Quality Improvement Management Research Articles

Explaining the successes and failures of tuberculosis treatment programs; a tale of two regions in rural eastern Uganda

BackgroundOptimally performing tuberculosis (TB) programs are characterized by treatment success rate (TSR) of at least 90%. In rural eastern Uganda, and elsewhere in sub Saharan Africa, TSR varies considerably across district TB programs and the reasons for the differences are unclear. This study explored factors associated with the low and high TSR across four districts in rural eastern Uganda.MethodsWe interviewed District TB and Leprosy Supervisors, Laboratory focal persons, and health facility TB focal persons from four districts in eastern Uganda as key informants. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and imported into ATLAs.ti where thematic content analysis was performed and results were summarized into themes.ResultsThe emerging themes were categorized as either facilitators of or barriers to treatment success. The emerging facilitators prevailing in the districts with high rates of treatment success were using data to make decisions and design interventions, continuous quality improvement, capacity building, and prioritization of better management of people with TB. The barriers common in districts with low rates of treatment success included lack of motivated and dedicated TB focal persons, scarce or no funding for implementing TB activities, and a poor implementation of community-based directly observed therapy short course.ConclusionThis study shows that several factors are associated with the differing rates of treatment success in rural eastern Uganda. These factors should be the focus for TB control programs in Uganda and similar settings in order to improve rates of treatment success.

Lean six sigma: implementation of improvements to the industrial cost management

In practice, with the aim of achieving competitiveness, the industrial sector has the primary function of looking for ways to increase productive performance, improve the quality of products and processes, and reduce waste and production costs. An alternative to these strategies is the deployment of improvement projects, following the DMAIC structure of the Six Sigma approach. This study aimed to present the results of Lean Six Sigma implementation oriented to cost management. A case study was carried out in an agro-industrial cooperative, specifically, in the grain receipts department. The tools applied in the case study were: Requirements Tree; Charts Pareto and Stratification; Cause and Effect Diagram; Failure Mode and Effect Analysis; Statistical Process Control, and; Control Array, respectively. These tools are widely used in quality management and continuous improvement of industrial processes, mainly. As result, it was possible to apply all the tools proposed by the methodology and achieve a satisfactory result of cost improvements. The improvements obtained in the department’s cost management system, as well as the increase in the capacity of the process, were both significant.

Integrated logistics support and asset management (ILSAM)

Integrated logistics support (ILS) and asset management (AM) are two concepts associated with the life cycle of a physical asset. Each of them has an objective of optimising the life cycle cost in order to maximise return on investment. However, the integration of ILS with AM may lead to improved optimisation of the life cycle cost based on the concept of synergy. The aim of this paper is to investigate how ILS and AM can be integrated and whether the resulting framework has the potential for improving physical AM. This bridge of familiar concepts is expected to support practitioners and academics in understanding a holistic framework for managing the life cycle of assets. In the academia, it can support the teaching of life cycle management. This paper builds on a study of relevant literature to realise a generic integrated logistics support and asset management (ILSAM) framework. The ILSAM framework is adapted to infrastructure assets by adapting its ILS component based on additional literature study and experience in relation to a large-scale railway project. This adaptation shows a potential for improved quality management, which plays a vital role in enhancing safety.

Business Process Analysis and Modeling Using the Business Process Improvement Framework at the Internal Quality Assurance STMIK STIKOM Indonesia

STMIK STIKOM Indonesia is a college that organizes two study programs namely Informatics Engineering and Computer Systems. STIKI Indonesia has set SPMI in accordance with the PPEPP cycle. To ensure that SPMI can run as stipulated, the monitoring process is carried out with an Internal Quality Audit (AMI) facilitated by the STIKI Indonesia Internal Quality Assurance Institute (LPMI). Repeated business processes cause delays in obtaining the results of AMI's recapitulation, even though the results of the recapitulation are urgently needed as a report in the Senate Meeting to be evaluated as an effort to improve quality management at STMIK STIKOM Indonesia.
 Therefore the business process model that runs on the implementation of the Internal Quality Audit of STMIK STIKOM Indonesia will further be identified the existing problems and be analyzed and corrected. Business Process Improvement (BPI) is an approach or method that the writer will use to improve existing business processes at the AMI stage. BPI aims to improve business processes and ensure that issues in an organization's business processes are handled properly. Business process modeling that will be used is Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) which is a tool to describe or model business process diagrams based on flowchart techniques, arranged to create graphical models of business operations where there are activities and flow controls that define work order

Quality improvement in conservative pain management (QUIKS) : A module of the QUIPS project for benchmarking of pain treatment in patients with nonoperative care

