Quality and Quality Assurance

Question 1

What is quality according to Philip Crosby?

Answer 1

Quality is conformance to specifications

Question 2

Conformance to specifications means in other words:

Answer 2

The product or service is free from defects

Question 3

What do we need to know in order to manage quality?

Answer 3

Product specifications

Question 4

What are the roots of many non-quality causes?

Answer 4

Management decisions

Question 5

What can we say regarding the relationship between management and quality?

Answer 5

The quality of products and services directly reflects the quality of management

Question 6

We should look at conformance to specifications not as an abstract idea, but as a..

Answer 6

line if thought that leads to action.

Question 7

Name three steps to improve the quality of a product:

Answer 7

1 Understanding and stating its specifications
2 Identify the root causes
3 design systematic measures to prevent causes

Question 8

What is the first goal of any quality management system?

Answer 8

Quality Assurance:

Ensure conformance, meaning ensuring that the products are free from defects.

Question 9

What are the two approaches to ensure the conformance of the products and services delivered to clients?

Answer 9

product control

process control

Question 10

Name three reasons why the final product control approach is not effective:

Answer 10

1 expensive: adds inspection and rework costs
2 slow: add delays which are incompatible with just-in-time deliveries
3 too late: when a defective part is detected, likely, many other parts were produced in the defect way

Question 11

With product control, higher quality leads to two things:

Answer 11

1 Higher lead times

2 Higher costs

Question 12

Definition of process control

Answer 12

Controlling each stage of the production process instead of controlling the product at the output.

Question 13

Name the four requirements for a process in order to achieve ZERO DEFECTS

Answer 13

1 All the operations are properly designed
2 The working procedures are documented and available
3 Everyone complies to the plans
4 Defects that may occur are immediately detected and corrected.

Question 14

With process control, higher quality leads to two things:

Answer 14

1 Lower lead times

2 Lower costs

Question 15

Name six stages of moving from product control to process control

Answer 15

1 Map the process workflow
2 Identify the potential causes of defects for each task
3 Take preventative measures to eliminate those causes
4 Take measures to detect and correct the defects immediately, in case 3 is not fully feasible
5 Document work procedures
6 Introduce auditing practices to ensure that procedures are effectively applied on a daily basis.

Question 16

What’s the concept of self-control about?

Answer 16

It means that each on is entirely responsible for the quality of his own work, i.e. that the parts or products he delivers to his internal or external clients are free from defects.

Question 17

Self-control is not just a matter of assigning responsibilities, but of preparing people to assume full responsibility for their own work. In other words it’s

Answer 17

Developing people

Question 18

Name the seven improvements of the Lean Virtous cycle:

Answer 18

1 Reduce costs -> reduce waste
2 Reduce waste -> a dramatic reduction of stocks
3 Reduce stocks -> Short and very frequent deliveries
4 Frequent deliveries -> short lead times
5 Short lead times -> no time for inspection
6 No inspection -> zero defects
7 Zero defects -> process control!