TQM WITH

QUALITY CIRCLE
AND QUALITY
ASSURANCE

The project is presented by

Name Roll No.

Tejal Darde 4

Smita Gujar 10

Aruna Gujarathi 11

Kavita Jadhav 14

Sonal Jethi 15
Praneela Patil 24

INDEX
SR.NO TOPIC NAME
1. INTRODUCTION OF TQM
2. FEATURES OF TQM
3. NEED OF TQM
4. PRINCIPLES OF TQM
5. BENEFITS OF TQM
6. ELEMENTS OF TQM
7. INTRODUCTION OF QUALITY CIRCLE
8. HISTORY OF QUALITY CIRCLE
9. NEED OF QUALITY CIRCLE
10. OBJECTIVES OF QUALITY CIRCLE
11. FUNCTIONS OF QUA;ITY CIRCLE
12. STRUCTURE OF QUALITY CIRCLE
13. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF QUALITY
CIRCLE
14. INTRODUCTION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
15. HISTORY OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
16. PRODUCT QUALITY ASSURANCE
17. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESS
18. QUALITY ASSURANCE IN SERVICE INDUSTRY
19. QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDIT
INTRODUCTION OF TOTAL QUALITY
MANAGEMENT (TQM)

Total Quality Management (or TQM) is a management concept coined by

W. Edwards Deming. TQM can be defined as follows: “ TQM is a management
approach that place emphasis on continuous improvement in quality, in the interest
of the organization and that of its customers.” The basis of TQM is to reduce the
errors produced during the manufacturing or service process, increase customer
satisfaction, streamline supply chain management, aim for modernization of
equipment and ensure workers have the highest level of training. The application
of TQM can vary tremendously from business to business, even across the same
industry. TQM is not a remedial procedure for better products. It is a march
towards excellence and perfection.

TQM is a management strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in

all organizational processes. TQM has been widely used in manufacturing,
education, government and service industries, as well as NASA space and science
programs. TQM is a strategic approach that focuses on production of best possible
product or service through constant innovation and timely action. It places
emphasis on prevention of errors rather than of its customers.”

What is TQM?

What is Quality?
• Quality is generally defined as conformance to requirements. It is also
conformance to a standard that is required. However, many consider that
quality need not just be conformance to requirements but should be an
assurance of being the best in the world of that type. In addition, it should
also keep a constancy of purpose.

What is Total Quality?

• Total quality refers not only to the product but also to the way the product is
made as well as presented to the customer. Total quality asks for customer
orientation, process orientation, people management and leadership. All
these are continuous processes.

What is TQM?
• TQM is a people driven process. It involves changes in people’s attitudes
primarily. In addition, it deals with process orientation and continuous
improvement of the process. It strives for empowerment and autonomy of
the people involved in using processes of production. It asks people to
continuously look for new ways to adapt to the changing environment. It is a
continuous improvement plan, with an effort to bring out the best for the
stakeholders as well as for the institution.

FEATURES OF TQM

• Customer focus:-
TQM places emphasis in meeting the requirements of both the
internal and the external customer. In order to meet the requirements
of the external customer, it is necessary to meet the needs of the
internal customer. If the internal customers’ requirements are agreed
and met, then it is possible to meet the requirements of the external
customers.

• Continuous process:-
TQM is a continuous process. Constant and continuous efforts are
made to improve the quality, and to reduce internal costs. Quality
improvements help the organization to face the challenges of the
 competitors and to meet the requirements of the customers. Reduction
in costs helps to generate higher returns to the organization. TQM is a
process which goes on forever, because at no time quality can be
100% right. There is always a possibility for new and better way of
doing things.

• Defect-free approach:-
TQM place emphasis on the defect free work most of the time. The
defect free approach is phrased in various ways as right first time,
working smarter or zero defects. The idea is to strive for perfection in
the work, the way a footballer aims to shoot the penalty kick or an
archer aims for the bull’s eye on a target.

• Employees involvement:-
In TQM everyone is involved in the process from the managing
director to the junior clerk or worker in the organization. It is not just
manufacturing people, but also the accounting, finance, marketing,
and even the canteen people are involved in TQM process.

