Quality Mgt Final Ans

8/2/2019 Quality Mgt Final Ans

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1. Define Quality management: based on your understanding. Identify five

manager approaches in the quality management theory.

Define Quality Management based on your understanding

QM aims at satisfying customers needs, provides best quality product at lowest

possible price.

5 managerial approaches in the QM:

1. The transcendental approach: a condition of excellence implying fine quality

as distinct from poor quality. Quality is achieving or reaching for the highest

standard as against being satisfied with the sloppy or the fraudulent.

2. The product-based approach: quality is determined by attributes of the

product or service.

3. The user-based approach: fitness for use as determined by the consumer of

customer.4. The manufacturing-based approach: conformance to requirements

5. The value-based approach: quality is the degree of excellence at an

acceptable price and the control of variability at an acceptable cost

2. What is the practical definition of Total quality management? Briefly describe 4

misconceptions as todays manager conduct with quality management.

Practical definition of Total Quality Management

TQM is

1. A process to manage the quality of the product or service2. A management tool applied to the whole organization, used to ensure that an

organization retains a competitive edge.

3. A set of principles such as business success can only be achieved by

understanding and fulfilling the needs of the customers

4. A philosophy which applies the word total in an almost fanatical way.

5. A management fad which will go the way of all management fads.

4 misconceptions

1. Good quality is the same as high quality

2. QM can be the responsibility of one department in an organization3. Quality can be inspected into a product or service

4. It is fault occurs in the production of a good or service, it is mostly the fault of

workers.


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3. Describe 10 steps to quality improvement designed by Joseph M.Juran.

a) Start with building awareness of the need and opportunity for improvement.

b) Set realistic goals for improvement.

c) Organize to reach the goals (by method to establish a quality council, identify

problems, select projects, appoint teams, and designate facilitators).

d) Emphasize on training.

e) Solve problems by carrying out projects.

f) Progress must be reported.

g) Give recognition to anybody who achieved.

h) Communicate results with all concerned.

i) Keep score by being quantitative.

j) Maintain a regular momentum by making annual improvement part of the

systems and processes of the company.

4. Briefly describe the Six Sigma doctrine.

In brief, Six Sigma doctrine asserts that:

Continuous efforts to achieve stable and predictable process results (i.e. reduceprocess variation) are of vital importance.

Manufacturing and business processes have characteristics that can be measures,

analyzed, improved and controlled.

Achieving sustained quality improvement requires commitment from the entire

organization, from top level management to the front line staff.

5. Identify the major impact of globalization on the total quality management.

Impact of globalization:

When other countries produce products at a lower cost, quality can be a

differentiator.

Improvements in quality often come through technological improvements. These

may be sourced globally, not just locally.


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Being a node in an international supply chain can provide access to quality supplies.

Human resources are important to competitiveness, and the impact of globalization

makes them critical.

6. Identify and discuss Porters Five Forces model.

a) Rivalry between competitors:

The intensity of competitive rivalry is the major determinant.

Sustainable competitive advantage through innovation.

Competition between online and offline companies, click-and-mortar versus brick-

and-mortar firms.

Level of advertising expense.

Powerful competitive strategy.

The visibility of proprietary items on the Web.

b) Barriers to new entrants:

Profitable markets that yield high returns will draw firms. This results in many new

entrants, which eventually will decrease profitability. Unless the entry of new firms can be

blocked by incumbents, the profit rate will fall towards a competitive level (perfect

competition).

c) The bargaining power of buyers:

The bargaining power of customers is also described as the market of outputs: the

ability of customers to put the firm under pressure, which also affects the customers

sensitivity to price changes.

d) The bargaining power of suppliers:

The bargaining power of suppliers is also described as the market of inputs.

Suppliers of raw materials, components, labor and services (such as expertise) to the firm

can be a source of power over the firm, when there are few substitutes. Suppliers may

refuse to work with firm or i.e. charge excessively high prices for unique resources.


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e) The threat of substitute products:

The existence of products outside of the realm of the common products

boundaries increases the tendency of customers to switch to alternatives:

- Buyer propensity to substitute.

- Relative price performance of substitute.

- Perceived level of product differentiation

- Number of available products in the market

- Ease of online substitution

- Substandard product

- Quality depreciation

7. Describe 8 factors to develop a quality culture in an organization.

a) Identify the changes needed: requires to determine when, where, why and

how the firm needs to alter the changes.

b) Put the planned changes in writing: computes all the relevant information

in terms of a planning format, collect and seek for the internal and externalsources of data.

c) Develop a plan for making the changes: creates a hands-on plan for

changes seek for alternatives as many as possible.

d) Understand the emotional transition process: transfers the planning

information to all levels of employees, initial orientations may be used to

eliminate employees resistance to changes.

e) Identify key people and make them advocates: selects groups of volunteerswho encourage the changes, and use them as pioneers foster changes in

priority.

f) Take a hearts and minds approach: examines the entire process as all

employees will comprehend and together involve in the changing process.


