Quality management Flashcards
Define quality.
Quality is how well a product or service does what it was designed to do; real quality is consistency.
What is quality control?
Quality control is the traditional way of managing quality
Quality control is concerned with checking and reviewing work that has already been done
For example, quality control includes:
Inspection
Testing
Sampling
Quality control is mainly about “detecting” faulty output - rather than preventing it
Quality control can also be a very expensive process.
What is designed-in quality assurance?
Quality assurance is about how a business can design the way a product or service is produced or delivered to minimise the chances that output will be sub-standard.
The focus of quality assurance is, therefore on the product design/development stage
Why focus on these stages?
If the production process is well controlled - then quality will be “built-in”
If the production process is reliable - there is less need to inspect production output (quality control)
What is built-in quality assurance?
Quality assurance builds quality into every stage of the production process – not left until the end. When the product is sold, the business can assure the customer it is a quality product
Every worker is responsible for making sure that the work they do meets quality standards
More time consuming for the workers.
Each worker may have different standards; therefore no consistency.
What is total quality management?
A management approach change in business culture that puts quality at the heart of everything in the business.
In essence its “getting it right first time every time”
It includes a customer concept that puts the customer first
Explain reducing waste as part of total quality management.
Quality management is intended to reduce wastage as well as increase the quality of the finished products
TQM places the responsibility of quality with every employee in the business
TQM includes Kaizen which means continuous improvement
Explain impact of inputs on quality as part of total quality management.
Total quality means the business looks at all inputs, human resources, engineering, production, service, distribution, sales, finance, and their impact on the quality of all products or services that the business produces
TQM can improve processes and profits of a business
What are the advantages of total quality management?
Not paying for inspectors
Empowered employees are motivated (esteem needs met)
Improved quality therefore more satisfied customers
Enhanced reputation
Builds good partnerships with suppliers
More involved workers
Less development time for new products
What are the disadvantages of total quality management?
Takes time to introduce
Some staff can be resistant to change
Will cost to train staff
Defects may not be spotted until the end which can be expensive e.g. mobile phones
What are quality circles?
A quality circle is a group of employees who meet on a regular basis to talk about quality problems that are relevant to the part of the production process that they work on
They are joined by employees from engineering, sales and marketing and quality to make sure they are producing products that satisfy their customers
Explain Kaizen.
Kaizen is a policy of constantly introducing small incremental changes in a business in order to improve quality and/or efficiency. The Western model is to make large one off improvements for example to install a new machine or deep clean of a kitchen.
This approach assumes that employees are the best people to identify room for improvement, since they see the processes in action all the time.
What are the advantages of Kaizen?
Ideas are easy to implement as they are small and not radical
All employees are responsible for it which helps workers take ownership of their work and reinforce team working, improving motivation.
Explain gaining a competitive advantage through quality.
A business can achieve competitive advantage through their quality
This may enable them to appear superior to their rivals in the eyes of the customers
Customers may be willing to pay more for quality
Customers may also repeat purchase products which they regard to be the best or most consistent quality