• Recognition and rewards:-

Recognition and rewards is an integral part of company’s TQM
programme. Positive reinforcement through recognition and reward is
essential to maintain achievement and continuous improvement in
quality. Recognition is a means of encouraging individuals and groups
by acknowledging their achievements. Some examples of recognition
 are a letter of thanks, award of merit certificates, hosting of lunches or
dinners, presentation of achievement at management reviews, etc.
Rewards are in the form of financial benefits linked to performance.
This includes merit pay, promotion with higher status and pay, etc.

• Synergy in team work:-

The Japanese are great believers in synergy (to work together).
Engineers, technicians, and workers look upon themselves as equals
and communicate easily as, they work side by side.

• Techniques:-
TQM can take place by following various techniques such as quality
circles, value engineering, statistical process control, etc. it is also
possible to reduce time-consuming low value activities.

• System approach:-
TQM is a systems approach to managing business and improving
performance. The systems approach starts with the commitment and
leadership of the chief executive officer. Without the total
commitment on the part of chief executive officer & his senior
executives, TQM cannot take off to a good start.
 NEED OF TQM

• Customer satisfaction:-
TQM stresses the need to satisfy both the internal as well as the
external customer. ( internal customer refers to the person within the
company who receives the work of another and then adds his or her
contribution to the product or service before passing it on to someone
else. For example, in a restaurant, the chef has the waiters as internal
 customers and the chef must meet their requirements if they are to
please the guests.)
TQM must, focus on the customers, the eventual buyer of the product
or service. To do so, the initial focus should be on meeting the needs
of internal customer before all attempt is made to meet the
requirements of the external customer.

• Helps to face completion:-

A proper emphasis on TQM enables a company to face competition in
the market. The company may even come out as a winner or a leader.
This is because of high quality product, at the lowest possible cost,
produced by a dedicated team of work force.

• Goodwill:-
TQM generates name and reputation to the company in the market.
This is because of its constant efforts in bringing the improvement in
the products- design, variety, shape, size, colour, shade and other
features.
• Highly motivated personnel:-
TQM develops a sense of dedication and discipline in the employees.
There is willingness on the part of the employees to identify quality
improvements and waste elimination opportunities. The employees
become aware of their importance in the company’s performance and
progress. This leads to greater involvement and participation of the
employees.
 The employees receive recognition and rewards for their services,
those who perform exceptionally well or who provide valuable
suggestions are recognized with appreciation, and are rewarded with
promotion and monetary incentives. This results in enhanced ‘job
ownership’ of employees.

• Lower rejection rate:-

Internal rejection rate gets reduced considerably over a period of time.
Various initiatives such as quality circles, process control, right first
time approach, just in time approach, etc., enables the company to
reduce rejection rate.
The goods are produced at acceptable quality levels (AQL) or with
zero defects. Since TQM is widely followed in Japan, they are in a
position not only to manufacture the goods at acceptable quality levels
but with zero defects.

• Reduction in customer complaints:-

TQM results in less or no customer complaints. This is because the
products are built to specification with zero defects. Again, efforts are
made to improve upon the customer specification so as to provide
complete satisfaction.

• Better facilitates to employees:-

TQM results in higher benefits to the organsation in terms of
increased profits. This is because of higher sales, and cost reduction
 efforts on the part of the company. The higher profits are utilized in a
way to provide better facilities to the employees in terms of training,
salary, working conditions, amenities like canteen facilities, transport
facilities, recreation facilities, and so on.

• Expansion and diversification:-

TQM generates a good name in the market. It also brings in higher
returns. This enables a company to expand and diversify. The
company may be in a better position to introduce more brands or
product lines.

PRINCIPLES OF TQM
• The customer is the ultimate determiner of quality. Services and programs
should be designed, with the needs of the customer in mind. Therefore, it is
important to determine who the customers are and define their specific
needs.

• Quality should be built into the process from the beginning, and not simply
derive from customer complaints. All levels of an organization must be
involved in producing a quality product and not just try to modify it before
delivery.

• Achieving quality requires continuous improvements. Expectations of

customer are always changing and continue rising as quality management
begins to yield results. It is important to remember that when customers are
assessing quality, they are not simply comparing us to our performance last
year, but to every other organizations that is servicing their needs.

• Quality management requires the involvement of all staff and partners. Since
improved quality comes from improvements during the processes leading up
to the delivery of the product or service, all levels and divisions of an
organization must be involved in developing quality.
 BENEFITS OF TQM

A popular myth among military managers holds that increased quality results in
increased costs and decreased productivity. In reality, improved quality
ultimately results in decreased costs and increased productivity. How can this
be? A focus on quality extends the time between failures on equipment and
improves the efficiency of our operations. It reduces rework requirements as
well as the need for special waivers of standards. It also reduces mistakes
and produces monetary savings through more efficient use of scarce resources.

