CH 6

Chapter 6 & 6S Managing Quality in Integrated Operations & SCM

Learning Objectives

  • Interrelationships between Quality Types:

    • Explain how product quality, design quality, and conformance quality are interrelated.

  • 7 Dimensions of Product Quality:

    • Identify each of the seven dimensions that constitute product quality.

  • Components of TQM System:

    • Explain how components of a Total Quality Management (TQM) system affect quality.

  • Costs of Quality:

    • Identify the costs of quality and how they change as quality improves.

  • Quality Management Tools:

    • Define and interpret results of key quality management tools including PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act), check sheets, Pareto analysis, scatter plots, and process control charts.

  • Role of IoT and AI:

    • Explain how IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) are utilized for quality improvement, monitoring, and control.

Quality Experiences

  • Reflecting on Quality:

    • Consider personal experiences where quality was perceived as either very good or poor.

    • Define what quality means in these contexts and explore underlying reasons for performance outcomes.

Product Quality

  • Definitions:

    • Product Quality:

    • The degree to which a product is fit for consumption.

    • Design Quality:

    • How well the design features align with customer requirements.

    • Conformance Quality:

    • The extent to which product specifications are met during production.

Design Quality

  • Customer Expectations:

    • Design quality is related to how effectively customer expectations are integrated into design specifications.

    • Design Specifications Include:

    • Materials (types and amounts), processes (specific steps and conditions), targets, and acceptable ranges (minimum and maximum).

Conformance Quality

  • Understanding Conformance Quality:

    • Conformance quality is determined by the degree to which design specifications are met.

    • There are variations in all processes; thus, there is an acceptable range (tolerance).

    • Example:

    • Shampoo Bottle Target:

      • Target: 10 oz with a tolerance range of 9.95 oz to 10.05 oz (i.e., 10 oz ± 0.05).

  • Process Capability:

    • Design processes must be capable of meeting specifications.

    • Metrics Used:

    • Measured by process capability metrics such as C<em>pC<em>{p} and C</em>pKC</em>{pK}.

  • Monitoring Process Changes:

    • Continuous monitoring is necessary to identify process variations or changes.

    • Examples of Causes for Variation:

    • New employee (requires training), worn machinery (needs maintenance), or a new supplier (collaborate for improvement).

Dimensions of Product Quality

  • Seven Dimensions of Quality:

    • Performance:

    • Operating characteristics of the product.

    • Features:

    • Unique attributes beyond basic functions.

    • Reliability:

    • Length of time before repair and dependability of performance.

    • Durability:

    • Overall lifespan of the product.

    • Aesthetics:

    • Look, feel, sound, smell, taste impacts on customer perception.

    • Support/Responsiveness:

    • Knowledge and speed of service.

    • Perceived Quality:

    • Reputation and customer perceptions of the brand and product, including empathy shown by staff.

    • Conformance:

    • Adherence to design specifications.

Examples of Dimensions of Quality

  • Durability:

    • Speed Queen washing machines last 20–25 years vs. 10–12 years for competitors.

  • Performance:

    • Cars accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.2 seconds.

  • Reliability:

    • Amazon ensures consistent delivery times.

  • Features:

    • Chewy offers auto shipments for convenience.

  • Conformance:

    • Toyota focuses on minimizing defects during production.

  • Perceived Quality:

    • Designer handbags from Hermes can exceed $100,000 in value.

  • Aesthetics:

    • Starbucks enhances ambiance through improved lighting and reduced noise.

  • Support/Responsiveness:

    • Customer feedback highlights Chick-fil-A employees exceeding expectations.

How Roles Impact Product Quality

  • Marketing Managers:

    • Decide on market pursuits and product features, develop advertising messages, and establish new product testing programs.

  • Sales Managers:

    • Set sales targets and interact with customers to understand their needs.

  • Product Designers/Engineers:

    • Create product specifications and tolerances, design prototyping procedures.

