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Box 751242, Forest Hills, New York, 11375-9998 Quality & Productivity Improvement Suggestions v.1 1/19/93 (c) copyright mcı (1993) 1) Integrate Resources - Get all persons involved with the product or service together - designers, engineers, marketing, financial, and manufacturing staff, customers, etc. - to integrate their ideas before the product enters the manufacturing stage. 2) Design for Manufacturability (DFM) - Design the product so that it is easier to manufacture, and easier to service. 3) Simplify Product - Make product with as few parts as needed - making it easier to manufacture, to service and less likely to for a single part to break down. 4) Use simpler fastening methods - using screws takes a long time to fasten parts together. Simpler methods can reduce the time it takes to produce the product as well as reduce the margin for errors. 5) Require suppliers to provide only quality materials - Since your product's quality depends on the goods they supply you with, it is imperative that they also become dedicated to improving quality. 6) Maintain excellent, long-lasting relationships with suppliers - This long-term commitment means that you can work more closely with suppliers to help improve the quality process together. 7) Use Just-in-Time (JIT) methods - Delivering raw materials and work in progress just-in-time to the assembly line can reduce inventory costs, while decreasing waste. 8) Improve Factory Layout - Parts and work-in-progress should be easily accessible. 9) Get Top Management Commitment to Quality Forevermore - Since a total quality culture is essential for programs to really work, workers must know that senior management is serious. 10) Communicate that Quality is Everybody's Job - Employees - from receptionists, to secretaries, to managers - must know that quality is an important part of their job, not just factory workers. 11) Create a Quality Culture - Quality must be so important in the firm's every day life that it is instilled as one of the main goals for every subsidiary, division, department and employee for everything that is done. 12) Give employees more authority and responsibility to improve quality. 13) Improve Communication Throughout the Company - By informing employees what is going on, rather than them eventually learning from the grape vine, will create more trust in the organization. 14) Use Productivity/Quality Improvement Technology - These technologies can aid to increase efficiency and to reduce cycle-time. 15) Improve Whatever Can Be Improved - As they say "There is always room for improvement." This applies to all areas of the company such as product delivery time, cycle time or even how the receptionist answers the phone. 16) Remember that Quality improvement is a never-ending, on- going process not a one-time around solution. 17) Set Goals - Set long term goals first, then set short term goals that correspond to the long term objectives. 18) Use Benchmarking Techniques - Compare your company's performance in various areas to other companies. The other companies don't necessarily have to be from the same industry, however they should be a leader at what they do. 19) Actively seek, learn and implement ideas from other companies - even from competitors - to improve quality & productivity. 20) Do it right the first time - Don't do an "adequate" job the first time in order to "inspect" and "correct" the defects afterwards. This method of "quality control" decreases productivity and increases costs. 21) Build Quality into the System - Use Statistical Control Processes (SPC), and other methods to help in creating quality products and services. 22) Eliminate unnecessary processes, procedures, and bureaucracy. 23) Simplify processes. 24) Build flexibility into the organization. 25) Improve Customer Satisfaction - Without customers, your organization is nothing. Thus do as much as possible to please them. This includes making products designed to please them, not just please you. This can be accomplished by knowing their needs, wants and how they use the product. 26) Treat employees with trust, respect and candor. 27) Reward gains in quality and productivity. 28) Train employees in quality improvement techniques. 29) Train employees in other disciplines besides their own, so that when employees from other departments integrate their ideas, all employees will understand their points of view. It will also give employees a feel for where they fit in the organization and will show them how important each individual is. 30) Make sure all employees speak the same language - The language of quality. This means that training programs for all employees should be similar if not the same so that all employees understand how to improve quality. 31) Use Quality Control Circles and teams to help improve quality. QC Circles are small groups of employees that get together to discuss what can be improved in their area of specialty. 32) Use Flex Teams - Teams of people to improve service, to quickly gather information, to help in putting a together a project or implementing plans can aid the firm to become a more flexible, responsive organization. 33) Continuously monitor quality and productivity improvements. Measure improvements in quantitative terms. 34) Make products or services the best possible. 35) When designing products take into account the various aspects of quality including performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality. 36) Always be ethical. 37) Monitor customer satisfaction. 38) Improve communications between customers and your firm. 39) Show customers you care about their business. 