Direct benefits of TQM are as follows:

• Increased pride of workmanship among individual workers.

• Increased readiness.

• Improved sustainability caused by extended time between equipment failures.

• Greater mission survivability.

• Better justification for budgets because of more efficient operations.

• Streamlined maintenance and production processes.

 ELEMENTS OF TQM

1. Customer Focus:-
It is important to focus on the customer, both internal and external i.e., the
employees and the users of the end product - the students. In TQM parlance, the
customer is the next process and not just a person who pays for the product or
service. This concept helps to strengthen the co-operation within the organization,
eliminate internal competition and drives away fear.

2. Employee involvement:-
People at all levels make up an organization and their full involvement
enables their abilities to be used for an institution's benefit.

3. Continuous Improvement:-
There is a beginning to the process of TQM, but there is no end. Checking,
rechecking, valuation, revaluation, engineering and re-engineering are essential to
ensure continuous improvement.

4. Universal Responsibility:-
 A TQM leader has to learn that inspection is not a means to achieve quality.
One eliminates the need for inspection by building quality into the product in the
first place. TQM helps us to recognize the fact that it is we ourselves who
are responsible for quality work, not someone else who will check it after it is
done.

5. A Sustained Management Commitment to Quality:-

An organization’s performance and culture will ultimately reflect its senior
management's values. If an organizations serious about implementing TQM, the
commitment to do so has to start at the top, and the organization’s senior
management has to be unwavering in its commitment to quality.

6. Addressing Deficiencies:-
TQM is a management philosophy that seeks to prevent poor quality in
products and services, rather than simply to detect and sort out defects. "An ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

7. Quality Measurement:-
"If you do not know where you are going, you will probably end up
somewhere" is a saying particularly relevant to TQM. The quality measurement
aspect of TQM asks the question: where are we and where are we going? A basic
TQM concept is that quality is a measurable commodity, and in order to improve,
we need to know where we are (or stated differently, what the current quality
levels are), and we need to have some idea of where we are going (or what quality
levels we aspire to reach).
8. Benchmarking:-
Benchmarking consists of identifying other organizations that perform well
and incorporating their wisdom into one's organization. This TQM philosophy
consists of defining the competitors' best features from both internal and customer
perspectives, and then adapting the best practices of these organizations to one's
functioning.
 INTRODUCTION OF QUALITY CIRCLE

A quality circle is a volunteer group composed of workers (or

even students), usually under the leadership of their supervisor (but they can elect a
team leader), who are trained to identify, analyze and solve work-related problems
and present their solutions to management in order to improve the performance of
the organization, and motivate and enrich the work of employees. When matured,
true quality circles become self-managing, having gained the confidence of
management.

Quality circles are an alternative to the dehumanising concept of the division

of labour, where workers or individuals are treated like robots. They bring back the
concept of craftsmanship, which when operated on an individual basis is
uneconomic, but when used in group form (as is the case with quality circles), it
can be devastatingly powerful and enables the enrichment of the lives of the
workers or students and creates harmony and high performance in the workplace.
Typical topics are improving occupational safety and health, improving product
design, and improvement in the workplace and manufacturing processes.

The term quality circles derive from the concept of PDCA (Plan, Do, check,
Act) circles developed by Dr. W. Edward Deming. Quality circles are not normally
paid a share of the cost benefit of any improvements but usually a proportion of the
savings made is spent on improvements to the work environment.

They are formal groups. They meet at least once a week on company time
and are trained by competent persons (usually designated as facilitators) who may
be personnel and industrial relations specialists trained in human factors and the
basic skills of problem identification, information gathering and analysis, basic
statistics, and solution generation. Quality circles are generally free to select any
topic they wish (other than those related to salary and terms and conditions of
work, as there are other channels through which these issues are usually
considered). Quality circles have the advantage of continuity; the circle remains
intact from project to project. (For a comparison to Quality Improvement Teams,
see Juran's Quality by Design.