  • Process Engineers:

    • Design manufacturing processes, choose technology, define quality assurance tests.

  • Finance & Accounting Managers:

    • Define equipment purchase restrictions, set facility utilization goals, measure efficiency.

  • Human Resources Managers:

    • Develop hiring criteria, training programs, and compensation schemes.

  • Manufacturing & Service Operations Managers:

    • Oversee process execution, design work policies, interact with customers, manage facilities and equipment.

  • Supply Managers:

    • Define purchasing requirements and manage supplier relationships.

  • Logistics Managers:

    • Choose transportation providers and oversee storage, packaging, and material handling.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

  • Definition:

    • TQM is a holistic strategy to instill quality awareness across an organization.

  • Key Points:

    • Product quality is defined by customer acceptance and usage.

    • Quality management requires organization-wide involvement, not just technical tasks.

    • Continuous quality improvement needs total commitment from all employees.

Costs of Quality

  • Types of Quality Costs:

    • Prevention Costs:

    • Investing in measures to prevent defects (design, training, improvements).

    • Appraisal Costs:

    • Inspection-related costs to assess quality (staff, tools, training).

    • Internal Failure Costs:

    • Costs due to defects found prior to delivery (rework, waste).

    • External Failure Costs:

    • Costs of defects found after delivery (lost sales, reputation, warranty issues, recalls, lawsuits).

Cost of Quality Examples

  • Precision Manufacturing Case Study:

    • Direct financial losses from quality problems: $600,000 due to external failures.

    • Internal failure costs: $300,000 from scrap, rework, and downtime.

    • Prevention costs: $100,000 for training and quality planning.

    • Appraisal costs: $150,000 for inspections.

    • Recommendations:

    • Increase investment in prevention and appraisal immediately.

  • Fresh Harvest Foods Case Study:

    • External failure costs due to recalls: $150,000.

    • Internal failure costs from disposed products: $300,000.

    • Total failure costs: $450,000.

    • Prevention costs: $180,000; Appraisal costs: $120,000.

    • Recommendations:

    • Commit to increased investment in prevention and appraisal efforts.

Boeing Quality and Safety

  • Discussion on why Boeing’s quality controls and safety checks may still miss critical defects, alongside the associated conformance quality factors and costs incurred in quality failures.

Poka-Yoke: Error Proofing

  • Definition:

    • Poka-yoke refers to mechanisms in place to prevent mistakes or make them noticeable when they occur.

  • Example:

    • Pick to light systems in distribution centers.

Quality Management Tools

  • PDCA Cycle:

    • Plan: identify the problem and outline actions for improvement.

    • Do: implement the plan.

    • Check: monitor the results.

    • Act: make corrective action and institutionalize changes.

  • Check Sheet:

    • Used for measuring defect types and incident occurrences over time.

  • Pareto Analysis:

    • Identifies crucial quality problems based on frequency; often illustrated with a cumulative percentage calculation.

  • Scatter Plot:

    • Visual representation of relationships in data, such as delivery delays vs. distance or shipment volume.

  • Process Control Charts:

    • Used to monitor processes ensuring that operations remain within defined limits.

Monitoring Processes using IoT & AI

  • IoT (Internet of Things):

    • Devices with embedded sensors for real-time data collection and monitoring, often in connection with AI for data evaluation.

  • Applications:

    • Predictive quality analytics regarding environmental conditions.

    • Automated inspections by analyzing product images for defects.

Review of Learning Objectives

  • Recap the interrelationships of product quality, design quality, and conformance quality.

  • Confirm understanding of the 7 dimensions of product quality.

  • Reiterate how components of a TQM system impact overall quality.

  • Recognize the evolving costs associated with quality enhancements.

  • Demonstrate ability to define and interpret key quality management tools (PDCA, check sheets, pareto analysis, scatter plots, and process control charts).

  • Discuss applications of IoT and AI in quality monitoring and improvement.