- Quality is fitness for a particular purpose
- Quality means the produced product meets customer expectations
- Various methods are used by businesses to achieve and maintain quality
- These methods include:
Quality Control
- Quality control is the process of checking quality at the end of the production line to ensure that it meets set benchmarks and standards
Quality Assurance
- is a more comprehensive form of controlling quality which involves determining and coming up with the appropriate standards, design, making sure inputs and raw materials are of the right quality, monitoring the production process, audit the quality control processes, evaluation of all processes involved in making the product and taking corrective action
- Quality Assurance involves monitoring and controlling every aspect of the production process to ensure that the right quality is met
Total Quality Management (TQM)
- attempts to establish a culture of quality throughout the organisation
- It is a holistic approach to long term success rather than focusing on short-term improvements
- TQM involves everyone within the organisation, not just those involved in production, taking steps to ensure the overall quality of the product
- Quality is built right into the product and the production process rather than waiting for something to go wrong and taking corrective action
- TQM is closely linked to the kaizen method
- Kaizen- a translation of the Japanese word 改善 which means continual improvement
- It refers to the continual improvement of the organisation’s entire functions for example when an error is discovered it is corrected immediately rather than waiting for it to be discussed and implemented at a later period
Control Circles
- Participative management technique which helps with the control of quality within the organisation
- They involve small teams of (usually 6 to 12) employees meeting voluntarily to define and solve a quality or performance related problems
- These groups are usually made up shop floor workers and management who come together to discuss quality problems and other related issues
- They serve the additional purpose of motivating workers by making the take part in the decision making process
To access more topics go to the O Level Business Notes