Introduction to Quality



Introduction to Quality

What is QUALITY?

Broadly defined -- quality refers to the ability of a product or service to consistently meet or exceed customer expectation

The Dimensions of Quality

1) Performance - refers to the main characteristics of the product or service (use)

2) Special features - refers to the extra characteristics

3) Conformance - refers to how well a product or service corresponds to a customer's expectations

4) Reliability - consistency of performance without breakdown

5) Durability - refers to the useful life of the product or service

6) Service after sale - handling of complaints, or checking on customer satisfaction

7) Aesthetics - pleasing to look at

8) Safety - safe when use as directed

The determinants of quality (degree to which a product or service successfully satisfies its intended purpose) are:

1) Design - the starting point for the level of quality eventually achieved

2) How well it conforms to design - the degree to which goods and services conform to the intent of the designer

3) Ease of use - instruction on how to use the product must be easy to understand, injuries caused to consumer can end up in litigation

4) Service after delivery - technical support/contact from the service provider

Some of the consequences of poor quality

• Loss of business

• Liability

• Productivity

• Costs

Internal failure costs - failures discovered during production

External failure costs - failures discovered after delivery to customer

Appraisal costs - cost of activities designed to ensure quality or to uncover defects

Prevention costs - cost of preventing defects from occurring

Difference between modern quality management and the formerly traditional approach

Quality Control by prevention vs. Quality Control by detection

Quality Gurus:

Deming - a statistics professor at NYU in the 40s, and is credited for Japan's focus in quality and productivity

• Known for his 14-point prescription for achieving quality in an organization (see page 426 for list)

• Four key elements in Deming's 14 points

1) appreciation for system

2) a theory of variation

3) a theory of knowledge

4) psychology

2) Juran - like Deming also taught Japanese manufacturers how to improve quality

• Views quality as fitness-for-use

• Believes that 80% of quality defects are management controllable

• Describes Quality management as trilogy consisting of (1) quality planning, (2) quality control (3) quality improvement

• Quality planning is necessary to establish processes that are capable of meeting quality standards

• Quality control is necessary to know when corrective action is needed

• Quality improvement will help find better ways of doing things

• Key element of Juran's philosophy is the commitment of management to continual improvement

3) Crosby - developed the concept of zero defects and popularized the phrase "do it right the first time"

• Like Deming and Juran, he believes management's role in achieving quality

• Believes in the concept "quality is free"

4) Ishikawa - Key contributions include the development of the cause-and-effect diagram (a.k.a the fishbone diagram)

5) Taguchi - best known for the Taguchi loss function - a formula for determining the cost of poor quality

The idea is that deviation of a part from a standard causes a loss

His method is credited with helping Ford Motor Company to reduce its warranty losses

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