National and international surveys have shown that the quality of pain therapy in hospitals shows deficits, especially in the nonoperative disciplines. The objective was to develop and clinically validate amodule for the outcome and process parameters for pain management in patients in the context of aconservative/nonoperative hospital treatment analogous to the QUIPS questionnaire (quality improvement in postoperative pain therapy), which focuses on postoperative pain management. In a4-step procedure the QUIPS outcome questionnaire and the process assessment sheet of the QUIPS module were adapted to the conditions of conservative/nonoperative treatment. Patients from internal medicine, neurology and dermatology took part in the systematic testing and the clinical validation. A total of 973 patients were enrolled (inclusion rate 74%, n = 403 internal medicine, n = 401 neurology, n = 169 dermatology). The majority completed the questionnaire independently while 33% of the patients needed support, which was given in the form of an interview. Apart from afew deficits, most questions about pain intensity and function were fully recorded. The evaluation of the outcome was difficult as regardless of the pain therapy, arelevant proportion of the patients reported no pain. Due to the lack of conclusive diagnoses at the time of the assessment, organ-related disease groups were developed using word diagnoses instead of the OPS coding used in QUIPS. In addition to the perioperative modules of QUIPS, QUIKS (quality improvement in conservative pain management), an instrument for quality assurance of pain treatment in patients in nonoperative disciplines, is now available.

Assessing the sustainability of phosphorus use in China: Flow patterns from 1980 to 2015

Phosphorus is vital for living creatures and will run out in the next few hundred years. The imbalanced phosphate rock distribution and inefficient consumption make phosphorus management of great importance. As China has an undeniable influence on global phosphorus production and consumption, understanding its changing historical patterns is critical for phosphorus resource management and water quality improvement. However, most existing research focus on anthropogenic phosphorus flows in the agricultural sector for a specific year, making the evaluation of such changes difficult. Therefore, substance flow analysis and principal component analysis for phosphorus flows between 1980 and 2015 were performed to understand phosphorus consumption structure change and the build-up of legacy phosphorus in China. The results show that although China’s phosphorus utilization efficiency has decreased over time, it is still higher than in most other countries. The research also demonstrates the effectiveness of combining multiyear substance flow analysis and principal component analysis to improve the transparency of identifying underlying consumption structure change during resource management.

PNS16 IMPROVING ACCESS TIME IN NUCLEAR CARDIOLOGY TOWARDS QUALITY DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES

This research aims to explore the timeliness of access to outpatient myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in a nuclear cardiology facility which caters for cardiac and non-cardiac scans. Access is a key health system performance indicator to measure quality delivery of healthcare services at an institutional level. The final (impact) outcome is to increase the proportion of patients undergoing MPI within an access time (AT) of <14 calendar days(gold standard) from 2% to 50% or higher over 6 months. AT is defined as the interval difference between the MPI request and scheduled appointment in days. Interventions are directed at best practices to address gaps and deficiencies within the system. First, the backlog reduction plan was aimed at elimination of backlog by recalibration of the scheduling system. Secondly, the surge contingency plan enables the utilization of available non-cardiac appointment slots to perform outpatient MPI. Thirdly, the adaptive workforce plan utilizes staggered working hours to accommodate for increase in number of appointment slots. A theory of change was developed to outline a road map of the sequence of events connecting the resources to the activities, and how it can lead to the desired short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes and impact. A comparative interrupted time series design is used. AT to outpatient cardiac computed tomography will serve as the comparison group to account for any time-varying fixed effect. Data are collected at various points over time before and after an intervention to determine whether the intervention had an effect significantly greater than the underlying trend to demonstrate causal-and-effect provided the parallel trend assumption is met. A qualitative survey will be performed to understand patient expectations on AT. Findings are aimed to guide evidence-based policy making in nuclear cardiology prior to wider implementation across other modalities in cardiac imaging for quality improvement and system management.

APPLICATION OF GOOGLE SOLUTIONS FOR EVALUATION OF EFFICIENCY AND COST OF APPLICATION QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

This paper presents the results of research carried out in companies engaged in the production and distribution of bakery products, which relate to the advantages, disadvantages and costs of implementing the system for quality and food safety management. In focused companies, a quality and food safety management system has been applied, which, after development, has been certified by independent certification bodies. The methodology for collecting data using the Google questionnaire that was created and through which the data from the surveyed companies was obtained. The highest initial costs during the introduction of quality and food safety management systems relate to the elucidation of infrastructure deficiencies (66.6% of surveyed enterprises) and consulting services (33.3% of surveyed enterprises). A key advantage of establishing a company's quality management system is to improve document management and product quality improvement (4.55). The applied quality management systems and food safety systems offer companies numerous advantages, savings in business and represent a model by which applications and other companies can improve their own performance. Determining system efficiency methodologically using google questionnaires is a very simple and useful tool that can be used for similar research with minimal knowledge of online programming techniques.

