Quality Control 1 - Introduction to Quality Control and Total Quality System PDF

**CHAPTER I: Introduction to Quality Control** **and the Total Quality System** **Quality control (QC)** is a procedure or set of procedures intended to ensure that a manufactured product or performed service adheres to a defined set of quality criteria or meets the requirements of the client or c...

**CHAPTER I: Introduction to Quality Control** **and the Total Quality System** **Quality control (QC)** is a procedure or set of procedures intended to ensure that a manufactured product or performed service adheres to a defined set of quality criteria or meets the requirements of the client or customer. QC is similar to, but not identical with, **quality assurance** ([QA](https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/definition/quality-assurance)). **While QA** refers to the confirmation that specified requirements have been met by a product or service, QC refers to the actual inspection of these elements. QA is sometimes expressed together with QC as a single expression: quality assurance and control (QA/QC). **Introduction and Implementation of** **Total Quality Management (TQM)** Total Quality Management is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. Total Quality is a description of the culture, attitude and organization of a company that strives to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. The culture requires quality in all aspects of the company's operations, with processes being done right the first time and defects and waste eradicated from operations. Total Quality Management, TQM, is a method by which management and employees can become involved in the continuous improvement of the production of goods and services. It is a combination of quality and management tools aimed at increasing business and reducing losses due to wasteful practices. Some of the companies who have implemented TQM include Ford Motor Company, Phillips Semiconductor, SGL Carbon, Motorola and Toyota Motor Company.^1^ **TQM Defined** TQM is a management philosophy that seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, finance, design, engineering, and production, customer service, etc.) to focus on meeting customer needs and organizational objectives. TQM views an organization as a collection of processes. It maintains that organizations must strive to continuously improve these processes by incorporating the knowledge and experiences of workers. The simple objective of TQM is "Do the right things, right the first time, every time." TQM is infinitely variable and adaptable. Although originally applied to manufacturing operations, and for a number of years only used in that area, TQM is now becoming recognized as a generic management tool, just as applicable in service and public sector organizations. There are a number of evolutionary strands, with different sectors creating their own versions from the common ancestor. TQM is the foundation for activities, which include: - Commitment by senior management and all employees - Meeting customer requirements - Reducing development cycle times - Just in time/demand flow manufacturing - Improvement teams - Reducing product and service costs - Systems to facilitate improvement - Line management ownership - Employee involvement and empowerment - Recognition and celebration - Challenging quantified goals and benchmarking - Focus on processes / improvement plans - Specific incorporation in strategic planning This shows that TQM must be practiced in all activities, by all personnel, in manufacturing, marketing, engineering, R&D, sales, purchasing, HR, etc.^2^ **8 principles of Total Quality Management** As with most management methods and techniques, implementation and success will vary from one company to another. While there is not a single agreed upon approach, the most common TQM definition includes the following eight principles. **1. Customer focus** The first of the Total Quality Management principles puts the focus back on the people buying your product or service. Your customers determine the quality of your product. If your product fulfills a need and lasts as long or longer than expected, customers know that they have spent their money on a quality product. When you understand what your customer wants or needs, you have a better chance of figuring out how to get the right materials, people, and processes in place to meet and exceed their expectations.  To implement this TQM principle: - Research and understand your customers' needs and expectations. - Align your organization's objectives with customer needs. - Communicate with customers, measure satisfaction, and use the results to find ways to [improve processes](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/how-to-efficiently-pivot-business-processes?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f). - Manage customer relationships. - Find a balance for satisfying customers and other interested parties (such as owners, employees, suppliers, and investors). The benefits of being customer-focused include: - More sales, increased revenue, market share, and mindshare. - Strong customer loyalty leading to repeat business - Increased possibility that satisfied customers will tell others about your products and services Learn how to better incorporate the Voice of the Customer into your process improvement strategy. [Read now](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/understanding-the-voice-of-the-customer) **2. Total employee commitment** You can't increase productivity, processes, or sales without the total commitment of all employees. They need to understand the vision and goals that have been communicated. They must be sufficiently trained and given the proper resources to complete tasks in order to be committed to reaching goals on time. To implement this TQM principle: - Clearly communicate and acknowledge the importance of each individual contribution to the completed product. - Stress that each team or individual accepts [ownership](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/building-team-ownership-into-your-processes?