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g) Apply courtship strategies: carriers out the collection data process to learn

about the agreements and commitment from the employees.

h) Support and support: always find the ways to coordinate all employees to

join in the process.

8. List 10 rules of quality customer focus. Select randomly and describe 3 of those

rules.

10 rules of quality customer focus.

1) Commit to quality service and product

2) Know your products

3) Know your customers

4) Treat people with courtesy and respect

5) Never argue with a customer

6) Dont leave customers in limbo

7) Always provide what your promise

8) Assume that your customers tell the truth

9) Focus on making customers (not on sales)

10)Make it easy to exchange.

Describe 3 of those rules

1) Commit to quality service and product: everyone needs to be devoted to creating

a positive experience for the customers. Always try to go above and beyond

customer expectations.


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2) Know how your product: convey an articulate and in-depth knowledge of

products and services to win customer trust and confidence. Try to anticipate the

types of questions that customers may ask.

3) Know your customers: Try to learn everything you can about your customers,

understand their experience with the company, and listen to their complaints.

4) Treat people with courtesy and respect: remember to use thank you and

sorry to demonstrate not only your commitment to customer satisfaction but your

dedication to courtesy.

5) Never argue with a customer: it is important that you do not focus on the missteps

of a customer of a particular situation; instead, concentrate on how to fix it.

6) Dont leave customer in limbo: handle things with a sense of urgency. Customers

want immediate resolution.

7) Always provide what you promise: fail to do this and youll lose both credibility

and customers. Only make promise that you are confident that you and your

business can keep.

8) Assume that your customers tell the truth: the majority of customers dont like

to complain; in fact, theyll go out of their way. If you hear unhappy rumblings from

your customers, take their complaints to heart.

9) Focus on making customers (not on sales): keep a customers business is moreimportant than to close a sale.

10)Make it easy to exchange: eliminate unnecessary paperwork and forms, explain

how products work, and facilitate transactions as easy as possible.

9. How to identify needs of customers in a quality organization?

1) Speculate about the results

How in touch are we with our customers?

Could our assumptions have negatively influenced our product or service offerings?2) Plan how to gather the information

Be systematic

Get as close to the customer as possible face-to-face?

Use a variety of methods-for cross-confirmation

Make it efficient enough to do regularly


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3) Gather the information

Conduct a pilot first ( to check the method and the questions)

Consider involving operation people in information gathering

4) Analyze the results

Be analytical and objective Represent the findings graphically where possible

Look for positives and negatives and trends

Test the findings against your initial speculation

5) Check the validity of your conclusions

Draw conclusion from the analysis

Go back to customers and check the conclusions with them

6) Take action as indicates

Plan relevant actions including who, what, when, where, how and why

Do something with the information. Otherwise you have wasted your time of your

customers.

10. Briefly describe the Affinity diagramming process including six steps

Affinity Diagramming Process:

1) State the issue as a question

2) Brainstorm a large number of potential answers

3) Write the answers in point form on sticky notes

4) Move the sticky notes to sit beside closely related answers.

5) Write a head note with a name for each grouping

6) Write up an Affinity Diagram, preferably as a single page.

11. Define Empowerment and four basic levels of empowerment

Define Empowerment:

Empowered employees are given ownership of the processes they are responsible

for, and the products or services generated by those processes.

(Goetsch &Davis 2006)

Empowerment requires individuals to make appropriate and reasonable decisions

that result in an improved process or product

(Scarnati 2002)


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Empowerment means many things; but essentially it it the granting authority to

employees to make key decisions within their areas of responsibility

The driving view behind empowerment is that the individuals closest to the work,

and to customers should make the decisions.

Empowerment also includes authority to bend the rules as appropriate, given the

employees judgment of the circumstances.

(Mosley & Pietri 2005)

Four basic levels of empowerment:

1) Traditional Supervision - the management makes most decisions at employee

level.

2) Suggestion involvement Employees (Individuals or team) offer ideas,suggestions, and opinions to management. They are actively encouraged to make

suggestions to improve aspects of their work.

3) Full Empowerment employees are highly skilled in teamwork and problem

solving techniques and actively participate in work units and higher level

management decisions.

Employees are involved to the highest extent on their own jobs (i.e. profit sharing,

or stock awards)

Firms performance records are open to all employees

Employees participate in making decisions beyond their own jobs and at the highest

level of the firm

4) Job Involvement Employees are provided great latitude o execute the work tasks

of their jobs as they see fit. It may apply to individuals self-managed teams.