40) Maintain an excellent company image. 41) Monitor the environment for new ways to improve quality and productivity. 42) Create a cooperative culture within the company. Encouraging cooperation will allow things to get done without as much red tape. 43) Cut costs without decreasing quality. 44) Be freindly. 45) Be prompt. 46) Don't waste time. 47) Remember people's names. 48) Integrate processes to try to kill two birds with one stone - For instance lets say a person calls the company to ask about information on a certain product. The company should enter the person's address into a computer to send them the information they requested, which would automatically enter them into mailing list at the same time. 49) Thoroughly think out processes. 50) Delegate tasks and authority. 51) When problems occur, find out what the root of the problem is, rather than just implementing a permanent "quick-fix." 52) In factories, use machinery that is flexible enough to be quickly changed to be used for another product line. See single minute exchange of dies (SMED). 53) Use Robust Designs - this is a method of designing products that allow for variations in parts without decreasing performance. 54) Keep promises made. 55) Offer feasible warantees. 56) Try to link production to demand. 57) Make Sure your customers know about your superior quality. 58) Keep factories and offices - clean and organized. 59) Spend more on research & development and capital investments. 60) Invest in education - Students from secondary schools may become your future employees. By cooperating with elementary schools, high schools and universities will help your company to benefit from better skilled workers. 61) Cut delivery time. 62) Do Marketing Research to enable your firm to determine what your firm can do to stay ahead of the competition. 63) Use simulations to teach employees about quality. 64) Create electronic prototypes that can aid to decipher the problems the product might have before it reaches the market. 65) Eliminate waste in products and services. 66) Smile. 67) Deal only with suppliers that agree to provide high quality goods according to your standards. 68) Be patient - Remember that quality improvement takes time and commitment. However it is well worth it, for it can mean the difference between success and chapter 11. 69) Include quality programs in business and strategic plans. 70) Maintain close relationships with customers. 71) Translate customer wants into products and services. 72) Try to create long term relationships with customers. It is less costly to maintain an old customer that it is to attract a new one. 73) Instate concrete quality programs - giving employees responsibility to create and implement them. 74) Aim for 100% quality or zero defects. 75) Trust employees. 76) Create an environment in which employees trust others. 77) Keep abreast of new technologies and new competition. 78) Be innovative. 79) Implement quality of work life programs. 80) Encourage efficiency, flexibility and adapatability throughout the organization. 81) Use standardized reports, invoices, forms, etc. 82) Eliminate redundancy. 83) Communicate Quality/Productivity Objectives. 84) Motivate employees to achieve goals to improve quality and surpass the competition. 85) Reward excellence in performance, attendance, etc. 86) Encourage ideas and reward those whose ideas are implemented. 87) Make memos, letters, handbooks, and other communications readable. Don't use excessive, unneeded jargon. 88) Focus on long term quality, productivity and new business goals rather than on short term profits. 89) Employ internal consultants to help in the quality improvement process. 90) Improve communications between subsidiaries, divisions, and departments. 91) Encourage continuous change for the better. 92) Eliminate attitudes and excuses that hamper productivity and quality improvements. 93) Be a good listener 94) Treat employees as people not as "assets" or "machines." 95) Do your homework in reading up and finding out about the latest in quality improvement. Go to the library for more information. Terms to look up include - quality, quality assurance, quality control, quality circles, productivity, efficiency, excellence, total quality management, customer satisfaction, Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Dr. Joseph Juran, Philip B. Crosby, Dr. Armand V. Feigenbaum, etc. 96) Contact the American Society for Quality Control, 611 East Wisconsin Avenue, P.O. Box 3005, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201- 3005, 1-800-248-1946, 1-414-272-8575, Fax: 1-414-272-1734 for a list of literature, products and services they offer. 97) Apply for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Route 270 and Quince Orchard Road, Administration Building, Room A537, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899. Tel: 1-301-975-2036, Fax: 1-301-948-3716 98) Ask for a free quality control kit from the U.S. Department of Defense, Mr. Peter Angiola. Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition, Assistant for Quality, (Productivity & Logistics), The Pentagon, Washington D.C., 20301-8000. OASD(P&L)PR/IEQ. (703) 693- 5717/Autovon 223. This kit includes excellent, practical information, including: Total Quality Management Guide (2 volumes from the DoD.), An Introduction to the Continuous Improvement Process (Mansir & Schacht), The Metrics Handbook, A Total Quality Management Process Improvement Model (Navy Personnel Research and Development Center), San Diego, CA, 92152-6800),, etc. 99) Get in touch with the Federal Quality Institute, P.O. Box 99, Washington D.C., 20044-0099, 1-202-376-3747. 