Operations Management - Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Quality

• Quality is subjective - Matter of opinion

Quality Targets

• Nature of quality targets set will depend on type of business
• Hotel - Accurate billing, Customer satisfaction levels, Speed of response 
• Manufacturing business - Stock wastage levels, Proportion of returned goods
• Hospital might consider - Average length of time spent in hospital by patients, Patient satisfaction rates, Time it takes to see patients

Quality Control

• Inspections - Way of finding any faults in good/service - Check product at the end of production line
• Benefits of Inspections
  • Can prevent a defective product reaching customer
  • More secure system than one that trusts every individual to do job properly
• Problems
  • Does little to encourage individual to improve own work
  • Expense
  • Does not motivate workers, may feel company do not trust them - Supervision = Herzberg Hygiene factor

Quality…