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f) and give them the responsibility and opportunity to solve problems when they arise. - Encourage employees to self-evaluate performance against personal goals and objectives, and make modifications as necessary to improve workflow. - Acknowledge successes and optimized performance to build confidence in your employees and your stakeholders. - Make responsibilities clear, provide adequate training, and make sure your resources are used as efficiently as possible. - Encourage people to continually seek opportunities to learn and move into other roles to increase their knowledge, competence, and experience. - Create an environment where employees can openly discuss problems and suggest ways to solve them. The key benefits of total employee commitment include: - Increased employee retention because employees are motivated, committed, and actively involved in working toward customer satisfaction - Individual and team innovation and creativity in problem-solving and process improvement - Employees who take pride and accountability for their own work - Enthusiasm for active participation and contribution to continual improvement **3. Process approach** Adhering to processes is critical in quality management. Processes ensure that the proper steps are taken at the right time to ensure consistency and speed up production. To implement this TQM principle: - Use Total Quality Management tools such as [process flowcharts](https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/templates/build-flowcharts?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f) to define and delineate clear roles and responsibilities so everybody knows who does what at certain times. - Create a [visual action plan](https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/templates/bpmn/lucidchart-action-plan?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f) so everybody can easily see the specific activities that need to be completed to achieve the desired result. - Analyze and [measure current activities](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/how-to-know-if-your-processes-are-working?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f) to see where improvements can be made or where steps in the process are creating bottlenecks. - Evaluate the impact your processes and activities may have on your customers, suppliers, and all stakeholders. Benefits of a process approach include: - Faster development and production cycles, lower costs, and increased revenue - More consistency and predictable outcomes - Focus on continued improvements and success **4. Integrated system** Typically a business has many different departments, each with their own specific functions and purposes. These departments and functions should be interconnected with horizontal processes that should be the focus of Total Quality Management. But sometimes these departments and functions operate in isolated [silos](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/working-through-silo-mentality?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f).   In an integrated system, everybody in every department should have a thorough understanding of policies, standards, objectives, and processes. Integrated systems help the company to look for continual improvement in order to achieve an edge over the competition. To implement this TQM principle: - Promote a work culture focused on quality. - Use flowcharts and other visual aids to help employees understand how their functions fit in with the rest of the company. - Use [as-is process analysis](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/webisodes-with-alec-sharp-taking-businesses-processes-from-as-is-to-to-be?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f) to see where improvements can be made. - Make training available for employees who need to learn new processes and who want to explore opportunities for advancement. Benefits include: - Focus on quality that will help your business achieve excellence and meet or exceed customer expectations  **5. Strategic and systematic approach** The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) describes this principle as: "Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization's effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives." Multiple processes within a development or production cycle are managed as a system of processes in an effort to increase efficiency. To implement this TQM principle: - Provide your people with the proper training and resources that will help them complete their individual steps in the process. - Continually improve processes and products, and upgrade equipment as necessary to reach goals. - Make continual improvement a measurable objective for all employees. - Recognize, acknowledge, and reward innovations and process improvements. Benefits include: - An ability to quickly identify, react, and fix process bottlenecks or breakdowns - Overall improved organizational capabilities and improved performance **6. Continual improvement** Optimal efficiency and complete customer satisfaction doesn't happen in a day---your business should continually find ways to improve processes and adapt your products and services as customer needs shift. As previously stated, the other Total Quality Management principles should help your business keep an eye toward continual improvement. To implement this TQM principle: - Implement policies to establish product, process, and system improvements as measurable goals for individuals, teams, and departments. - Recognize, acknowledge, and encourage innovation to improve processes and development. - Encourage employees to participate in available training sessions to learn and take on new and additional roles. Benefits include: - Improved knowledge and capabilities to increase performance - Improvement goals strategically aligned with organizational capabilities and goals - Quick reaction times to recognize and fix bottlenecks and broken processes **7. Fact-based decision-making** Analysis and data gathering lead to [better decisions](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/decision-making-process-steps?