Quality Circle is one of the employee participation methods. It implies the

development of skills, capabilities, confidence and creativity of the people through
cumulative process of education, training, work experience and participation. It
also implies the creation of facilitative conditions and environment of work, which
creates and sustains their motivation and commitment towards work excellence.
Quality Circles have emerged as a mechanism to develop and utilize the
tremendous potential of people for improvement in product quality and
productivity.
 Quality Circle is a small group of 6 to 12 employees doing similar work who
voluntarily meet together on a regular basis to identify improvements in their
respective work areas using proven techniques for analyzing and solving work
related problems coming in the way of achieving and sustaining excellence leading
to mutual upliftment of employees as well as the organization. It is "a way of
capturing the creative and innovative power that lies within the work force".

The concept of Quality Circle is primarily based upon recognition of the

value of the worker as a human being, as someone who willingly activises on his
job, his wisdom, intelligence, experience, attitude and feelings. It is based upon the
human resource management considered as one of the key factors in the
improvement of product quality & productivity. Quality Circle concept has three
major attributes:

a. Quality Circle is a form of participation management.

b. Quality Circle is a human resource development technique.

c. Quality Circle is a problem solving technique.

 HISTORY OF QUALITY CIRCLE
Quality circles were first established in Japan in 1962; Kaoru Ishikawa has
been credited with their creation. The movement in Japan was coordinated by
the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE). The first circles were
established at the Nippon Wireless and Telegraph Company but then spread to
more than 35 other companies in the first year. By 1978 it was claimed that there
were more than one million Quality Circles involving some 10 million Japanese
workers. There are now Quality Circles in most East Asian countries; it was
recently claimed that there were more than 20 million Quality Circles in China.

Quality circles have been implemented even in educational sectors in India,

and QCFI (Quality Circle Forum of India) is promoting such activities. However
this was not successful in the United States, as it (was not properly understood
and) turned out to be a fault-finding exercise although some circles do still exist.
ref Don Dewar who together with Wayne Ryker and Jeff Beardsley first
established them in 1972 at the Lockheed Space Missile Factory in California.
 There are different quality circle tools, namely:

 The Ishikawa or fishbone diagram - which shows hierarchies of causes

contributing to a problem

 The Pareto Chart - which analyses different causes by frequency to illustrate the
vital cause,

 Process Mapping, Data gathering tools such as Check Sheets and graphical
tools such as histograms, frequency diagrams, spot charts and pie charts

NEED OF QUALITY CIRCLE

The need for public and private businesses to improve quality of services is
no longer an option but a necessity. Since the early 1960’s businesses across the
Globe have been searching for ways to improve overall operational efficiency.
This trend has been more heightened with the onset of free open trade and
Customers demanding so much more for their dollars.

Some organizations have successfully implemented the use of quality circles

as part of an ongoing improvement programme. Others have experimented with
quality circles with the best intentions and faced several obstacle, but what is true
is that this type of participatory management brings several benefits to all
concerned.
 OBJECTIVES OF QUALITY CIRCLE

The objective of QCC is to improve and upgrade quality of work through:

(a) The problem solving capability of the workers;

(b) Team work;

(c) The cultivation and assimilation of positive values and work ethics;

(d) Involvement and interest in work;

(e) High motivation for work; and

(f) Awareness of responsibility towards oneself, the group, the department / office
and the nation.
 FUNCTIONS OF QUALITY CIRCLE

A group of employees who perform similar duties and meet at periodic

intervals, often with management, to discuss work-related issues and to offer
suggestions and ideas for improvements, as in production methods or quality
control. The ideal size of a quality circle is from eight to ten members.

Quality circles are also commonly known as work improvement or quality

teams, but no matter the name, their functions share similar characteristics.
Generally, the quality circle is a small group of employees who voluntarily
meet at regular times to identify, analyze and solve quality and other
problems in their working environment.

Quality circles can recommend and implement improvement strategies and

be a useful reservoir for the generation of new ideas. Normally, members of a
quality circle face and share similar problems in their daily work lives and create
a programme to tap human creative energy that is capable of generating handsome
rewards.
 STRUCTURE OF QUALITY CIRCLE

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. TOP MANAGEMENT:
The success of the quality circles depends solely on the attitude of the Top
management and plays an important role to ensure the success of
implementation of quality circles in the organization.

2. STEERING COMMITTEE:
Steering committee called middle management consists of chief executive
heads of different divisions or a coordinator plays a positive role in quality
circles activities for the success of the efforts. The meetings are conveyed at
 least once in one to two months interval. This is at the top of the structure. It
is headed by a senior executive and includes representatives from the top
management personnel and human resources development people. It
establishes policy, plans and directs the program and meets usually once in a
month.