Accountability and utilization of diabetes care from 2005 to 2014 in Taiwan

Diabetes mellitus (DM) prevalence has been rapidly increasing in Taiwan and globally. Team care for DM has been provided through diabetes shared-care networks in Taiwan more than 20 years. The study analyzed the National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data from 2005 to 2014 to better understand diabetes care accountability and utilization in Taiwan. The completion rate of annual check-ups for various metabolic measurements increased significantly, which indicates improvement in diabetes management quality. The average annual visits and drug cost for each patient increased enormously from 2005 to 2014. The annual number of outpatient department/inpatient department (OPD/IPD) patients with diabetes undergoing dialysis increased. The number of OPD visits in patients with diabetes was 1.9 times higher than that in all patients in general. IPD cost appeared to increase, whereas both drug cost and the average length of hospitalization per patient decreased. Endocrine and metabolic diseases were still the leading cause of OPD expenses. The leading cause of IPD expenses was respiratory diseases. An increasing trend was noted in the medical cost for patients with microvascular instead of macrovascular complications. OPD care for patients with diabetes was rather evenly distributed since 2009. Regarding IPD care, medical centers and regional hospitals each hospitalized 37% of the diabetic outpatients in 2014. Accountability of diabetes care in Taiwan improved significantly till 2014. The ongoing fight against DM and tracing, examining and learning from the overall outcomes in future decades is still required.

Effect of Electrical Energy on the Manufacturing Setup Cost Reduction, Transportation Discounts, and Process Quality Improvement in a Two-Echelon Supply Chain Management under a Service-Level Constraint

The need for efficient electrical energy consumption has greatly expanded in the process industries. In this paper, efforts are made to recognize the electrical energy consumption in a two-echelon supply chain model with a stochastic lead-time demand and imperfect production, while considering the distribution free approach. The initial investments are made for quality improvement and setup cost reduction, which ultimately reduce electrical energy consumption. The inspection costs are considered in order to ensure the good qualities of the product. Centralized and decentralized strategies are used to analyze the proposed supply chain model. The main objective of this study is to reduce the overall cost through efficient electrical energy consumption in supply chain management by optimizing the lot size, the number of shipments, the setup cost, and the failure rate. A quantity-based transportation discount policy is applied to reduce the expected annual costs, and a service-level constraint is incorporated for the buyer to avoid a stockout situation. The impact of the decision variables on the expected total costs is analyzed, and sensitivity analysis is carried out. The results show a significant reduction in overall cost, with quality improvement and setup cost reduction ultimately reducing electrical energy consumption.

Effects of Daxing nursing quality control center on nursing quality of Class II and III hospitals in the district

Objective To explore the effects of regional nursing quality control center on nursing quality of Class Ⅱ and Ⅲ hospitals in the district. Methods From 2016 to 2018, we selected 6 Class Ⅱ and Ⅲ hospitals , each of them were 3 with quality evaluation in Daxing Health Commission by cluster sampling. We carried out the quality control by quality control supervision and training. The Nursing Quality Management and Continuous Improvement Evaluation Form for Class Ⅱ and Ⅲ Hospitals was used for evaluation in the fourth quarter. We compared the evaluation results of 2016, 2017 and 2018. Results From 2016 to 2018, 3 evaluation results of ClassⅡ hospitals were (82.78±2.96) , (86.05±4.16) and (90.95±1.32) respectively; 3 evaluation results of ClassⅢ hospitals were (89.80±3.83) , (91.62±3.24) and (96.13±1.66) respectively. There were statistical differences in the evaluation results of 2016, 2017 and 2018 (P<0.05) . Conclusions Perfect regional nursing quality network is instrumental in the development of quality control of ClassⅡ andⅢ hospitals. The key to improving overall quality of ClassⅡ andⅢ hospitals is the scientific, targeted and flexible supervision and training. Incentive system is an effective mean for giving full play of Class Ⅱ and Ⅲ hospitals so as to improve quality. Key words: Nursing quality audit; Hospitals; Nursing quality control center; Intervention

Modelling quality and maturity of ‘Namdokmai Sithong’ mango and their variation during storage

