Emerald | International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER BETWEEN NPD PROJECT TEAMS: A METHOD FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Alejandro Germán Frank, Márcia Elisa Echeveste — 2012-02-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - A method for the identification of improvement opportunities in the knowledge transfer process (KT) between new product development (NPD) project teams is proposed. This method helps to prioritize which KT mechanisms of the company have to be improved and which other new mechanisms have to be implanted to reduce KT barriers and foster the KT process.Design/methodology/approach - The proposed method follows a structure based on the QFD and FMEA quality tools approaches. Thus, a set of matrices for the KT barriers and mechanisms prioritization are used. Findings - The paper brings the following contributions: (i) a literature review of the main KT barriers and mechanisms; (ii) a set of matrices to help the analysis and prioritization of the information collected about the company KT process, and (iii) an application of the proposal in a company of the agricultural machinery industry. Research limitations/implications - This work has focused on NPD project teams. However, the addressed issues are highly common in any kind of projects. Therefore, this work might be a first step to a future extended research, in which KT between any types of project teams could be analyzed.Practical implications - Results of this method could help to develop action plans to prevent or overcome possible existing barriers in the NPD project teams. Originality/value - The paper provides a structured process for the identification of improvement opportunities in the NPD team context.

Resource Allocation for Strategic Quality Management: A Goal Programming Approach

Hisham Mostafa Alidrisi, Sherif Mohamed — 2012-03-09 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assist organizations in understanding the nature of quality management from a resource-based perspective by investigating the relationship between strategies needed to drive quality enhancement, and resources being allocated to support effective strategy implementation. The resource-based view of TQM elements led this case study research to deal with quality management from a strategic viewpoint, or what is known as Strategic Quality Management (SQM). Design/methodology/approach - Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper employs the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to model the interactions between eight SQM strategies and the three types of resources (human, organisational and technological) needed for effective strategy implementation. The paper then formulates a Goal Programming (GP) model in order to identify the extent to which each single strategy is inhibited by a lack of (or overloaded by) resources. Using a case study approach, the hybrid ANP-GP methodology is employed to illustrate the application in the context of enhancing quality in the food-processing industry.Findings - Findings: The ANP analysis quantitatively differentiates between the amount of resource support each strategy receives and the support it needs. The GP model offers insight on how to re-allocate resources to minimize identified discrepancies related to how the company utilizes their resources.Originality/value - Originality/Value: This paper argued that practicing QM with the consideration of the firm’s strategic need for resources provides better understanding of why quality gurus still disagree on whether soft or hard TQM is more connected to organizational performance. Therefore, rather than focusing on "generalizing" the TQM model as has traditionally been done in previous attempts, the main contribution of this paper is to propose a methodology that assess a firm’s utilization of resources considering its strategic need for these resources.

SUPPLIER SELECTION USING QFD: A CONSUMER PRODUCTS CASE STUDY

ANGELA TIDWELL, J. SCOTT SUTTERFIELD — 2012-03-09 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - During the past decade the role of purchasing in global competitiveness has been steadily increasing in importance. Similarly, the role of packaging continues to increase in im¬portance because of its dual function in advertising and shipping. In this article, the authors employ the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology to analyze the common purchasing problem of supplier selection for toothpaste packaging. Thus, a technique well known in quality management is adapted for use in the entirely new context of supplier selection in purchasing.Design/methodology/approach - The paper begins by stipulating the properties necessary for suitable packaging. It then examines the type(s) of packaging necessary to satisfy these proper¬ties. Finally, it moves to the selection of a supplier having the necessary properties to provide packaging. The analysis is performed with a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) construct.Findings - The QFD process led to a rapid identification of those suppliers most capable of pro¬viding the product characteristics that met the corporate total value goal at the time of study. Practical implications - The paper presents a structured management approach to deal with the common problem of supplier selection. In doing so, it provides an approach that may be gener¬alized to solve many types of decision problems confronting operations and supply chain managers.Originality/value - This paper presents a management approach to the very important area of supplier selection. In doing so, it employs a technique well known in the product design area, but not used in the area of supplier selection, that of Quality Function Deployment (QFD). It extends beyond the dyad in that it brings to bear a powerful technique from the Quality Management discipline to a problem in another discipline, Purchasing.

The performance evaluation and comparison based on enterprises passed or not passed with ISO accreditation --An appliance of BSC and ABC methods