3. CO-ORDINATOR:
Co-ordinator also acts as facilitators is an individual responsible for
coordinating and directing the quality circles activities within an
organization and carries out such functions as would make the operations.
He may be a Personnel or Administrative officer who co-ordinates and
supervises the work of the facilitators and administers the programme.

4. FACILITATOR:
Facilitator also acts as a catalyst, innovator, promoter and teacher and is
nominated by the management. He may be a senior supervisory officer. He
co-ordinates the works of several quality circles through the Circle leaders.

(i) Communicating with all levels of management and obtaining their

support and assistance;

(ii) Providing training to QCC leaders and assisting in training of QCC

members where required;
 (iii) Maintaining an open and supportive environment;

(iv) Ensuring QCC members direct their activities to work-related

problems;

(v) As a mediator in problem-solving;

(vi) As a resource person to the Circle; and

(vii) Evaluating the costs and benefits of the QCC programme and
reporting to the Management.

1. LEADER:
Leader of the quality circles is chosen by the members among
themselves and they may decide to have a leader by rotation since the
members are the basic elements of the structure of quality circle.
(i) Training members on problems-solving techniques with
the assistance of the facilitator where required;
 (ii) Responsible for the smooth operation of QCC activities and fostering the
spirit of cooperation and harmony among members;

(iii) Assisting the Circle members in record keeping and in the preparation
of management presentations;

(iv) Conducting meetings in an orderly and effective manner;

(v) Showing interest and support to the Circle;

(vi) Encouraging other workers to become members;

(vii) Assisting members in problem-solving; and

(i) Enforcing team discipline.

1. MEMBERS:
Members of the quality circles are the small group of people from the
same work area or doing similar type of work whereas non-members are
those who are not members of the quality circle but may be involved in
the circle recommendation.
(i) Attending meetings regularly;

(ii) Directing their efforts towards solving work-related problems;

(iii) Identifying problems, contributing ideas, undertaking research and
investigation (where necessary) and assisting the QCC in problem-
solving.

(iv) Participating in management presentations.

INTRODUCTION OF QUALITY
ASSURANCE
 Quality assurance is the main pillar of any business. Whatever is the
business, either finance or a storage facility or any service, quality is the most
important aspect, which affects the level of success of the business. Being an
entrepreneur, one should never ever compromise with the quality aspect. The
popularity of your product or service will enhance, only if you provide quality.
Low price is also another way to increase sales. But, if your product or service
does not have standard quality, then a customer will never use it in future, even if it
has the lowest price. Thus, you have to assure the quality of your product or
service by conducting some scientific measures.

Quality assurance, QA, refers to planned and systematic production

processes that provide confidence in a product's suitability for its intended purpose.
It is a set of activities intended to ensure that products (goods and/or services)
satisfy customer requirements in a systematic, reliable fashion. QA cannot
absolutely guarantee the production of quality products, unfortunately, but makes
this more likely.

Two key principles characterize QA: "fit for purpose" (the product should be
suitable for the intended purpose) and "right first time" (mistakes should be
eliminated). QA includes regulation of the quality of raw materials, assemblies,
products and components; services related to production; and management,
production and inspection processes.

Quality assurance is the process of verifying or determining whether

products or services meet or exceed customer expectations. Quality assurance is a
process-driven approach with specific steps to help define and attain goals. This
process considers design, development, production, and service.

The most popular tool used to determine quality assurance is the Shewhart
Cycle, developed by Dr. W. Edwards Deming. This cycle for quality assurance
consists of four steps: Plan, Do, Check, and Act. These steps are commonly
abbreviated as PDCA.

The four quality assurance steps within the PDCA model stand for:

• Plan: Establish objectives and processes required to deliver the desired

results.

• Do: Implement the process developed.

• Check: Monitor and evaluate the implemented process by testing the results
against the predetermined objectives

• Act: Apply actions necessary for improvement if the results require changes.