‘Namdokmai Sithong’ mangoes, grown in carbon paper bags, are harvested at commercial maturity. As chlorophyll is virtually absent, they have a yellow skin colour changing only slightly during fruit ripening. This special characteristic, i.e., the absence of chlorophyll, conceals the variation within the batch in maturity stage and as well as in quality. Quality variables were assessed during storage by destructive (traditional penetration test Fpff, flesh colour L*a*b*, total soluble solids TSS and titratable acidity TA) or non-destructive techniques (limited distance compression Fcomp, skin colour L*a*b*). Three batches of mango in export quality grown at different cultivation locations were stored at four constant temperatures (kinetic experiment) and at 13 °C for 14 d then at 25–28 °C (dynamic experiment). Huge variation was observed in all quality variables in both systems mainly due to differences in maturity of individual fruit. Kinetic models are presented to describe behaviour of quality variables including the biological variation expressed as biological shift factor. A logistic model (logis) was used for all variables, except flesh colour b* value and TSS in the dynamic experiment, where a first order production model (FOP) was applied to analyse the data. Destructively measured data were first grouped based on rank at every measuring time (probelation). Rank number and fruit number were used as an index in non-linear regression. High explained parts (R2adj above 90%) were obtained for firmness and skin colour (a* and b*) for all temperatures of the kinetic experiment separately as well as combined. The (lower) asymptote values for limited compression firmness (Fcomp) were somewhat different at different temperatures, which is again an indication of large difference in maturity. In absence of chlorophyll, a strong relation was found between the biological shift factors of Fcomp and all colour values. During first storage period at 13 °C of the dynamic experiment, most obtained explained part (R2adj) but not all were well over 90%. When both temperature schemes (13 °C and ambient temperature) were analysed together, the rate constant after the temperature switch for firmness and colour was higher indicating a faster fruit ripening. The two cultivation locations generated a substantial difference in colouration, but not so much in terms of firmness. A strong correlation between Fcomp, TSS and TA was revealed. All these results indicate that observed variation in any of the quality variables are all linked directly to variation in maturity. In fruit industry, the biological variation is ignored completely which results in a heterogeneity in the final product at the consumers. Modelling techniques have studied can take care of this variation and could help to improve quality management in the production line in order to assure a constant level of the fruit quality.

Changing epidemiology of the respiratory bacteriology of patients with cystic fibrosis–data from the European cystic fibrosis society patient registry

BackgroundMonitoring changes in the epidemiology of cystic fibrosis (CF) pathogens is essential for clinical research, quality improvement, and clinical management. MethodsWe analyzed data reported to the European Cystic Fibrosis Society Patient Registry (ECFSPR) from 2011 to 2016 to determine the overall and the age-specific annual prevalence and incidence of selected CF pathogens and their trends during these years. The ECFSPR collects data on three chronic infections: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PsA), Burkholderia cepacia complex Species (BCC) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA), as well as on the occurrence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM). The same analyses were performed for different country groups, according to their gross national income (GNI). ResultsThe pathogens with the highest prevalence were SA and PsA, with prevalence, in 2016, equal to 38.3% and 29.8% respectively, followed by SM (8.1%). The pathogens with the lowest prevalence were NTM (3.3%) and BCC (3.1%). The overall prevalence and incidence significantly decreased for PsA; they also decreased for BCC, while they increased significantly for SA. The overall prevalence of NTM and SM increased significantly. The most considerable prevalence changes were observed for PsA, which decreased across all income country groups and all age strata (with the exception of 0–1 years) The prevalence and incidence of pathogens differed significantly according to GNI. ConclusionsThe epidemiology of CF pathogens in Europe has changed; epidemiologic data differ significantly among countries with different socio-economic status. The causes of these observations are multifactorial and include improvements in clinical care and infection control.

Improving Quality Management - the Way Toward Economic Prosperity and Quality of Life

Abstract The National Quality Programme of the Slovak Republic for 2017-2021 strongly emphasises the primary objectives and priorities of the Quality Improvement Strategy. This should be one of the main priorities of the Slovak Government in the upcoming period. The Quality Improvement Strategy should, in general, lead to an improvement in the quality of life. The aim of the paper is to point out the opportunities for improvement by applying indicators aimed at defining the excellence of organisations within the national economy of the Slovak Republic.

