Proceedings of the National Conference on

Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,

YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
Mohit Singh1, I.A. Khan2, Sandeep Grover3
1

Research Scholar, Dept. of Mech Engg., Faculty of Engg. & Tech., Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Professor, Dept. of Mech. Engg., Faculty of Engg. & Tech., Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
3
Professor & Head, Chariman-Mech. Engg. Dept., YMCA University of Sci. & Tech., Faridabad (HR), India.
e-mail: sinmohit@gmail.com
2

Abstract:
Globalization, intense competitive environment, customer awareness etc. forces the manufacturing industries to offer
higher product quality which is the main requirement to gain global market share. Satisfying the customer with high
quality products in the shortest time possible at lowest cost is the key to success of any organization in the market.
To cope up and retain the position in this environment, it is a necessary requirement for any manufacturing industry
to keep focusing on quality management. Managing well quality management within the industry is not possible
without adequate knowledge of quality tool and techniques. The main aim of this paper is to highlight all major
quality tools and techniques used for quality management in a manufacturing industry. The tools and techniques are
segregated under four headings and explained briefly.

1. Introduction:
Manufacturing Industries are under increasingly diverse and mounting pressures due to more sophisticated markets,
changing customer choice and global competition. The market for products is becoming increasingly international
(Dangayach and Deshmukh, 2003). They must understand how changes in their competitive environment are
unfolding. Industries should actively look for opportunities to exploit their strategic abilities, adapt and seek
improvements in every area of the business, building on awareness and understanding of current strategies and
successes (Papulova & Papulova, 2006). Accordingly, measures of modern quality management aiming for
sustainable success do not only mean to avoid the delivery of defective products to the customer but seek to establish
maximum efficiency in the performance of all processes of the company. With such optimized procedures, products
of high quality can be provided with minimum effort of time and costs (Werner & Weckenmann, 2012). To achieve a
positive ranking and thus assure a high level of perceived quality, the company has to find a suitable position in the
triangle of conflicting requirements on quality, costs and time (W. Geiger, 1994).
Quality management theory has been influenced by the contributions made by quality leaders (Crosby, 1979;
Deming, 1982; Ishikawa, 1985; Juran, 1988; Feigenbaum, 1991). Table 1 shows the empirical studies leading to a
scale of Quality management (Juan Jos Tar&
Vicente Sabater, 2004).

Authors
Saraph et al.
(1989)
Flynn et al.
(1994)
Badri et al.
(1995)
Black and Porter
(1995)
Ahire et al.
(1996)
Grandzol and
Gershon (1998)

Table 1. Empirical research of quality management

Purpose
Critical factors identified
Develop an instrument for measuring critical
factors of quality management
Develop an instrument based on empirical and
practitioner literature
Additional assessment of instrument proposed
by Saraph, Benson and Schroeder
Identify a set of critical factors of TQM

8 factors with 66 items

Identify constructs of TQM and develop scales

for measuring these constructs
Develop and test an instrument for use in TQM
research

12 factors with 50 items

853

7 major dimensions with 48 items

8 factors with 66 items
10 factors with 32 items

7 exogenous factors with 39 items

and 6 endogenous factors with 23

Proceedings of the National Conference on

Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

Authors

Quazi et al.
(1998)
Rao et al. (1999)

Purpose

Critical factors identified

items
Corroborate the results of the study developed
16 factors with 78 items
by Saraph, Benson and Schroeder
Develop a valid instrument for key dimensions 13 factors with 62 items
of quality management in the international
context
[source: Juan Jos Tar&
Vicente Sabater, 2004]

2. Quality tools & techniques for quality management:

A single tool is a device with a clear function, and is usually applied on its own, whereas a technique has a wider
application and is understood as a set of tools (McQuater et al., 1995). Thus, Ishikawa (1985) and McConnell
(1989)have identified a list of seven TQM tools: flow charts, cause and effect diagrams, Pareto charts, histograms,
run charts and graphs, X bar and R control charts and scatter diagrams. Also, Imai (1986), Dean and Evans
(1994), Goetsch and Davis (1997), Dale (1999), and Evans and Lindsay (1999) have offered a list of tools and
techniques for quality improvement. For their part, Dale and McQuater (1998) have identified the tools and
techniques most widely used by firms, as shown in Table 2.

