D1 Quality Issues
Quality can be defined as meeting the wants, needs and expectations of the customers buying the good or service.
Quality control is a method of assessing the quality of a product produced. It is often done by taking a sample of finished products and checking them against pre decided criteria of how the product meets consumer needs.
Quality assurance is a method of preventing sub standard products being produced. This often involves various checks throughout the production process. This may include inspecting raw materials upon delivery, checking the standard of part finished goods and encouraging all staff to check for and prioritise quality.
Benchmarking is a practice of comparing standards of competitors to get an idea of the general and expected standards in a market.
Quality circles are groups of people within an organisation who are brought together to analyse quality issues and devise solutions. These are beneficial because workers can offer a perspective that managers may miss and workers are more likely to be invested in the solutions if they feel that their opinions are valued.
ISO-9000 is a set of published standards of quality issued by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). This sets out standards across a range of areas within a business with guidance on expected quality in those areas.
Self-checking or inspection is a decision that managers will consider in their quality control plan. Encouraging self-checking can be motivating for staff as they may feel more valued and therefore more motivated. However, it requires a strong culture of staff who care about quality. Inspection can make people fell micro-managed and can have a negative impact on morale. However, specialist inspectors can be used and there may be more consistency in quality standards.
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach to creating a culture where all staff are committed to making continuous improvements to the quality of products. The theory is that if each person can spot the defects in their own areas there will be continuous small improvements that have a large impact on overall quality.