Quality

Good Afternoon. Today’s presentation is about Quality Assurance, a very important topic within Operations Management.

In order to introduce this topic I would like you to imagine your fridge has broken and you are buying a new one. You will base your decision on two criteria, first of all price, you want the most profitable fridge, and secondly quality. We studied that business was about satisfying consumers’ needs and wants and quality are those features of a product or a service that allow it to satisfy customers’ wants.

Turning back to the example of the fridge, imagine you go to an appliances store to buy the perfect fridge. There are tons of them, lots of different models. There are white fridges, aluminium fridges, vintage fridges, colored ones... you may want a certain style, and the physical appearance of them will help you to decide buying one or another.

Another quality feature you will consider is reliability and durability, you want it to last and you will prefer a fridge that lasts for 10 years better than one that only lasts one year.

Then you see a fridge that has water and ice dispenser, you go crazy, you need it, the special features that a product has is what makes a product unique and is a decisive factor in business.

Maintenance is also a feature to take into account, does the shop carry out maintenance? Spare parts are also important, as if a component breaks you can replace it with a new one and you don’t have to buy a new fridge again...

You may also consider suitability, you want it to fit perfectly in your kitchen or after sales service, how prompt will delivery be?

Finally other features to be considered are image and reputation of the firm, you will prefer a fridge that is SIEMENS or BOSCH than one that is not recognized.  

You will bear in mind all these features and finally buy the best fridge.

Legislation and competition has also forced firms to improve the quality of their products, they are also concerned about the quality of their design, the ideas or plans for the product or service.

Poor design may lead to problems with the materials and the functions of the finished good or service. It costs time and money to redesign products, and probably consumers may not use again products of businesses with poor designs.

Firms are also concerned about the quality of their production processes, the methods used to manufacture the goods or provide the services. Faulty products are costly for a business, machinery that breaks down or constantly needs to be repaired is also expensive and late delivery and ineffective productivity can harm a business’ reputation.

TRADITIONAL QUALITY CONTROL

Traditionally, in manufacturing, production departments have been responsible for ensuring quality. Their objectives might have been to make sure that products:

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