Quality Improvement as an Operations Strategy
| Date | 01 April 1992 |
| Pages | 3-12 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02635579210012223 |
| Published date | 01 April 1992 |
| Author | Everett E. Adam |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
Quality
Improvement
as an
Operations
Strategy
Everett E. Adam Jr
Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 92 No. 4, 1992, pp. 3-12,
© MCB University Press Limited, 0263-5577
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
AS AN
OPERATIONS STRATEGY
3
Q
uality is a strategy that wins in manu-
facturing, as in the marketplace, by
eliminating waste.
Infrequently do quality products or services just happen
to occur in a business. Organizations must first develop
the capability of achieving and must then perform to
achieve desired quality.
A
clearly envisioned quality level
as an objective is reassuring, but consistency of
performance throughout the firm does not automatically
follow the objective. The shortfall is not necessarily
a
lack
of interest or effort but frequently a failure to develop the
operations capability of achieving consistency of purpose.
Top
executives and decision makers must understand the
choices available within operations to improve quality
because allocating the resources necessary to develop
operations capability remains their
responsibility.
In short,
if
a
business strategy emphasizing quality is selected by
top management, it will have to provide the leadership
with incentives and make the broad choices to guide
operations activities so that performance quality
throughout the
firm
becomes a way of
life.
Interestingly,
such quality can be achieved while increasing productivity
at the same time[l].
The thrust of the position taken here is that the
approaches for improving quality within production and
operations are known, are not in conflict, and can be
learned and implemented
—
implemented on the shop
floor, in service businesses, and in white-collar functions
such as accounting, engineering, finance, and marketing.
Yet, as a prerequisite for quality to be observed and
consumed
by
the customer, our
ultimate
aim, quality, must
first come alive within the firm. Quality is a winning
organization strategy, but why?
Quality as a Winning Strategy
There is cause for concern for most executives as they
assess the quality position of their company's products
and services against (1) competitors and (2) customer
wants and desires. One response to these alarming
circumstances is to stress quality
strategically.
Fortunately,
the strategic emphasis of
quality will
pay
off in many
ways.
It is a strategy that will result in a solid sales position,
especially repeat sales so necessary as a foundation for
growth. Quality is a strategy that wins in manufacturing,
as well as the marketplace, by eliminating waste.
Productivity can be increased at the same time as quality
improves[2].
Further, quality
is a
winner with employees.
Employees, like customers, embrace the idea of being
associated with quality products and services and with
an organization that strives for such quality. Supplier
desires for repeat business and long-term relationships
provide their incentive for quality products and services.
Suppliers are generally receptive to understanding needs
clearly, yet they frequently need their abilities to perform
enhanced, just as quality capability needs to be addressed
in the purchasing firm. Everyone wins with quality. We
have a winning strategy with customers, in the
marketplace,
in
production/operations, with employees and
with suppliers.
From where, though, does all the extra effort necessary
to achieve this desired quality
level come?
The moderating
variable in the productivity-quality relationship appears to
be capability. If there is excess capability in equipment,
manufacturing processes, engineering talent, workers,
supervisors and managers — in short, if there are
untapped resources, then quality can in fact increase with
quantity and productivity. If equipment or an employee
is exerting maximum effort, then the question becomes
one of trade-offs between rather than increases in both
quality and quantity. How does one know if excess
capability exists in operations? There are accepted
methods of measuring equipment and process utilization.
The more difficult issue, then, involves determining the
capability of
people.
The task becomes one of assessing
the human effort at all levels and for all jobs, knowing
human limits for the work to be done, and then, should
some capability be unused, getting employees to strive
for higher quality performance in all activities.
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