The seven basic quality

control tools

Table 2. Commonly used tools and techniques

The seven
Other tools
management tools

Cause and effect diagram

Check sheet

Affinity diagram
Arrow diagram

Brainstorming
Control plan

Control chart
Flow Chart

Matrix diagram
Matrix data analysis

Force field analysis

Questionnaire

Histogram

Process decision
program chart
Relations diagram
Systematic diagram

Sampling

Pareto diagram
Scatter diagram

Techniques
Benchmarking
Departmental purpose
analysis
Design of experiments
Failure mode and effects
analysis
Fault tree analysis
Poka yoke
Problem solving
methodology
Quality costing
Quality function
deployment
Quality improvement
teams
Statistical process control

[source: Dale and McQuater, (1998)]

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Proceedings of the National Conference on

Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Top 20 Quality Tools & Techniques: SupplierCustomer Ranking

SME (Supplier)a
Large Firm (Customer)b
1-20 =Most to least used
1-20 =Most to least used
Brainstorming
Process capability
Barcharts
Just in Time
Improve internal Process
Productivity improvement
Check sheet
Lean
ISO 9001:2000
Statistical process control
Flow charts
ISO 9001:2000
Lean
Total Quality Management
Process capability
Self assessments
Self assessments
Material requirements planning
Statistical process control
Improve internal process
Material requirements planning
Kanban
Plan, do, check, act, cycle
Matrix data analysis
Matrix data analysis
Bar charts
Just in time
Plan, do, check, act, cycle
Kanban
Brainstorming
Suggestion scheme
Flowcharts
Tally charts
Suggestion schemes
Productivity improvement
Tally charts
Tree diagrams
Check sheets
Total Quality Management
Tree diagrams
[source: Jones, Thomas & Thomas, 2007]

2.1 Seven basic quality tools

Cause and effect diagram: A Cause-and-Effect Diagram is a tool that helps identify, sort, and display possible
causes of a specific problem or quality characteristic. It graphically illustrates the relationship between a given
outcome and all the factors that influence the outcome. This type of diagram is sometimes called an "Ishikawa
diagram" because it was invented by Kaoru Ishikawa, or a "fishbone diagram" because of the way it looks.

Check Sheet: The check sheet is a simple document that is used for collecting data in real-time and at the
location where the data is generated. The document is typically a blank form that is designed for the quick, easy,
and efficient recording of the desired information, which can be either quantitative or qualitative.

Control Chart: A control chart is a statistical tool used to distinguish between variation in a process resulting
from common causes and variation resulting from special causes. It presents a graphic display of process
stability or instability over time.

Flow chart: The Flow Chart provides a visual representation of the steps in a process or a diagram that uses
graphic symbols to depict the nature and flow of the steps in a process.

Histogram: One uses this graph to show frequency distributions. It looks very much like a bar chart. This chart
graphs data distributions. If you have numerical, variable, continuous data you can use this chart. The chart
organizes and sorts the data. It shows the data in a pictorial format.

Pareto Diagram: A Pareto chart, named after Vilfredo Pareto, is a type of chart that contains both bars and
a line graph, where individual values are represented in descending order by bars, and the cumulative total is
represented by the line.
A simple rule, pareto, 20 % issues causes 80 % results.
This means, 80 % if problems come from 20 of reasons.
80 % of results come from 20% of work. 80% of cost comes from 20% of spent area...and so on.
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Proceedings of the National Conference on

Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

Scatter diagram: It is used to determine if there is a relationship or correlation between two variables. It is
used to display what happens to one variable when another variable changes in order to test a theory that the two
variables are related. The data displayed on the scatter diagram clearly show if there is a positive, negative or no
relationship between the two variables.

