Quality Management & Statistical Quality Control

Background:

Sometimes a firm will guarantee a product's or service's quality. In fact, that is what a guarantee usually is, a promise that the product or service a customer purchases will perform in the manner described by the provider. Firms use different methods to ensure quality, such as Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), Zero Defects, or Statistical Process Control. The Japanese are also famous for their management of quality, examples include, the use of the word kaizen (i.e., continuous improvement) or poka-yoke (i.e., a foolproof quality device) and the world renowned concepts of Genichi Taguchi.

Questions for Thought:

1. What is your definition of quality? Is your definition for quality different for different types of goods? Is it different depending on how much money you spend? Is it different for goods than for services?

2. In the video clip, Tommy's product does not have a guarantee "on the box", Does offering a guarantee mean that a product is of high quality?

3. How could statistical process control (SPC) be applied to the service industry? Can you think of any examples you may have come across in real life of SPC applied to the service industry?

4. What is the difference between the principle of zero defects and Taguchi's Robust Design concept?