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Showing posts with label QMS. Show all posts

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Just In Time : Todays Requirement

Guys, I might think that all you come across the words like QMS, TPM, EMS, FIFO, OHSAS, KAIZEN and KANBAN, etc. We are dealing with such systems while working with an organization. Each system has it's unique identity and only one effectiveness pertaining to the Quality and Productivity.

Here I am going to furnish one more unique system known as JIT (Just In Time).

Just-in-time, opened up by Taiichi Ohno in Japan at Toyota car assembly plant in the early 1970s, is a manufacturing organization philosophy. JIT cuts waste by supplying parts only when the assembly process requires them. At the heart of JIT lies the KANBAN, the Japanese word for card. This KANBAN card is sent to the warehouse to recorder a standard quantity of parts as and when they have been used up in the assembly/manufacturing process. JIT requires precision, as the right parts must arrive “just-in-time” at the right position (work station at the assembly line). It is used primarily for high-volume repetitive flow manufacturing processes.

Historically, the JIT philosophy bobbed up of two other things:

1. Japan’s wish to improve the quality of its production. At that time, Japanese companies had a bad reputation as far as quality of manufacturing and car manufacturing in particular was concerned.

2. Kaizen, also a Japanese method of continuous improvement.

The Just-in-time framework regards inventories as a poor excuse for bad planning, inflexibility, wrong machinery, quality problems, etc. The target of JIT is to speed up customer response while minimizing inventories at the same time. Inventories help to response quickly to changing customer demands, but in such a manner as could not be otherwise cost money and increase the needed working capital.

Typical attention areas of JIT implementations include:

1. Inventory reduction
2. Smaller production lots and batch sizes
3. Quality control
4. Complexity reduction an transparency
5. Flat organization structure and delegation
6. Waste minimization

Through the arrival of Internet and Supply Chain Planning software, companies have in the mean time extended Just-in-time manufacturing externally, by demanding from their suppliers to deliver inventory to the factory only when it’s needed for assembly, making JIT manufacturing, ordering an delivery processes ever speedier, more flexible and more efficient. In this way Integrated Supply Networks (Demand Networks) or Electronic Supply Chains are being formed. Just-in-time is sometimes referred to as ‘Lean Production’.

So, anywhere you are working with an organizations, if you come across the JIT system, please work upon the philosophy based on "Just In Time".

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

11 Fundamental Requiremetns of TQM : Part-II

In accordance to Part-I, we have to consider following things also :

7. Define the purpose of each department and activity in terms of satisfying external and internal customer requirements.

Possible Actions:

• Functional analysis

8. Enable the employees to fulfill their commitment to quality by influencing the programme of continuous improvement.

Possible Actions:

• Education and Training
• Communication
• Corrective action task force, corrective actions groups
• Error cause removal schemes
• Quality circles
• Problem solving
• SPC
• Recognition of performance
• Suggestion programmes
• Self inspection programmes

9. Whenever possible replace the inspection and correction techniques of quality control with the preventive actions.

Possible Actions:

• Quality cost analysis
• Functional analysis
• Quality management system
• Error cause removal schemes
• Quality circles
• Problem solving
• Suggestions programmes

10. Never accept a non-conforming output in the form of a product for external of internal customers.

Possible Actions:

• Quality cost analysis
• Functional analysis
• Education and training
• Communication

11. Plan effectively before undertaking any actions.

Possible Actions:

• Quality improvement team

It is apparent that there is no end to improvement. The recognition of the necessity to continuously revise the quality thinking is essential to the ultimate success of business ventures. Having once embarked on the quality path, one quickly realizes that improvement is always possible and necessary.

In fact, TQM is not the LAST WORD in quality thinking. New methods will be added and new concepts may emerge.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

11 Fundamental Requirements of TQM : Part - I

Guys, What to do with External and Internal Customers? What are the possible actions? Your answers (might) right here!

Following are the 11 fundamental requirements of TQM and its possible actions :

1. Know your customers, both external and internal : Who they are, their current needs, and
their future requirements. Respond to their changing needs. Do not forget the users.

Possible Actions:

Customer surveys
Functional analysis
Quality cost analysis
Quality function deployment

2. Know your competitors.

Possible Actions:

Customer surveys
Competitor analysis
Bench marking

3. Know the cost of nonconformance (CONC)

Possible Actions:

Quality cost analysis
Functional analysis

4. Measure performance against key customer driven parameters.

Possible Actions:

Customer surveys
Competitor analysis
Bench marking

5. Make sure that each employee understands and commits themselves to the Quality objectives of the business.

Possible Actions:

Functional analysis
Education and training
Communication

6. Management commitment to continuous improvement of quality within business.

Possible Actions:

Quality cost analysis
Functional analysis
Education and training
Communication

Monday, November 12, 2007

TQM Concept

TQM is a relatively new concept and it is indeed a revolution in quality philosophy. Today's quality is not just concerned with whether or not the product meets the defined requirements. Today’s quality is much more than that. All organizations provide a service of product supply. Therefore the modern concept of quality embraces how the company meets all their customer’s requirements and expectations, including how they are greeted on the telephone, the speed of reply, courtesy of the staff, correctness of invoicing, etc. Every contact with the customer builds the picture of the sort of company the customer is dealing with and forms his perception of the quality of service.

Product conformance therefore is not the end; it is just the beginning of the quest for quality. The quest for a Total Quality Organization.The concept of TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT originates from his broadened understanding of quality.

There are 3 basic elements or assumptions on which the TQM concept is based. No one in the organization is excluded, and everyone participates in implementing quality and has an impact on the customer’s perception of quality and appreciation by society.

It is also not only the external customer that needs to be satisfied but internal customers must be satisfied as well. Therefore the organization is viewed as a series of customer supplier relationships. (e.g. Stores are supplier for production, production is supplier for sales, manager for the secretary and vice-versa, etc.)

Appreciation of the organization by society may and often does play a vital role in securing the success of the business.

Now, it is endless to say that TQM requires total and unconditional commitment, which must start from the top. Quality really starts in the chairman’s office (it should not however end there).

Successful companies that operate a Quality Management System employ some of the elements of TQM. The company must determine whether or not to operate TQM. By instituting Continuous Quality Improvement they may develop a leading edge in TOTAL QUALITY CIRCLE.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Debatable Points Related to ISO 9001 : 2000 Quality Management System

ISO 9001:2000 standard is described as "Quality Management Systems - Requirements". The description has following four words :

01. Quality,
02. Management,
03. Systems,
04. Requirements.

The above 4 words describing the standard however, are offering 2 different objective meanings after analysis :

01. Requirements for Systems for Quality - Management : It means that standard is meant for the systems of the management of Quality function; in any establishment.

02. Requirements for Quality of Management - Systems : It means the standard is meant for establishing the quality of Management - Systems and not the function of Quality as such; in any establishment.

What is required to be done?

The description of the standard is to be mentioned in grammatically clarified manner as follows :

01. Management-Systems-Requirements for Quality - that would give meaning of the requirements for management systems for Quality.

02. Systems-Requirements for Quality - Management - that would give meaning of systems requirements for the Quality of Management.

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Benefits of ISO 9001 : 2000 Quality Management System

01. Internal quality audits by certified internal auditors.
02. Developing vendor evaluation and selection methods.
03. methodology to preventive measures to control deviations in performances.
04. Reduction in cost and increase in customer loyalty.
05. Documentation of processes and requirements as per the Quality Management System planning.
06. An international tag which acclaim the credibility, helps in entering overseas market.

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