100) Get more information: through books, articles, consultants, other companies, etc. 101) Learn latest techniques from high-quality companies in and out of your company's industry. Call them up, do some research on them or visit them. Some likely candidates are Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award winners, like: 1992 Award Winners: Manufacturing: AT&T Network Systems Group, Transmission Systems Unit, Morristown, NJ Texas Instruments, Inc., Defense Systems & Electronics Group, Dallas, Tx Service: AT&T Universal Card Services Jacksonville, Fl The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Atlanta, GA Small Business: Granite Rock Company Watsonville, California 1991 Award Winners: Manufacturing: Solectron Corp., San Jose, California Zytec Corp., Eden Prairie, MN Small Business: Marlow Industries, Dallas, TX 1990 Award Winners: Manufacturing: Cadillac Motor Car Company, Detroit, MI IBM Rochester, Rochester, NY Service: Federal Express Corp., Memphis, TN Small Business: Wallace Company, Inc., Houston, TX 1989 Award Winners: Manufacturing: Milliken & Company, Spartanburg, SC Xerox Business Products and Systems, Stamford, CT 1988 Award Winners: Manufacturing: Motorola, Inc., Shaumburg, IL Westinghouse Commercial, Nuclear Fuel Division, Pittsburgh, Payment Small Business: Globe Metallurgical, Inc. Cleveland, OH 102) Order Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award information from the ASQC (1-800-248-1946) like: Case Studies 1991 - Item # T508: $25. or Award Winners Videos: 1988 - Item # T993: $10, 1989 - Item # T502: $10, 1990 - Item # T992: $15, 1991 - Item # TA996: $15, 1992 - Item # TA512: $20. 103) Subscribe to Quality magazines like Quality Progress (Available from the ASQC), National Productivity Review, etc. 104) Contact quality associations. Many of the following distribute free brochures and may offer other learning materials: American Association of School Administrators Total Quality Schooling Initiative 1801 North Moore Street Arlington, Virginia 22209 1-709-528-0700, Fax: 1-703-841-1543 American Productivity and Quality Center 123 North Post Oak Lane 3rd Floor Houston, TX 77024 1-713-681-4020 American Society for Training and Development Customer Support Department 1640 King Street Box 1443 Alexandria, Virginia 22313 1-703-683-7256 Association for Quality and Participation Attn: Dr. Cathy Kramer, Exec. Vice President 801-B West 8th Street Cincinnati, OH 45203 1-513-381-1959 Community Quality Coalition Attn: Carole J. Schwinn, President C/o Jackson Community College 2111 Emmons Road Jackson, MI 49201 1-517-787-0800 ext. 106, Fax: 1-517-789-1630 GOAL/QPC 13 Branch Street Methuen, Massachusetts 01844 1-508-685-3900, Fax: 1-508-685-6151 Natioinal Council of Teachers of Mathematics Department PBS 1906 Association Drive Reston, Virginia 22091 1-703-620-9840, Fax: 1-703-476-2970 Network for TQM in Post-Secondary Education Attention: William A.J. Golomski The Graduate School of Business Administration University of Chicago 1108 West 58th Street Chicago, IL 60637 Public Sector Quality Network Attn: Michael Williamson University of Wisconsin 97 Bascom Hall 500 Lincoln Drive Madison, WI 53706 1-608-263-5510, Fax: 1-608-262-8333 or Tom Mosgaller City of Madison Room 202 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Madison, WI 53710 1-608-266-9037, Fax: 1-608-266-5948 Quality & Productivity Management Association Attn: Bill Ginnodo, Exec. Director 300 North Martingale Road Suite 230 Schaumburg, IL 60173 1-708-619-2909, Fax: 1-708-619-3383 105) Order education material on quality from: Ms. Joyce Leon Films Incorporated 5547 North Ravenswood Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60640 1-800-323-4222 ext. 381 (Don't forget to ask for the IBM Quality... or Else brochure.) 106) Access PBS's Learning Link electronic network. More information on quality can be accessed there. Learning Link Customer Service, 1-800-848-3843, CEN, 1400 East Touhy Avenue, Suite 260, Des Plaines, IL 60018. 107) Log on to BBSs with quality conferences. 108) Attend Quality seminars & conferences in your industry. 109) Use technology wisely to improve efficiency and quality. 110) Set goals, objectives, priorities, and a timetable for quality improvement milestones. 111) Motivate employees using Herzberg's theory of motivation. It basically says, if a company has adequate environmental (hygiene) factors (ie, salary, benefits, working conditions, security, safety, supervision, interpersonal relationships, company policy and administration, etc.) employees will not be dissatisfied, however, they will not necessarily be motivated. For employees to be motivated Motivation factors (achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement and growth) must be present. There are also other important psychological theories like Abraham Maslow's need hierarchy. 112) Measure quality variable to be able to set tangible goals and to keep track of improvement. 113) Have a marketing strategy that corresponds and is compatible with your company's quality objectives. 114) Learn about the tools used to help improve quality (metrics), like: run chart, control chart, flow chart, cause & effect diagram (fishbone), check sheet, pareto chart, histogram, scatter diagram, benchmarking, nominal group technique, brainstorming, quality function deployment (house of quality), statistical process control (spc), input/output analysis, concurrent engineering, design of experiments, cost of quality, work flow analysis, team building, time management, shewart cycle, etc. *** Good luck in your quality endeavors! ***