Shwu-Ing Wu, Jui-Ho Chen — 2012-03-09 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - The main purpose of this study is to determine whether passing ISO accreditation can effectively enhance business performance, and further to explore the major contributions of ISO accreditation for companies. Although there are some current debates on the effectiveness of ISO9000, for many companies having ISO9000 accreditation is mainly for marketing purposes. However no company really knows the detail performance effects of ISO accreditation. In this study, both the BSC (Balanced Scorecard) and ABC (Activity Based Costing) methods are used to compare the direction and strength of each performance indicator for companies that have passed and not passed ISO accreditation.Design/methodology/approach - Companies in the manufacturing industry and service industry with stocks listed in Taiwan’s regular stock market and over-the-counter stock market are selected as the research targets. A total of 212 valid questionnaires from the manufacturing industry and 120 from service industries are collected for further analysis of business performance using the BSC method. In addition, ABC measures are used to compare the performance difference through objective financial data.Findings - Through qualitative and quantitative methods, this study develops key measurement indicators along four performance constructs based on the Balanced Scorecard. These include 38 indicators for the manufacturing industry and 32 indicators for the service industry. Through evaluation and comparison, the study shows that the pass of ISO accreditation by an enterprise can enhance its business performance and financial benefits. Higher effects are especially apparent in the manufacturing industry.Research limitations/implications - In this study, two industries are used as examples to conduct a performance evaluation and comparison of enterprises that have passed and not passed ISO accreditation. However, each industry can be further divided into different types; therefore, subsequent researchers might take this factor into consideration in their comparison of enterprises so as to understand the differences between enterprise types within a specific industry.Practical implications - The study results can help an enterprise to clearly judge the detail source of the performance effects attributed to ISO9000 accreditation, which can be important information for future strategy making. Moreover, the key measurement indicators for manufacturing and service industries developed by this study can be useful measurement scales for future research and business practice.Originality/value - This study uses the concept of the BSC to construct performance measurement indicators and to evaluate the business performance of enterprises. In addition, the differences in business performance attributed to the pass or fail of ISO accreditation have been compared through BSC and ABC methods. From the performance analysis, it can clearly analyze the difference displayed by enterprises that have passed or not passed ISO accreditation. These results can be referenced by different industries when performing performance evaluation and strategy making.

CONTRACTUAL AND QUALITY ASPECTS ON WARRANTY: BEST PRACTICES FOR THE WARRANTY MANAGEMENT AND ITS MATURITY ASSESSMENT

2012-03-09 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - This paper tries to present a brief summary of quality and contractual aspects for the improvement of the warranty management. Together with this, the present work will show also some of the best practices followed by companies in order to manage properly those kinds of issues related to warranty, as well as some indications to assess the implementation degree of such practices in the whole organization. Basically, the global objective of the study is to present to the reader and in few words the importance of taking into account legal and quality aspects, when a company offers a technical service for the warranty assistance of any of its products, together with the maturity level that this company achieves applying some best practices currently available.Design/methodology/approach - For that purpose, the study starts mentioning some antecedents related to warranty, based on former works already developed by the author. In this way, it will be summarized a reference framework, proposed for a proper warranty management, and how it is reflected on the different departments of a generic company. Once presented this generic framework, it will be suggested how to apply this according to a strategic management which is divided in phases, taken from the product life cycle concept: Front-end, Design and Development, Production, Marketing, and Post-sale Support. These phases are included in three higher stages considered as Pre-Launch stage, Launch and Post-Launch stage, where decisions related to technical matters (e.g. testing for reliability) and commercial matters (e.g. inventory levels) play an important role, among others topics in terms of quality and contract issues. Afterwards, it will be shown how warranty management is viewed from the contract and legal point of view, in order to link the above mentioned topics on generic management, with the actual situation presented in real markets.Findings - With all this, the paper observes later what today’s companies are doing on this field, that is, their best practices in warranty management covering the quality and contractual aspects already mentioned, in order to round off the development of a completed framework for such management.Research limitations/implications - Research implications have to do with the development of the MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK and its maturity assessment.Practical implications - An example based on the proposed framework and the generic company will be presented in order to check its maturity level. This example can be helpful for those managers who have to check the implementation degree of a specific framework to a particular organization, adapting of course what it is here exposed to their own necessities and expectations.Originality/value - Presenting a review, a framework and a practical application of the framework for the management of warranty contracts, including a maturity assessment or evaluation.

Probabilistic Priority Numbers for Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

Annibal Parracho Sant'Anna — 2012-03-09 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - A method is here proposed to derive from the numerical evaluations on the criteria of security, frequency and detectability of Failure Modes and Effects Analysis a probabilistic priority measure for the potential failures and to evaluate the use of this method when combined with subjective evaluations to decide on improvement actions.Design/methodology/approach - The method proposed is based on treating the numerical initial measurements as estimates of location parameters of probability distributions. This allows for objectively taking into account the uncertainty inherent in such measurements and to compute probabilities of each potential failure being the most important according to each criterion. These probabilities are then combined into a global quality measure, which can be interpreted as a joint probability of choice of the potential failure.Findings - The results obtained in the cases studied show the suitability of the changes proposed to FMEA. Thresholds levels proposed for the discretization of the probabilistic scores are also shown to be able to allow for an efficient combination with experts’ evaluations.Research limitations/implications - The approach here developed allows for the introduction of statistical parameters in the first stage of FMEA modeling. Employing a more complete model results in greater reliability of the methodology.Practical implications - The more precise modeling asks for a certain degree of practical knowledge of the factors effectively introducing variability in the measurements. This need may be surpassed by the choice of distributions like those here employed.Originality/value - The evaluation of the potential failures by the probability of being the most important according to each criterion is new in FMEA.