employees which will increase motivation
- Can make the organisation more competitive in the market
disadvantages of benchmarking
- It can be time consuming to study techniques used by other companies
- The company/product will only be as good as the benchmark set
quality management/continuous improvement
the firm will aim to get all staff to improve the quality of their products, from the receptionists to the Managing Director, first time and every time
quality management relies on:
- quality inputs
- highly trained staff
- zero error tolerance
- a strong focus on the customer
quality circles
this is where the firm asks staff to volunteer to meet up in groups to discuss issues concerning the business.
benefits of quality circles
- employees feel involved
- problems are identified quickly
- improved communication between workers and management
costs of quality circles
- lost production whilst workers are in quality circle
- managers have to be trained
quality raw materials
the firm can buy the best quality materials to ensure the product produced is of the best quality
mystery shopper
many firms will hire a person to visit their business and conduct a transaction as though they are an actual shopper. the mystery shopper, after leaving the store, immediately will fill out an assessment of their experience
training
training will raise the standard of the workers’ efforts which, in turn, will increase the quality of the product
benefits of mystery shopper
- the assessor is impartial so opinion is frank and honest
- the firm can control the areas they want assessed
costs of mystery shopper
- the mystery shopper has to be trained which costs time and money
- the store could be experiencing a one off event
benefits of quality symbols
- the customer is assured the product is authentic so sales should increase
- the firm can charge a high price
- it distinguishes the product from the competition
costs of quality symbols
- the firm has to pay for their products to be checked
overall benefits of introducing quality methods
- mistakes are minimised
- the firm gets a good reputation
- the firm will beat their competition
- it is easier to build up customer loyalty
general downsides of introducing quality methods
- extra paperwork required to validate quality checks
- staff have to be employed to check quality
- better raw materials cost extra
- cost of training to get workers familiar with systems
