12. Quality hiera r chy = Data collection, creation of records ... = Detection of defects according to quality plan, categorisation, statistical techniques ... = Prevention of defects through management and procedures to ‘build in’ quality into the production system make quality system = ensuring continous improvement of the performance of all activities, for benefit of all customers and employees DEFECTS DETECTION DEFECTS PREVENTION CONTINOUS IMPROVEMENT
Quality implies .... [slide] Some quality definitions include the price factor, meaning “supplying the product at required quality at lowest possible price” Most of these are general terms. The specific criteria for quality will vary from business to business, in a restaurant “too much salt” will be a deficiency. We can see that Quality is related to business performance. By including such issues as ‘premium prices’, ‘increased market’ and ‘low staff turnover’ you could set up all sorts of frameworks to link quality with performance.
You could also call grade “class”. Low quality is always a problem. Low grade may not be. So quality does NOT mean ‘gold-plating’ or ‘deluxe’
Before I start talking about quality systems etc. I want to discuss a little bit about the ‘quality revolution’ that has happened in the world for the last couple of decades. The business environment has become more competitive. Why? [slide] CHANGE is one of the most important elements of succesful business management today. The key element of Total Quality Management, which we will talk about later, is CONTINOUS IMPROVEMENT and this is reached through change (change management)
As you can see, when we talk about Quality Control and Quality Assurance, it becomes obvious that there are the levels of the quality commitment of an organisation. The point of the hiera r chy is that you cannot have an upper level withouth the level below. Throughout history, the meaning of quality has been broadened, to not only include the produced products, but also the employees, etc.
[ ] T his is the Deming Circle. It visualizes the process of continous improvement. The PDCA cycle is a trial and learning event that emphasizes learning by sequentially testing changes on a small scale . This cycle runs forever.
Companies manage quality through quality systems . The prescribes processes, not product or technical details. In construction for example, a technical drawing would not be part of the system, but it would be under CONTROL of the QA system. The QA system will avoid that superseded drawings are used.