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f) based on the available information. Making informed decisions leads to a better understanding of customers and your market. To implement this TQM principle: - Analyze and check data to ensure that it is reliable and accurate. - Make relevant data available to stakeholders. - Use valid methods to gather and analyze data. - Make decisions based on the facts learned from the data in addition to your experience and intuition. Benefits include: - Ability to make informed decisions - Ability to analyze and defend past decisions by referencing factual records - Ability to change past decisions based on data review **8. Communications** Everybody in your organization needs to be aware of plans, strategies, and methods that will be used to achieve goals. There is a greater risk of failure if you don't have a good communication plan. To implement this TQM principle: - Establish an official line of communication so that all employees know about updates, policy changes, and new processes. - Where possible, involve employees in decision-making. - Make sure everybody in every department understands their roles and how they fit in with the rest of the company. Benefits include: - Boost in morale and motivation when employees understand how their contributions help the company achieve its goals - Interdepartmental coordination and cooperation - [Connection of silos](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/working-through-silo-mentality?anonId=0.e0700e031919fa90d9b&sessionDate=2024-08-29T19%3A46%3A36.899Z&sessionId=0.58262d3e1919fa90d9f) - Ability to more accurately measure the effectiveness of current policies and procedures - Higher motivation from employees to achieve goals because they are part of the decision-making process Successful implementation of these Total Quality Management concepts will not come overnight. Because TQM often represents a large cultural shift, you may want to implement these changes in phases to lessen the impact. **Quality Planning** Quality planning is the painstaking process of identifying processes and procedures necessary to achieve a project's or organization's quality objectives. It establishes the framework for quality management throughout the project or product lifetime. **Important Tasks:** - **Defining Objectives:** Specifying quality objectives, standards, and criteria in detail. - **Identifying Standards:** Identifying industry standards, regulations, and recommendations that are applicable. - **Plan Development:** Creating thorough blueprints for processes, procedures, and resource allocation. - **Risk Assessment:** It is the process of identifying potential quality issues and devising solutions to address them. - **Resource Allocation:** It is the process of allocating necessary resources such as personnel, equipment, and budget. - **Documentation:** Keeping detailed records of the quality planning process. **Quality Control (QC):** Quality control (QC) activities and techniques monitor and measure product or service attributes to ensure compliance with set quality standards. **Important Tasks:** - **Inspection:** A thorough evaluation of products, procedures, or deliverables to ensure standards are met. - **Testing:** The process of conducting tests to ensure that a product or system works as intended. - **Data collection:** It refers to the gathering of useful information on product or process characteristics for analysis. - **Statistical Analysis:** The use of statistical tools to assess standard compliance. - **Defect Identification:** It is the process of identifying and correcting flaws or departures from quality standards. - **Feedback Loop:** Providing feedback to the production or development process in order to make necessary changes. **Quality Assurance (QA):** Quality assurance (QA) is a proactive technique that focuses on the complete process of delivering a product or service. Its goal is to prevent faults by thoroughly examining and assuring proper process execution. **Important Tasks:** - **Process audits:** Process audits are reviews and evaluations of procedures to guarantee proper implementation. - **Training:** Providing people with training to guarantee comprehension and adherence to quality standards. - **Documentation Review:** Ensuring that documentation, such as plans and processes, is current and followed. - **Management System Implementation:** The process of putting in place and sustaining a quality management system. - **Continuous Improvement:** Identifying and executing possibilities for improvement. - **Customer Input Analysis:** The analysis of customer input in order to improve operations. Special Note: In case you want to read more about the difference between quality assurance and quality control, do check this blog out : [QA vs QC](https://isolocity.com/what-is-qa-qc-know-the-difference-between-quality-assurance-qa-and-quality-control-qc/). **Quality Improvement:** Quality improvement is a continuing endeavour to improve processes, products, or services by finding areas for improvement, executing changes, and monitoring results. **Important Tasks:** - **Root Cause Analysis:** It is the process of identifying the initial cause of issues so that they can be addressed at their root. - **Process Reform:** It is the process of altering existing procedures to improve and streamline them. - **Benchmarking:** Benchmarking is the process of comparing an entity's performance to the highest standards within its industry. - **Feedback:** Organizing methods to obtain input from relevant parties. - **Data Analysis:** It is the process of examining data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. - **Implementing Best Practices:** Applying best practices to your company can improve operations as a whole. **4 strategies to improve quality management** Here are four ways to make quality control better: 1. **Continuous Improvement: ** It means putting in place ongoing steps to make things work better and more efficiently. 