Have self-confident to perform the job well

Be able to make work choices

Believe the work is meaningful

Assume that individual effort can make a different

Know that there is management support12. Identify six of the 14 points for quality created by Edwards Deming.

1) Top management should establish and publish a statement of the organization of the

organizations purpose and commitment to quality products and services and

continuous improvement.

2) Everyone throughout the organization should learn the new philosophy.


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3) Depending on inspecting quality into products should be shifted to an attitude of

expecting quality by having it built into the system.

4) There must be a systematic way to select quality suppliers, rather than simply on the

basis of cost.

5) The organization must be devoted to continuous improvement.6) All employees should be trained in the most modern quality and problem-solving

techniques.

7) Leadership techniques consistent with getting the most commitment from

employees should be practiced throughout the entire organization.

8) Fear should be eliminated from the work environment.

9) Teams and work groups must work smoothly together; barriers between functional

departments must be eliminated.

10) Exhortation, posters and slogans asking for new levels of workforce productivity

must be backed by providing the methods to achieve them.11) Numerical production quotas should be eliminated. Constant improvement should

be sought instead.

12) Barriers that deprive employees from pride in their work must be removed.

13) A vigorous program of education, retraining and self-improvement for all

employees must be instituted.

14) A structure in top management that will push the thirteen points above to achieve

the transformation must be created.

13. Identify and discuss four phases of team development.

1) FORMING: occurs when the team members first come together.

People in new groups initially orient themselves through testing.

This helps to identify boundaries with regard to interpersonal relationships

and individual tasks.

At the same time, they are establishing becoming dependent on leaders, other

group members, or pre-existing standards.

2) STORMING: means members of the team begin to question the leadership and

direction of the groups.

Forming is followed by conflict and polarization around interpersonal issues,

and involves emotional attachment to ways of completing individual tasks.

Individual will resist conforming to leader and group expectations.


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3) NORMING: involves developing the informal rules that the team adopts to

regulate the behaviors of the team members.

Resistance is overcome as group identify and cohesiveness develop, new

standards evolve, and new roles are adopted.

With regard to tasks, intimate, personal opinions are expressed.

4) PERFORMING: Team becomes an effective and high-performing team only if it

has gone through the three previous phases.

In the final stage, the group structure reflects the work to be done.

Roles become flexible and functional, and group energy is channeled into the

task.

Structural issues have been resolved, and structure supports task performance.

14. List some key factors that improve team productivity in a quality organization.

Managers can influence team cohesiveness and effectiveness by:

Keeping team small.

Selecting team members carefully.

Finding a good personality fit between new and old employees.

Developing an office lay out that improves communication.

Creating clear goals and inspiring team competition.

Rewarding a team rather than individuals.

15. Discuss some barriers to success in implementing total quality management.

Common failures in the implementation of TQM, including:

1) Unclear strategy and conflicting priorities.

2) Leadership style of general manager too-top-down or too laissez-faire.

3) An ineffective top team.

4) Poor coordination.

5) Inadequate down-the-line leadership or management skills and development.


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6) Closed vertical communication (top-down and bottom up).

16. Define Problem-solving and Decision-making in quality management.

Problem Solving involves ensuring that a problem does not recur, while

minimising the creation of new problems.

Decision Making involves making choices between alternatives.

According to Goetsch and Davis (2006) people solving problems must make

decisions.

Problem solving and decision making are common beyond TQM.

TQM includes the use of tools and processes that make problem solving and decision

making more effective, efficient, transparent, justifiable and ethical.

Existent Problems Problems we already have. Initially the response is reactive.

Latent Problems Problems we are yet to experience (but which we are able to

predict). Initially the response is proactive.

17. Describe seven steps of the problem-solving process applied by Toyota to

improve total quality management.

1) Identify the problem(s) the problem should be clarified definitely at the relevant

time.

2) Observe objectively consider specific characteristics of problems based upon

many relate aspects such as time, location, types of problemsetc

3) Analyze the data collect the problem related information to find out the major

causes and to create the alternative.

4) Take action implement the plan to reject the problem(s)

5) Control the problem solving process ensure this type of problem will not happen

again.

6) Standardize the process make sure to identify the latent problem and how to

handle.

7) Make a proactive realization reconsider the entire process and build a plan for

quality management in near future.


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18. Briefly discuss the decision-making process.

a) Identify or anticipate the problem: define the idea or problem to be acted on

b) Gather the facts: collect, interpret and evaluate information related to the

problem.

c) Consider alternatives: develop possible alternative solutions.

d) Choose the best alternative: select the preferred alternative.

e) Implement: carry out the decision

f) Monitor and adjust: follow up, evaluate and make change if needed.

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Quality Mgt Final Ans