topic 19 - quality

Question 1

describe quality control

Answer 1

this is the most basic method of ensuring quality. quality control is a method of inspecting raw materials or finished goods to check they are of an acceptable standard and quality.

Question 2

advantages of quality control

Answer 2

• ensures that faulty goods are not sent to customers.
• limits the potential for a bad reputation due to faulty products.

Question 3

disadvantages of quality control

Answer 3

• can create a lot of waste as the quality of the goods are not checked until they ar emade and have to be thrown away if they do not meet quality standards.
• products have to be reworked from scratch, costing the business time and money.

Question 4

describe quality assurance

Answer 4

this is a method of prevention, i.e. where products are checked to see that they are of a high quality at different stages in the development and production process, rather than just the end.

Question 5

advantages of quality assurance

Answer 5

• less wastage, which decreases costs spent on discarded materials.
• easy to identify where faults in the production process lie.

Question 6

disadvantages of quality assurance

Answer 6

• can slow down production as many processes are inspected.
• can increase the costs of production, e.g. paying QA managers wages.

Question 7

describe continual improvement

Answer 7

this is when a business should always attempt to improve quality even if it has met its objectives. A Japanese philosophy known as Kaizen should be considered by businesses looking to improve.

Question 8

advantages of continual improvement

Answer 8

• the business stays ahead of competition
• the business can react easily to changing external factors

Question 9

disadvantages of continual imrprovement

Answer 9

• the business can have high staff development costs
• employees may feel under pressure to continually keep improving

Question 10

describe quality circles

Answer 10

this is another Japanese philosophy on how to improve quality and ensure efficiency. it involves a group of employees meeting with a line manager to discuss problems in the production process and how to solve them.

Question 11

advantages of quality circles

Answer 11

• employees will be motivated as they get to have a say in decision making
• management get well-informed suggestions from the workers who actually produce the product.

Question 12

disadvantages of quality circles

Answer 12

• employees meet during paid company time, meaning production time is lost
• employees are often trained to join a quality circle, costing the business even more time and money.

Question 13

describe quality standards and symbols

Answer 13

a quality standard or symbol proves that a product has met an agreed industry standard, for example, hotels that meet standards to achieve a ‘star’ rating.

Question 14

advantages of quality standards and symbols

Answer 14

• awards prove to customers that a product has met an agreed standard of quality
• symbols can be used as a promotional tool to gain a competitive edge.
• customers will have confidence in purchasing the product and may repeat purchase
• higher prices can be charged as the product is of high quality

Question 15

disadvantages of quality standards and symbols

Answer 15

• time consuming processes need to be completed to achieve the award
• agreed standards need to maintained at all times
• if any award is removed it would give the organisation a poor reputation
• annual checks and audits by awarding bodies can disrupt production

Question 16

describe quality management

Answer 16

this is a holistic approach to ensuring quality products. this means it incorporates not just one method but takes into account a variety of methods, including quality assurance, quality improvement and quality circles. quality management ensures all people in an organisation are committed to quality to ensure zero errors occur.

Question 17

advantages of quality management

Answer 17

• quality management should result in zero errors, which drastically reduces waste
• staff are motivated, as they are constantly consulted on improving quality
• products will be renowned for being the highest quality, increasing customer confidence and market share.
• a culture of teamwork is established, as everyone works together to improve.

Question 18

disadvantages of quality management

Answer 18

• substantial staff training, to ensure no mistakes are made, will increase costs and result in lost work time.
• requires the commitment of all staff, which could require a stricter selection process.
• processes need to be continually monitored and compared to policies and procedures, which can be time consuming

Question 19

describe mystery shoppers

Answer 19

people are employed, often through an agency, to purchase products, ask questions, register complaints or behave in certain ways, and then provide feedback to the business about the experiences they had

Question 20

advantages of mystery shoppers

Answer 20

• the mystery shopper is not employed by or directly connected to the business. this means no bias is shown.
• valuable feedback, which may be lost when a customer chooses simply not to buy a product, is gathered when a product is below standard or unsatisfactory.
• the mystery shopper can suggest improvements that ensure a better match between the experience that the customer actually has and the one the business intends to have.
• dissatisfied customers are likely to share their poor experiences with others, whereas the mystery shopper is not permitted to do this.

Question 21

disadvantages of mystery shoppers

Answer 21

• staff may resent a mystery shopper evaluating them, if they are aware of it, and may take feedback personally.
• the mystery shoppers feedback may not be fully represented of the business as a whole as it provides a limited evaluation, i.e. one day, one branch, one customer service assistant etc
• allowances have to be made for human error in judgements. Mystery shoppers are people who have feelings and opinions, which may could their judgement from time to time.
• businesses need to pay mystery shoppers, often through an agency, increasing costs.

Question 22

describe benchmarking

Answer 22

this involves copying the quality of a finished product, and the processes used to achieve it, used by the market leader.

Question 23

advantages of benchmarking

Answer 23

• if successful, the product will be as good as the best on the market
• saves the business time developing their own approach to ensuring quality

Question 24

disadvantages of benchmarking

Answer 24

• can be difficult to gain information about other organisations quality methods
• the business will only ever be ‘as good’ as the benchmark at a time. the benchmark may improve, leaving the organisation behind. the business will never be better than the benchmark, so will never be market leader.