2.2 The seven management tools

Affinity diagram: An Affinity Diagram is a tool that gathers large amounts of language data (ideas, opinions,
issues) and organizes them into groupings based on their natural relationships. The Affinity process is often used
to group ideas generated by Brainstorming. It may be used in situations that are unknown or unexplored by a
team, or in circumstances that seem confusing or disorganized, such as when people with diverse experiences
form a new team, or when members have incomplete knowledge of the area of analysis.

Arrow diagram: The arrow diagram shows the required order of tasks in a project or process, the best schedule
for the entire project, and potential scheduling and resource problems and their solutions. The arrow diagram lets
you calculate the critical path of the project. This is the flow of critical steps where delays will affect the
timing of the entire project and where addition of resources can speed up the project.

Matrix diagram: The matrix diagram shows the relationship between two, three or four groups of information.
It also can give information about the relationship, such as its strength, the roles played by various individuals or
measurements.

Matrix data analysis: A complex mathematical technique for analyzing matrices, often replaced in this list by
the similar prioritization matrix. One of the most rigorous, careful and time-consuming of decision-making
tools, a prioritization matrix is an L-shaped matrix that uses pairwise comparisons of a list of options to a set of
criteria in order to choose the best option(s).

Process decision: The process decision program chart (PDCP) systematically identifies what might go wrong in
a plan under development. Countermeasures are developed to prevent or offset those problems. By using PDPC,
you can either revise the plan to avoid the problems or be ready with the best response when a problem occurs.

Relations Diagrams: These are drawn to show all the different relationships between factors, areas, or
processes. Just as importantly, the process of creating a relations diagram helps a group analyze the natural links
between different aspects of a complex situation.

Systematic diagram: The tree diagram also known as systematic diagram starts with one item that branches
into two or more, each of which branch into two or more, and so on. It looks like a tree, with trunk and multiple
branches. It is used to break down broad categories into finer and finer levels of detail. Developing the tree
diagram helps you move your thinking step by step from generalities to specifics.

2.3 Other tools

Brainstorming: Brainstorming is a simple way for a group to generate multiple ideas such as possible solutions
to a known problem. When you need as many ideas as possible. The classic method of round-the-table
suggestions helps solve process improvement problems.

Control Plan: It is a management tool to identify and monitor the activity required to control the critical inputs
or key outputs for a process so the process will continually meet its product or service goals. Control plans are
usually monitored at least by Quality Assurance, departments using inspection procedures and sometimes using
quality function deployment methods. Control charts are typically used in a control plan to monitor items.

Force Field Analysis: It is a useful decision-making technique. It helps us in making a decision by analyzing
the forces for and against a change, and it helps you communicate the reasoning behind your decision.
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Proceedings of the National Conference on

Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

Questionnaire: It is a list of questions designed to collect specific information. A questionnaire is a research

instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from
respondents. Although they are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the
case.

Sampling: A process used in statistical analysis in which a predetermined number of observations will be taken
from a larger population. The methodology used to sample from a larger population will depend on the type of
analysis being performed, but will include simple random sampling, systematic sampling and observational
sampling.

2.4 Techniques

Benchmarking: Benchmarking is a self-improvement tool for organisations. It allows them to compare

themselves with others, to identify their comparative strengths and weaknesses and learn how to improve.
Benchmarking is a way of finding and adopting best practices.

Departmental Purpose Analysis: Department purpose analysis (DPA) is a process for applying the concepts
and principles of management in a practical way. It is designed to ensure that a department, team or group is
achieving goals that contribute to the company's strategy and overall goals, and that the department's activities
add value. A key step in the process is a clear focus on agreeing, measuring and meeting customer (internal and
external) requirements.