✔ Quality Assurance (QA) is a way for your organization to make sure that it
is always delivering the best it can to its service users, members, volunteers
and funders.
✔ A QA system is a way of checking, through continuous monitoring and
evaluation of your performance and through the collection of evidence, that
your organization is continuously improving what it does and how it does it.
✔ QA can also be a way of measuring what your organization does against
other organizations doing similar work or against set, recognized standards.
✔ This system of checking your organization’s quality is an ongoing process.
The monitoring of what your organization does and how it does it is
continuous to ensure that you are always meeting the new standards that are
always developing.
 HISTORY OF QUALITY ASSURANCE

Early efforts to control the quality of production

Early civil engineering projects needed to be built from specifications, for

example the four sides of the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza were required to
be perpendicular to within 3.5arcseconds.

During the Middle Ages, guilds adopted responsibility for quality control of
their members, setting and maintaining certain standards for guild membership.

Royal governments purchasing material were interested in quality control as

customers. For this reason, King John of England appointed William Wrotham to
report about the construction and repair of ships. Centuries later, Samuel Pepys,
Secretary to the British Admiralty, appointed multiple such overseers.

Prior to the extensive division of labor and mechanization resulting from

the Industrial Revolution, it was possible for workers to control the quality of their
own products. Working conditions then were arguably more conducive to
professional pride.

The Industrial Revolution led to a system in which large groups of people

performing a similar type of work were grouped together under the supervision of
a foreman who was appointed to control the quality of work manufactured.
Wartime production

Around the time of World War I, manufacturing processes typically became

more complex with larger numbers of workers being supervised. This period saw
the widespread introduction of mass and piecework, which created problems as
workmen could now earn more money by the production of extra products, which
in turn led to bad workmanship being passed on to the assembly lines.

To counter bad workmanship, full time inspectors were introduced into

the factory to identify, quarantine and ideally correct product quality failures.
Quality control by inspection in the 1920s and 1930s led to the growth of quality
inspection functions, separately organized from production and big enough to be
headed by superintendents.

The systematic approach to quality started in industrial manufacture during

the 1930s, mostly in the USA, when some attention was given to the cost
of scrap and rework. With the impact of mass production, which was required
during the Second World War, it became necessary to introduce a more
appropriate form of quality control which can be identified as Statistical Quality
Control, or SQC. Some of the initial work for SQC is credited to Walter A.
Shewhart of Bell Labs, starting with his famous one-page memorandum of 1924.

SQC came about with the realization that quality cannot be fully inspected
into an important batch of items. By extending the inspection phase and making
inspection organizations more efficient, it provides inspectors with control tools
such as sampling and control charts, even where 100 per cent inspection is not
practicable. Standard statistical techniques allow the producer to sample and test a
certain proportion of the products for quality to achieve the desired level of
confidence in the quality of the entire batch or production run.

Postwar

In the period following World War II, many countries' manufacturing

capabilities that had been destroyed during the war were rebuilt. The U.S.
sent General Douglas MacArthur to oversee the re-building of Japan. During this
time, General MacArthur involved two key individuals in the development of
modern quality concepts: W. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran. Both individuals
promoted the collaborative concepts of quality to Japanese business and technical
groups, and these groups utilized these concepts in the redevelopment of the
Japanese economy.

Although there were many individuals trying to lead United States industries
towards a more comprehensive approach to quality, the U.S. continued to apply the
Quality Control (QC) concepts of inspection and sampling to remove defective
product from production lines, essentially ignoring advances in QA for decades.
 PRODUCT QUALITY ASSURANCE
Understanding Product Quality Assurance

The term Product Quality Assurance has a very wide scope. Let us try to
understand it. During the entire product lifecycle from concept to
obsolescence, various activities are performed. It is important to assure the
quality at each stage in order to meet the customer requirements
consistently.

Given below are the product quality assurance activities at each stage of
product lifecycle

Introduction

In this stage, the concept is developed and the product is designed and
introduced into the market. Product quality assurance plays a critical role
during this stage. It decides the customer requirements and based on that
decides the product requirements. During the design stage, quality control
evaluates and validates the product i.e. the quality control engineer will
compare the product designed with respect to the product and customer
requirements and confirm whether the design would meet them. Once the
product is validated, it is released for manufacturing. Quality control also
has to make sure that the processes being used to manufacture and inspect
the product are correct. They also have to create the standard inspection
procedures, which are used by quality control to do periodic inspection of
the products.

Growth

During this stage, the demand for a product increases and so the quantity of
production increases. At this stage, the role of quality control is to make sure
that in the race to manufacture more, the organization does not compromises
on quality. The processes for higher production have to be implemented.
Since during this stage the competition increases and the costs have to be
kept low, various low cost alternatives are explored. If some processes
involved in manufacturing the product are outsourced then product quality
control also has to ensure that the processes followed by the vendor are
capable of delivering the required quality.

