Quality Benchmarking
Quality benchmarks can be achieved by using one or more of the following strategies:
· Quality control – QC (Monitoring the quality during the production or service phase)
· Quality assurance - QA ( certification that is dependent upon an organisation achieving specified levels of quality)
· Total quality management ( where an organisation applies both QC and QA in their production or service process)
· (TQM) Total Quality Management:
TQM’s aim is to improve quality and productivity by working to perfect the total production process. TQM stresses coordination between all departments. Promoting continuous improvement in quality of total processes involved is its basis.
v Statistical Process Control (SPC)
Another operations management technique for improving quality, productivity is the “statistical process control" (SPC). What is SPC? It is the application of statistical techniques to control work processes to detect defective items.
Steps in SPC include:
· Define the characteristics of high quality output
· Break down various work activities into individual activities required to produce high quality outputs.
· Have standards for each process
· Discuss performance expectations regarding each task and employee.
· Have check sheets that collect data for each activity
· Frequent intervals of employee progress evaluation.
This process relies heavily on the (PLAN-DO-ACT-CHECK) approach. This involves planning to achieve standards of performance, identifying areas needing improvement, implementing said strategies, monitoring performance for corrective actions.