What Bloggers Are Saying...

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Topic of the Week: Quality Around the World

In the U.S. we tend to think that the way we do business is the same no matter where you go. It's an interesting phenomenon called "self reference criterion". However, it could not be further from reality.

In China one of the biggest issues is the protection of intellectual property. Everything from patents down to copying business processes. In other areas of the world governments are very involved in the common business and there are no anti-trust laws protecting anyone.

View the video below about quality in Africa.

It's all something very interesting to think about given that many U.S. businesses these days are in business in more than just the U.S. market. Are Quality professionals prepared to address these issues in their organizations?

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Quality at the Pump???

Well, it's that time I guess. When gas prices soar so high that people revert to cutting corners. Check this out: http://tinyurl.com/5cvo8o

Quality News Today (a publication of the American Society for Quality) reports that gas stations are reported to be cheating the public by substituting ethanol for regular fuel.

ABCs of QA Models: Theory of Constraints

The theory of constraints is best applied to manufacturing but it can also be used in a service environment. Invented by Dr Eliyahu Goldratt this model focuses on an organization as a series of processes.

Generally speaking, this model has to do with analyzing the variations in a process with a particular focus on amount of material batched through production, the variation in the process, and JIT delivery from suppliers balancing holding costs with set-up costs. Overall, it has to do with how fast or slow material is put through the plant and what processes are the "bottleneck".

Here is a good site for further research: http://www.dbrmfg.co.nz/Overview%20Introduction.htm

ABCs of QA Gurus: Deming

It seems that one thing this blog is missing is some basic info on QA Gurus and their contributions since so many organization are still referring to their work. So, I'll start with Walter Deming. More to come after this...

Deming was one of the original Gurus of Quality Assurance in the U.S. - following on the heels of Showalter. Of all the Gurus he is one of the most known. His claim to fame was a rework of an earlier model of QA entitled, "Plan-Do-Check-Act" which he revised to, "Plan-Do-Study-Act". His primary point was that once an initiative has been planned and implemented it is not enough to simply check that the implementation meets the plan; instead, it's important for an organization to analyze the effectiveness of the implementation effort.

In addition, Deming proposed 14 points of Quality Management. Learn more about Deming on this site: http://deming.eng.clemson.edu/pub/den/deming_map.htm

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Topic of the Week: Quality in Education

Where is Quality Assurance in U.S. education?

A huge portion of QA is the concept of managing variation in a process. Yet, in my experience there is huge variation in the delivery of higher level education. Instructors deliver material according to the learning style they themselves have and, although there are a few exceptions, most do not consider what teaching style they have.

For example, the university that I currently attend is big on group projects; there is one in every class. They are all very similar: requiring a company analysis and a group paper to be written. Yet, every single class has a different method for analyzing the group's effectiveness, for paper format and content, and for process employed to develop the paper. It's not at all unusual for a group to have a couple of "slackers" who just slide by. In fact, not all that long ago one student graduated and hosted a huge party inviting all the people who'd been on the project with them stating that he couldn't have done it at all without them; if not for the other members work he would have failed. Some statement, eh?

Aside from that there is the registration process, the GPA calculations (which are specific to a campus size), and the programs themselves which vary from university to university. That's not the extent of it either as the variation is seen in secondary ed as well as elementary ed. So... with at all that, I ask again:

Do we have quality in U.S. education?

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Topic of the Week: Differentiator or Just Standard Practice

As a Strategic Management instructor recently stated in one of my classes: In the mid-80s quality assurance was a big thing. It used to be huge way for companies to differentiate themselves.

Key words: used to be. Apparently now, it's just expected standard practice. Or at least so the Prof says. hmmm...

Being a "re-entry" student (very PC way of saying you ain't 20 no more), I have had the interesting experience of sitting in a class of energetic bright young minds and listening to what they have been taught about quality. So many of the students talk about having to have quality in business but yet, I see very few of the textbooks from this program really doing it justice. A little scarey actually. How many higher education institutions even have a segment of their business programs talking about quality assurance anyway? Would be an interesting data point to investigate. I'd guess very few.

At any rate, the view seems to be that quality is real important but no one can really tell you how to get there. Gee, wonder where I've heard that before.

It really is a sad statement of affairs that in the U.S. we are not focusing more on this very basic topic: how do you get there. Has quality assurance become such a buzz word that it has lost all meaning?

Quality Around the World...

Africa


Australia