Quality Management Overview

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Questions and Answers

What are external failure costs, and how do they impact a business?

External failure costs arise when a product fails to meet quality standards after reaching the customer and can significantly affect a business's reputation and profitability.

List the six stages of project management.

The six stages of project management are understanding the project, defining the project, project planning, technical execution, project control, and learning.

Explain the difference between project objectives and project scope.

Project objectives define the project's end goals and benchmarks for success, while project scope outlines the boundaries of what will and will not be included in the project.

What are the five main activities within project planning?

The five main activities are identifying project activities (WBS), estimating activity times and resource requirements, identifying activity relationships and dependencies, identifying constraints, and fixing the schedule. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of a project manager in project management?

The project manager is responsible for delivering the project, organizing the team, and overseeing day-to-day operations to ensure project success. Signup and view all the answers

How does the customer’s perspective on quality differ from the operations perspective?

From the customer's perspective, quality is based on personal perceptions and experiences, whereas from the operations perspective, it involves meeting specific standards and ensuring consistency. Signup and view all the answers

What is the first gap in diagnosing quality problems, and what does it encompass?

The first gap is the Customer's Specification – Operation's Specification Gap, where the operations standard falls below what the customer expects. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the role of 'Setting Quality Standards' in achieving conformance to specification.

'Setting Quality Standards' involves establishing acceptable levels of performance for each quality characteristic, guiding practices to meet customer expectations. Signup and view all the answers

What are 'Prevention Costs' in the context of the costs of quality?

'Prevention Costs' are expenses incurred to prevent quality issues from occurring in the first place. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the 'Actual Quality – Communicated Image Gap'?

The 'Actual Quality – Communicated Image Gap' refers to the discrepancy between the external marketing image and the actual quality of the product or service. Signup and view all the answers

Identify and briefly explain the fourth step required for conformance to specification.

The fourth step is 'Control Quality Against Those Standards,' which involves regularly checking that products or services meet the established quality standards. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of 'Finding and Correcting Causes of Poor Quality' in the quality management process?

'Finding and Correcting Causes of Poor Quality' is critical because it addresses the root causes of quality issues to prevent them from recurring. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Quality Management

Quality (customer perspective): Based on individual perceptions and experiences.
Quality (operations perspective): Meeting specific standards and ensuring consistency; meeting clear specifications through operational processes.

Quality Gaps

Gap 1 (Customer Spec - Operation Spec): Operations standards fall below customer expectations.
Gap 2 (Concept - Specification): Final product doesn't align with the initial concept.
Gap 3 (Quality Spec - Actual Quality): Perceived quality is poor due to a mismatch between specified and actual quality.
Gap 4 (Actual Quality - Communicated Image): External communication/marketing image doesn't match the actual product or service quality. Marketing might set unrealistic expectations, or operations may be incapable of meeting them.

Conformance to Specification (6 Steps)

Step 1: Identify key quality characteristics of the product/service.
Step 2: Define how to measure the characteristics.
Step 3: Establish acceptable performance levels for each characteristic (quality standards).
Step 4: Regularly check if products/services meet the standards.
Step 5: Identify and correct the root causes of poor quality.
Step 6: Continuously improve the product or service.

Project Management

Project Characteristics

Defined start and end points.
Specific goals.
Defined resources.
Mission-oriented.
Unique outcomes.
Non-routine, complex tasks.
High risk and uncertainty.
Project Management triads (PM).
Not a program.

Project Management (6 Stages)

Understanding the project.
Defining the project.
Project planning.
Technical execution.
Project control.
Learning.

Project Manager Role

Balances quality, time, and cost (iron triangle).
Manages projects across organizational functions.
Delivers the project.
Organizes the team.
Oversees day-to-day operations.

Project Objectives, Scope, and Strategy

Project Objectives: Define the project's end goal and serve as benchmarks.
Project Scope: Defines project boundaries (what will and will not be included).
Project Strategy: Outlines how the project will achieve its objectives.

Project Planning (5 Activities/Stages)

Define project activities (WBS).
Estimate activity times and resource requirements .
Identify relationships and dependencies (Gantt chart/network analysis)
Set time and resource constraints.
Schedule the project.

Project Planning Purposes

Determine project cost and duration.
Allocate resources.
Allocate work.
Monitor progress.
Assess impact of changes.

Cost of Quality

Prevention Costs: Costs incurred to prevent quality issues.
Appraisal Costs: Costs of measuring and assessing quality.
Internal Failure Costs: Costs of fixing quality problems within the organization.
External Failure Costs: Costs of fixing quality problems after the product/service reaches the customer.

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Description

This quiz explores the various aspects of quality management, including customer and operational perspectives. It examines the concept of quality gaps and the steps to ensure conformance to specifications. Test your understanding of how quality can affect customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.