Maturity

During the maturity stage, the competition further increases and the pressure
on margins is felt. Moreover, with various options available, the customers
become more demanding. Value for money is the theme. Role of quality
control almost remains similar to the one during the growth stage.

Decline
During this stage, the alternate products start eating up the market share and
hence sales start declining. Product quality control has a little role to play
during this stage. The most important role to be played during this stage is
planning for the obsolescence of the existing product.

Apart from these roles, some product quality control roles remain active
throughout the life of the product. Product quality audit is one such role
wherein the quality control team does random audits of the products ready to
be dispatched to the customers. This is generally done in order to keep a
check on the entire process of procurement, production, and inspection.

Another such role is handling customer complaint. During the entire life of
the product, there will be customer complaints because of some errors
during the process or due to component quality or due to the misuse of the
product. The product quality control has to find out the root cause of the
complaints and put processes in place to ensure that such occurrences do not
get repeated.
 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESS

Steps In Quality Assurance Process

The product quality assurance process is a series of steps taken at the

different stages of the product life cycle i.e. from the product concept to the
launch of the product to its obsolescence.

Define the Objectives

The first step while undertaking QA of any project is to define its

requirements. For e.g. if the quality planning process has to be evolved for
launching a new product or service in the market, then the first step in
quality planning should be to understand and document the need of this
project and its ultimate goal. At this stage, it is necessary to document the
quality goals. These goals should be set according to the quality standards,
customer requirements, with reference to the organizations own benchmark
performance, competitors performance, according to the law and so on.

Understanding Customer Needs

The next step in product QA process involves knowing and understanding
the needs of the customers. All these needs should be fully explained and
documented so that it can be accessed by all the involved personnel
whenever required. There are two kinds of customers, i.e. internal and
external customers. For example, the manufacturing department is an
internal customer of the design department as the designs for manufacturing
are supplied by them. Similarly, there are many other internal customers in
an organization. So, it is necessary to understand the needs of both internal
and external customers.

Designing the Product

The product should be designed keeping in view the quality goals and needs
of the customers defined in step 1 and step 2 respectively. The cost benefit
analysis also has to be done in order to ensure that the product will be
manufactured at low cost with high quality in order to be successful in the
market.

Product Pilot Testing

Once the product design is ready, the next step of QA process is product
testing. The pilot batch of the product is manufactured. The product is tested
for various attributes in accordance with the standards, customer
requirements, and regulatory requirements. This is to ensure that the product
meets the set goals. Once everything is found satisfactory, the product is
approved.
Process Development

Once the product design has been approved, the entire lists of tasks and
activities that will be required for manufacturing the product are listed. The
workflow plan is developed. The teams are formed and given specific
responsibilities. The timelines for each and every task are specified. Process
capability is also measured during this stage of QA process to ensure that the
processes are capable of meeting design requirements.

Start Manufacturing

Once the processes are developed, the required process controls are put in
place. Tools like process failure mode and effects analysis are used to
identify the likely modes of failures of the process and the effect of those
failures on the product performance. Actions are initiated for high-risk
items. Audits are planned to periodically measure the performance and give
feedback to the manufacturing and design department.

Life Cycle Management

During the life of the product, the quality will be periodically monitored
through inspections and audits. These inputs will result in improvements of
the processes or the product design. Customer complaints, if any, will also
act as inputs for product and process corrections and improvements.

Hence, the product quality assurance process plays an important role during
the entire life of the product to ensure that the customer gets a quality
product.
QUALITY ASSURANCE IN SERVICE INDUSTRY
How Quality Assurances Are Implements in Service Industry

Quality assurances are very important for the service industry in order to
deliver services in accordance to the expectation of the customers. With so
much competition in the market today, the importance of delivering quality
service cannot be overlooked. However, maintaining and delivering quality
services is not very easy as the expectations and needs of customers are
different and ever-changing. Also, it is difficult to measure quality
parameters in the service industry.

Hence, more and more service industries are nowadays implementing QA

systems that help them to improve their services and woo their customers.
Each service industry is different and has different ways to implement
quality assurances procedures and systems.

