Quality management. Basic principles. (90

Company quality

During the 1980s, the concept of “company quality” with the focus on management and people came to the fore. It was realised that, if all departments approached quality with an open mind, success was possible if the management led the quality improvement process.

The company-wide quality approach places an emphasis on four aspects :-

Elements such as controls, job management, adequate processes, performance and integrity criteria and identification of records

Competence such as knowledge, skills, experience, qualifications

Soft elements, such as personnel integrity, confidence, organizational culture, motivation, team spirit and quality relationships.

Infrastructure (as it enhances or limits functionality)

The quality of the outputs is at risk if any of these aspects is deficient in any

way.

The approach to quality management given here is therefore not limited to the manufacturing theatre only but can be applied to any business activity:

Design work

Administrative services

Consulting

Banking

Insurance

Computer software

Retailing

Transportation

It comprises a quality improvement process, which is generic in the sense it can be applied to any of these activities and it establishes a behaviour pattern, which supports the achievement of quality.

This in turn is supported by quality management practices which can include a number of business systems and which are usually specific to the activities of the business unit concerned.

In manufacturing and construction activities, these business practices can be equated to the models for quality assurance defined by the International Standards contained in the ISO 9000 series and the specified Specifications for quality systems.

Still, in the system of Company Quality, the work being carried out was shop floor inspection which did not control the major quality problems. This led to quality assurance or total quality control, which has come into being recently.

Using Contractors and/or consultants

It has become customary to use consultants and contractors when introducing new quality practices and methodologies as in some instances the relevant skill-set and experience might not be available within the organisation. In addition, when new initiatives and improvements are required to bolster the current quality system, or perhaps improve upon current manufacturing systems, the use of temporary consultants becomes a viable solution when allocating valuable resources.

There are various types of consultants and contractors available in the market; most will have the basic skills needed to facilitate improvement activities such as Quality Management Systems (QMS) Auditing and procedural documentation writing. But the higher end consultants will have a wealth of knowledge and experience implementing and improving manufacturing processes using the latest cutting edge improvement activities such as Six Sigma, Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Advance Product Quality Planning (APQP).

QUALITY ASSURANCE (part II) – SET WORK 2 (Statistical control – Using Contractors and/or consultants)

I. Read the words and translate them from English into Russian:

to be confined, deviation, clerical, fraction, tolerance, to be tracked, maintainability, refinement, to impose on, complaint, integrity, notification, calibration, generic, a consultant, a contractor, to bolster.

II. Translate phrases from English into Russian and make up sentences

of your own:

1.statistical process control –

2.four one-millionths –

3.order-entry –

4.critical tolerances –

5.a decrease in sales –

6.overall business performance –

7.to carry out work properly –

8.to define the customer’s specifications –

9.to conform to requirements –

10.relevant documents –

11.equal to work –

12.QA/QC department –

13.“fitness-for-purpose” –

14.Quality Awareness –

15.to come to the fore –

16.a behaviour pattern –

17.to become customary –

18.a viable solution –

19.to allocate valuable resources –

20.available in the market –

III.Give the main idea of the text (in one sentence).

IV. Make up a plan to the text and retell the text according to it.

V.Answer the questions and give your opinion upon the following:

1.What are Six Sigma levels of quality?

2.What are the clerical tasks included in the controlled items?

3.What is the major problem which leads to a decrease in sales?

4.What are the major characteristics, ignored during the search to improve manufacture and overall business performance? (read out and translate them)

5.What refinements were introduced as the most important factor had been ignored? (read out, translate and discuss them)

6.If the original specification does not reflect the correct quality requirements, quality cannot be inspected or manufactured into the product. Why?

7.What are those four aspects which the company-wide quality approach places an emphasis on? What is most important as you think?

8.Can the approach to quality management given in the article be applied to any business activity? Why?

9.Do consultants and contractors available in the market need to have the basic skills required to facilitate improvement activities? If ‘yes’, then what are they and what for do they need it?

Редактор Р.А. Черникова

«QUALITY MANAGEMENT. BASIC PRINCIPLES» УЧЕБНОЕ ПОСОБИЕ

Составители: Сараева Н.В. Барышев Н.В.

Подписано в печать Формат 60х84 1/16.Бумага офсетная. Ризография Печ.л.2,8. Тираж 100 экз. Заказ №

Издательство Липецкого государственного технического университета Полиграфическое подразделение Издательства ЛГТУ.

398600 Липецк, ул. Московская, 30