Design of Experiments: DOE is a systematic approach to investigation of a system or process. A series of

structured tests are designed in which planned changes are made to the input variables of a process or system.
The effects of these changes on a pre-defined output are then assessed.
Failure Mode Effect Analysis: Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a systematic, proactive method
for evaluating a process to identify where and how it might fail and to assess the relative impact of different
failures, in order to identify the parts of the process that are most in need of change.

Fault Tree Analysis: Fault tree analysis (FTA) is a top down, deductive failure analysis in which an undesired
state of a system is analyzed using Boolean logic to combine a series of lower-level events. This analysis
method is mainly used in the field of safety engineering and Reliability engineering to determine the probability
of a safety accident or a particular system level (functional) failure.

Poka Yoke: Poka Yoke is any process that can stop mistakes being created, thereby ensuring that there are no
defects within the production process. So if a machine is designed to stop or at least sound a warning signal if it
is not aligned correctly then this is Poka Yoke in action. The operator will be alerted to the fact that the
machine has not been correctly aligned and instead of faulty goods being created, or the machine continuing and
then perhaps breaking down the operator will take the necessary steps to ensure that the problem is resolved
before the faulty goods are created or before the machine breaks down.

Problem Solving Methodology: The process of working through details of a problem to reach a solution.
Problem solving may include mathematical or systematic operations and can be a gauge of an individual's
critical thinking skills.

Quality Costing: Quality Costing provides pragmatic advice on how to set about introducing and developing a
quality costing system and using the data that emerges. Quality costs help to show the importance of qualityrelated activities to management; they demonstrate the cost of nonquality to an organization; they track the
causes and effects of the problem, enabling the working out of solutions using quality improvement teams, and
then monitoring progress (Dale & Plunkett, 1999).

Quality Function Deployment: Quality Function Deployment is a systematic approach to design based on a
close awareness of customer desires, coupled with the integration of corporate functional groups. It consists in
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Proceedings of the National Conference on

Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

translating customer desires (for example, the ease of writing for a pen) into design characteristics (pen ink
viscosity, pressure on ball-point) for each stage of the product development (Rosenthal, 1992).

Quality Improvement Teams: Quality improvement teams provide a mean of participation for employees in
quality decision making. They aids in employee development, leadership, problem solving skills and lead to
quality awareness which is essential for organizational change.

Statistical Process Control: Statistical Process Control is a scientific visual method used to monitor, control
and improve processes by eliminating special cause variation from manufacturing, service and financial
processes. SPC is a key continuous improvement tool.

3.0 conclusions
The use of tools and techniques is a vital component of any successful improvement process. These tools and
techniques can only be beneficial for any manufacturing industry after the proper training of their employees so that
they understand these tools effectively. Therefore, the use of tools and techniques for quality improvement is
necessary for quality improvement. The weakness of certified firms is a lack of support for and commitment towards
the use of tools and techniques for quality improvement, mainly regarding the basic tools; on the other hand, it must
also be admitted that there are some companies that have not benefited from and improved their performance by
using these techniques and tools. The solution can be found in a higher managerial commitment, promoting their use
among all the employees, together with a planning and training process covering teamwork methods and the use of
these tools and practices. In other words, managers may encourage a higher number of employees to use these
techniques in a way that benefits the whole firm. The paper describes all major quality tools and techniques
necessary for quality management in manufacturing industry.

4.0 References:
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3. Teresa Werner, Albert Weckenmann (2012). Sustainable quality assurance by assuring competence of employees,
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Cincinnati, OH.
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Techniques. Blackwell Business, Oxford.
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Proceedings of the National Conference on

Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

19. Rowland-Jones R., Page-Thomas K., Thomas P.T. (2007). 'Quality Management' Tools & Techniques: Profiling
SME use & Customer Expectations, International Journal of Quality and Standards. Vol. 1, No -1, 163 179.
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customer satisfaction, Business One Irwin, Homewood, Illinois 60430.

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