Achieving Quality Production
This chapter explains what quality means, why good quality matters, how poor quality damages a business, and how businesses use quality control, quality assurance, Total Quality Management, quality circles and quality marks to improve goods and services.
Topic 1: Understanding Quality
Quality means meeting customer expectations, not simply producing expensive or luxury products.
1. What Is Quality?
Quality does not necessarily mean an expensive or luxury product. A low-priced product can still be good quality if it:
- works properly
- has no faults
- is fit for its intended purpose.
Customers usually expect more from an expensive product than from a cheaper one.
2. Quality in Goods and Services
Manufactured Products
For a manufactured product, quality may involve good design, no defects and meeting customer expectations.
Service Businesses
For a service business, quality may involve good customer service, acceptable waiting times, convenience and meeting customer expectations.
3. Why Quality Is Important
Good quality can help a business:
Build a Good Reputation
Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend the business.
Increase Customer Loyalty
Customers may return and continue buying the same brand.
Increase Sales
Good quality can attract both existing and new customers.
4. Problems Caused by Poor Quality
Poor quality can cause:
Loss of Customers
Customers may switch to competitors.
Higher Costs
The business may have to replace faulty products, repair products or repeat poor services.
Bad Reputation
Dissatisfied customers may tell others about their experience, reducing future sales and profit.
Topic 2: Quality Control
Quality control mainly detects faults before the customer receives the product or service.
5. Quality Control
Inspectors may check samples during or at the end of production and identify defective products before they reach customers.
Examples
- In a factory, an inspector may examine completed products and remove defective ones before they are sold.
- A service business may use a mystery customer to check whether customer service meets the required standard.
6. Advantages of Quality Control
Two important advantages are:
- Faulty products may be detected before sale. This reduces the chance of customers receiving defective products.
- Workers need less responsibility for checking quality. Inspectors carry out the main quality checks, so less quality-checking training may be required for production workers.
7. Disadvantages of Quality Control
Three important disadvantages are:
- Inspectors are expensive. The business must pay specialist employees to check products.
- It detects faults rather than their cause. Finding a defective product does not necessarily explain why the fault occurred.
- Waste may be high. Faulty products may need to be scrapped, repaired or produced again.
Topic 3: Quality Assurance
Quality assurance tries to prevent defects by checking quality throughout the production process.
8. Quality Assurance
The aim is to prevent defects rather than simply detect them afterwards.
Quality assurance may consider:
- product design
- materials and components
- production processes
- delivery
- after-sales service.
9. Advantages of Quality Assurance
- Problems are identified earlier. Faults can be corrected before the product reaches the next stage of production.
- Fewer customer complaints. Products are more likely to meet customer expectations.
- Lower waste costs. Fewer products need to be scrapped, repaired or produced again.
10. Disadvantages of Quality Assurance
- Training costs. Employees need training so they can check the quality of their own work.
- Depends on employee commitment. The system will not work properly if employees do not take responsibility for maintaining quality standards.
11. Quality Control vs Quality Assurance
| Quality Control | Quality Assurance |
|---|---|
| Mainly detects faults. | Aims to prevent faults. |
| Inspectors usually check quality. | Employees take responsibility. |
| Often focuses on finished output. | Quality checked throughout production. |
| Faults may already have been produced. | Problems can be corrected earlier. |
Topic 4: Total Quality Management, Quality Circles and Quality Marks
Modern quality management focuses on prevention, continuous improvement and recognised standards.
12. Total Quality Management (TQM)
Everyone in the business is responsible for quality, not just inspectors.
13. Main Features of TQM
TQM involves:
- quality at every stage
- all employees taking responsibility
- continuous improvement
- preventing faults rather than correcting them later
- focusing on customer satisfaction.
14. Advantages of TQM
- Fewer defects. Problems are prevented before reaching customers.
- Lower costs. Less waste, reworking and replacement are required.
- Better reputation. Fewer complaints can improve brand image and increase sales.
15. Disadvantages of TQM
- Training can be expensive. All employees may need training.
- Requires commitment from everyone. TQM will not work effectively unless employees accept responsibility for quality.
16. Quality Circles
They support ideas such as TQM and Kaizen because workers are involved in improving quality.
17. Quality Marks
To obtain a quality mark, a business may have to:
- follow specified rules
- meet required standards
- undergo inspections.
The chapter gives ISO as an example of an organisation that provides recognised quality standards.
Benefits
A quality mark may:
- increase customer confidence
- improve the business's reputation
- help attract customers who look for recognised standards.
Topic 5: Quality in Service Businesses and Exam Focus
Quality-management methods apply to services as well as manufacturing.
18. Quality in Service Businesses
Quality is just as important for service businesses as for manufacturers.
A service business may improve quality through:
- staff training
- clear service standards
- monitoring customer service
- responding to customer feedback.
Key Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Quality | Producing a good or service that meets customer expectations. |
| Quality control | Checking products or services for faults using inspectors. |
| Quality assurance | Checking quality standards throughout the production process. |
| TQM | Continuous improvement with quality responsibility at every stage. |
| Quality circle | Group of workers who meet to discuss quality problems and improvements. |
| Quality mark | Recognition that a product or business meets specified quality standards. |
What Students Must Know for the Examination
Students should be able to:
- define quality
- explain why good quality is important to a business
- explain problems caused by poor quality
- define and explain quality control
- explain important advantages and disadvantages of quality control
- define and explain quality assurance
- explain important advantages and disadvantages of quality assurance
- distinguish between quality control and quality assurance
- explain the basic idea of TQM
- understand briefly how quality circles contribute to quality improvement
- explain why a business may want a recognised quality mark
- apply quality-management methods to both manufacturing and service businesses.