2. **Training and Development:** It means giving workers the skills and information they need to do their jobs well. 3. **Adopting New Technologies:** To make things run more smoothly and improve quality. 4. **Feedback and Monitoring:** Setting up ways to get feedback and keep an eye on performance to find places where it can be improved. **Conclusion:** A deep grasp of these four pillars---Quality Planning, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, and Quality Improvement---forms the underpinning for firms wanting to not just meet but exceed expectations when traversing the varied environment of quality management. Embracing these components as the manufacturing environment advances promotes an ongoing commitment to excellence and continuous development. **The Concept of Continuous Improvement by TQM** TQM is mainly concerned with continuous improvement in all work, from high level strategic planning and decision-making, to detailed execution of work elements on the shop floor. It stems from the belief that mistakes can be avoided and defects can be prevented. It leads to continuously improving results, in all aspects of work, as a result of continuously improving capabilities, people, processes, technology and machine capabilities. Continuous improvement must deal not only with improving results, but more importantly with improving capabilities to produce better results in the future. The five major areas of focus for capability improvement are demand generation, supply generation, technology, operations and people capability. A central principle of TQM is that mistakes may be made by people, but most of them are caused, or at least permitted, by faulty systems and processes. This means that the root cause of such mistakes can be identified and eliminated, and repetition can be prevented by changing the process.^1^ There are three major mechanisms of prevention: 1. Preventing mistakes (defects) from occurring (mistake-proofing or poka-yoke). 2. Where mistakes can't be absolutely prevented, detecting them early to prevent them being passed down the value-added chain (inspection at source or by the next operation). 3. Where mistakes recur, stopping production until the process can be corrected, to prevent the production of more defects. (stop in time). **Implementation Principles and Processes** A preliminary step in TQM implementation is to assess the organization's current reality. Relevant preconditions have to do with the organization's history, its current needs, precipitating events leading to TQM, and the existing employee quality of working life. If the current reality does not include important preconditions, TQM implementation should be delayed until the organization is in a state in which TQM is likely to succeed. If an organization has a track record of effective responsiveness to the environment, and if it has been able to successfully change the way it operates when needed, TQM will be easier to implement. If an organization has been historically reactive and has no skill at improving its operating systems, there will be both employee skepticism and a lack of skilled change agents. If this condition prevails, a comprehensive program of management and leadership development may be instituted. A management audit is a good assessment tool to identify current levels of organizational functioning and areas in need of change. An organization should be basically healthy before beginning TQM. If it has significant problems such as a very unstable funding base, weak administrative systems, lack of managerial skill, or poor employee morale, TQM would not be appropriate.^5^ **The quality control procedure** In order to implement an effective QC program, an enterprise must first decide which specific standards the product or service must meet. Then the extent of QC actions must be determined \-- for example, the percentage of units to be tested from each lot. Next, real-world data must be collected \-- such as the percentage of units that fail \-- and the results reported to management personnel. After this, corrective action must be decided upon and taken. For example, defective units must be repaired or rejected, and poor service repeated at no charge until the customer is satisfied. If too many unit failures or instances of poor service occur, a plan must be devised to improve the production or service process; then that plan must be put into action. Finally, the QC process must be ongoing to ensure that remedial efforts, if required, have produced satisfactory results and to immediately detect recurrences or new instances of trouble. In summary, first assess preconditions and the current state of the organization to make sure the need for change is clear and that TQM is an appropriate strategy. Leadership styles and organizational culture must be congruent with TQM. If they are not, this should be worked on or TQM implementation should be avoided or delayed until favorable conditions exist. Remember that this will be a difficult, comprehensive, and long-term process. Leaders will need to maintain their commitment, keep the process visible, provide necessary support, and hold people accountable for results. Use input from stakeholder (clients, referring agencies, funding sources, etc.) as possible; and, of course, maximize employee involvement in design of the system.^7^ Always keep in mind that TQM should be purpose driven. Be clear on the organization's vision for the future and stay focused on it. TQM can be a powerful technique for unleashing employee creativity and potential, reducing bureaucracy and costs, and improving service to clients and the community. **Conclusion** TQM encourages participation amongst shop floor workers and managers. There is no single theoretical formalization of total quality, but Deming, Juran and Ishikawa provide the core assumptions, as a "...discipline and philosophy of management which institutionalizes planned and continuous... improvement... and assumes that quality is the outcome of all activities that take place within an organization; that all functions and all employees have to participate in the improvement process; that organizations need both quality systems and a quality culture."