Quality Flashcards
Quality
Quality is often defined simply as ‘fitness for purpose’. After all, if the product does the job it was designed to do, it must therefore have some level of quality.
Another way to define quality could be the features of a product or service that allows it to satisfy customers’ wants
Benefits of quality
increased sales
reduced costs
reduced waste
market orientation
customer satisfaction.
By having stringent quality control measures in place, one of the benefits to the business would be reduced waste.
Customers are far more likely to be satisfied if the product or service fulfils their needs or wants. This would make them more likely to repeat purchase and become loyal customers.
If a business develops a good reputation for having quality products, they will likely experience an increase in sales.
When a product meets the expected quality of the customer, the customer is likely to be satisfied
Achieving Quality
Purchasing - ensuring that the right quantity and quality of raw materials or components are available for the production process.
Operations - structuring and managing the manufacturing process.
Finance - ensuring that capital is available for appropriate investment.
Human resources - ensuring that the factor of production labour is available in the right quantities with the right skills.
Marketing - providing market research information so customer wants can be satisfied.
Quality Assurance
It is the view of world-class manufacturers that quality must be ‘built in’. This means that when the finished goods roll off the production line, management is confident that there is no need to check quality.
Inspection is carried out during the production process. The emphasis is placed on preventing the production of poor-quality products, as opposed to checking quality at the end of the production line. This is in essence the meaning of quality assurance.
There are a number of different methods used for quality assurance, these include:
recognised standards
benchmarking
product design checking
production control
team working.
teamworking and product design
Team working-A team is responsible for a production process, such as the installation of a conservatory. The team is empowered to check the quality of raw materials, interact during the installation process and check the quality of the finished product. This implies that responsibility lies with the team - they know exactly where the ‘buck stops’.
Teamwork can build trust and morale, whilst improving communication between members. It is regarded as a key element in achieving quality.
Product design -In addition to monitoring raw materials and components, the total design of the product must also be checked for quality. The failure of the Mercedes A Class to reach independent test standards is an example of poor design. The problem has since been rectified, but only at great cost, both financially and with regard to corporate image.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the process of setting standards of quality and output which are based on the best that competitors can offer.
The first stage in the benchmarking process is discovering the appropriate figures for competitors. This information may be hard to come by, but research organisations may be able to produce figures on competitors’ levels of sales, quality and consumer satisfaction.
The second stage in the benchmarking process is setting new targets to be achieved in the manufacturing process which match those of the best competitor. Methods of production need to be designed which ensure that the benchmark levels of productivity and quality are achieved.
The key stage in benchmarking is gaining a commitment from the whole work force. All levels of hierarchy must be committed to the achievement of these standards.
The great advantage of benchmarking is that targets are set based on the activities of competitors. This increases the focus on the market and thus increases market orientation.
Recognised standards
Achievement of these standards by businesses is often an indication of achievement and maintenance of quality.
Quality Control
Quality control is a system of maintaining standards in manufacturing by testing a sample of the output against expected standards towards the end of the production process. The sample is tested by people employed as quality controllers. The data collected from the sample is then used to make judgements on action to be taken. The sample may indicate that quality is of the required standard, or the opposite may be found. If standards have not been achieved, then appropriate steps must be taken - for example, defective units must be repaired or rejected.
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Total quality management is an operations management system that creates structures within an organisation that satisfy internal and external customers and suppliers.
It creates quality through continuous improvement, development of systems and products, and by creating an organisational culture of quality.
T stands for total - it is the integration of the staff, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders.
These are all seen as part of a single system, an unbroken chain of production - a chain of quality.Q stands for quality - quality can be the speed in which a service is delivered. It can be:
consistency
innovation
reflected in low maintenance or favourable repair history.
According to W. Edwards Deming (one of the founders of the TQM system), ‘a product or service possesses quality if it helps somebody and enjoys a good and sustainable market.’M stands for management - the need is for management to improve processes and to monitor them continually in order to identify improvement opportunities.
The responsibility for ensuring the improvement of the processes in an organisation lies with top management. As part of the management of quality, the system includes ‘process owners’ who coordinate the various functions and work activities at all levels of a process. Process owners have the authority to make changes in the process as required - they manage the process end to end so as to ensure optimal overall performance.
How does tqm work in practice
or TQM to be effective, a number of production management and control methods need to be used:
Quality chains are based on cross-functional teams where processes involve internal customers. The next person in the production process is treated as a customer. In this process, customer satisfaction is the objective.
Empowerment - giving workers control over tasks completed.
Monitoring - checking that standards at each link in the chain are being achieved and that statistical tools are being used to measure levels of failure so that quality can be achieved.
Teamwork - cells of production and a team approach to product or service improvement.
Quality circles - employee involvement in the decision-making and product improvement process. Employees meet to identify and solve problems.
Zero defects - attempting to achieve perfect product quality, time after time.
Benchmarking - standards based on the best of the competition