Steps To Implement QA in Service Industry

Identify the Expectations of the Customers

The company has to first identify the expectations of their customers. To
know the feedback and expectations of the clients and customers, the
organizations can use feedback forms, market surveys, secret shoppers etc.
The customer feedback can also be used to set performance standards. Like,
the organization can set the performance standard as 90 percent of customer
satisfaction score and so on.

Determine the Standards

Depending on the feedback and the expectations, the organization can

determine its quality standards. For example - A restaurant that wants to
improve its quality should set goals for itself like minimum time to deliver
the orders, quality of food, providing good experience to the customers,
reducing wastage etc. In a similar manner each industry like hospitals, spas,
property management services, banks etc should set their own quality
standards.

Measure and Compare Performance

The current performance should then be measured. This current performance

can be also compared with target quality standards to find the gap.

Analyze

The organization should find the cause of the gap. The entire workforce
should be encouraged to participate in the process so that they can help to
find the root cause of customer complaints and dissatisfaction. The various
departments of the organizations should work proactively to analyze the
present situation.

Plan

Depending upon the gap and the problems, the organization should plan to
achieve its set quality goals. Various teams can be formed in order to
address different areas identified in the gap. These teams should be given a
time target to bridge that gap.

Control

Once the organization achieves its set quality goals, the final step should be
to maintain it consistently. This can only be possible if the changes made to
achieve the target have been made part of the quality systems and are
reviewed periodically.

This type of approach used in service industry for quality assurances is also
known as DMAIC approach, which means Define, Measure, Analyze,
Improve, and Control. The organization can implement these systems on its
own, if it has trained and experienced QA staff. Else, the organization can
hire the QA management services. These services help the organizations to
improve their quality, increase customer satisfaction, train employees,
ensure compliance with standards, market surveys etc. The organizations
that have successfully implemented QA systems benefit from the increased
margins, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, expansion, and satisfied
workforce.
 QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDIT
Types of Quality Assurance Audits

Quality assurance audit is performed in order to ensure that the systems are
in place and being followed religiously to provide good quality to the
customers. It also highlights the need for any improvement in the systems in
order to consistently deliver good quality products or services. The audits
are also performed to make sure that the organization is following the legal
and regulatory requirements. Some audits are conducted by internal auditors
whereas some are performed by external ones.

Various Quality Assurance Audit Types Are

System Audit

The organization has various systems which when put together make a
whole system. A system audit is an audit performed on any of these systems.
Any non-conformity during a system audit is critical, since if the system
itself is wrong, the output is likely to be wrong.

Product or Service Audit

The product or service audit is performed on the product or service to find

out if the product or service meets the requirements of the customers and the
standards set by the organization. There are various stages at which this can
be performed. It could be during the process of product manufacturing, after
the product has been manufactured, or even after the product is packed and
ready to be delivered to the customer. The nonconformities found during this
quality assurance audit are taken very seriously, since all these
nonconformities are equivalent to customer complaints.

Department Audit

As the name suggests, the department audit is performed with a focus on a

given department. The scope of the audit covers all the activities performed,
all the procedures followed and all the systems available in the department.
This audit highlights the areas for improvement in that department.

Process Audit

Various processes are critical for the smooth running of an organization.

Actually speaking, all the activities from order inquiry to delivery of
products follow a defined process in any organization. Hence, an audit of
such processes is performed to identify the areas for improvement. Process
audit also covers the audit of some special manufacturing processes that are
critical for the quality of the end product. These processes may be in-house
or at the suppliers place, the one to whom that process has been outsourced
to.

Conformance Audit

The external parties normally perform this QA audit. It is a form of third

party audit where the auditing party evaluates if the organization does meet
the requirements as are supposed to by the systems. This could also be for
any kind of system certifications that organizations wish to apply for. The
certificate-awarding agency also conducts the conformance audit
periodically to make sure that the organization is meeting the certification
requirements.

Compliance Audit

Compliance audit is performed by regulatory agencies to confirm if the

organization is meeting the legal and regulatory requirements. In case of any
non-conformity, a re-audit may be required. The purpose of the re-audit is to
ensure the effectiveness of the corrective actions taken.

The output of the audit is an audit report that is circulated to all the
concerned people. The purpose of any type of QA audit is not to find
mistakes, but to find the areas for improvements. If it is taken by the auditor
and the audited party in this spirit, the organization can be sure that it is on
the path to improvement and will be able to consistently meet all customers,
system, legal or regulatory requirements.