Impact of Total Quality Management (TQM) on Operational Performance of Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plants

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of TQM system on the operational performance of the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies operating in Ethiopia. Data for this study is collected using self administered questionnaires. The survey is carried out on 65 respondents drawn from 13 companies. Out of 65 questionnaires distributed among these companies, a total of 57 got returned. Through comprehensive literature review, seven critical success factors of TQM that are relevant to the pharmaceutical industry are identified. Correlation & regression analyses are used to investigate the relationship between TQM variables on the one side and common operational performance measures (Quality, Cost, and Delivery & Flexibility to volume) on the other side. The Correlation analysis reveals that there is strong relationship between TQM practices and operational performance among the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. The outcome of regression analysis indicates that customer focus, process management, product design and people management have significant contribution to at least one of the operational performance measures. Top Management’s support, suppliers’ quality management and continuous improvement do not appear to contribute to higher levels of performance. This study offers pharmaceutical companies and their managers a better understanding of the relationship and impact that some of TQM elements have on the performance of their operations. Thus managers will get an opportunity to take better & more effective decisions in the implementation of TQM. This study can also guide organizations to prioritize the implementation of TQM based on the strategic importance of performance measures needed by them. The choice performance measure is based on the perceptions of managers and therefore, generalization of the observations may be made with caution.

GP incentives to design hypertension and atrial fibrillation local quality-improvement schemes: a controlled before-after study in UK primary care.

Financial incentives in the UK such as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) reward GP surgeries for achievement of nationally defined targets. These have shown mixed results, with weak evidence for some measures, but also possible unintended negative effects. To look at the effects of a local intervention for atrial fibrillation (AF) and hypertension, with surgeries rewarded financially for work, including appointing designated practice leads, attendance at peer review workshops, and producing their own protocols. A controlled before-after study comparing surgery performance measures in UK primary care. This study used published QOF data to analyse changes from baseline in mean scores per surgery relating to AF and hypertension prevalence and management at T1 (12 months) and T2 (24 months) for the intervention group, which consisted of all 58 surgeries in East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), compared to the control group, which consisted of all other surgeries in north-west England. There was a small acceleration between T0 (baseline) and T2 in recorded prevalence of hypertension in the intervention group compared to the controls, difference 0.29% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.05 to 0.53), P = 0.017, but AF prevalence did not increase more in the intervention group. Improvement in quality of management of AF was significantly better in the intervention group, difference 3.24% (95% CI = 1.37 to 5.12), P = 0.001. This intervention improved diagnosis rates of hypertension but not AF, though it did improve quality of AF management. It indicates that funded time to develop quality-improvement measures targeted at a local population and involving peer support can engage staff and have the potential to improve quality.

ASSISTANCE IN IMPROVING QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDREN BASED ON STANDARD PAUD IN DELI SERDANG DISTRICT

Activities in Quality Improvement of ECD Management Based on ECD Standards based on the low understanding of managers (principals and teachers) on eight PAUD Standards (Standards for Achieving Child Development, Content, Processes, Educators and Education Personnel, Assessment, Facilities and Infrastructure, Management and Financing). This activity aims to assist principals and teachers in managing PAUD based on PAUD standards. The activities carried out began with enlightenment and question and answer about the Nature of PAUD Standards, then analyzed the Instruments for PAUD Quality Mapping, and Assistance in completing the documents of each Standard. Mentoring activities were carried out from August to October 2018, which took place at PAUD Miska and PAUD Harapan Bangsa, Percut Sei Tuan District, Deli Serdang Regency. The participants of this activity were the Principal and Teachers and Education Personnel who served in the two schools totaling 10 people. Activities are carried out by means of discussion, question and answer, group work and assignments. At the end of the activity an evaluation of the process and work results of the participants was conducted, and agreed on follow-up activities from mentoring. The results of the mentoring activities concluded that: 1) Understanding of Principals and teachers and other education personnel about PAUD management Based on PAUD Standards increased; 2) Managers' lack of understanding of PAUD Standards causes a lack of realization of programs that refer to standards, lack of procurement of facilities and infrastructure, and not storing documents or letter files, certificates, photos, attendance lists and others. It is recommended that PAUD managers try to rediscover some of the physical evidence that the activities that have been carried out are in accordance with the standards, and the following day the manager must carry out the program in accordance with the PAUD Standards.Keywords: Assistance in Quality Improvement of PAUD Management, PAUD Standards.

Use of the EFQM excellence model to improve hospital pharmacy performance.

Quality management systems are widely used to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. However, evidence regarding the value of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model in improving the performance of hospital departments is lacking. To describe the value of the EFQM model as a quality framework for improving the performance of a hospital pharmacy department (PD). A case study describing the development of the Enablers' criteria of the model and the results achieved. PD in a tertiary-care teaching hospital of the Madrid Public Health Service (Spain). Four self-assessments were conducted using the questionnaire "Perfil" during the period 2008-2017. A quality improvement plan was developed on the basis of the results of each self-assessment. A balanced scorecard was used to track progress. Improvement in quality management was externally evaluated by the Spanish Management Excellence Club in 2010, 2013, and 2017. Change in the scores obtained in the external assessments, the quality improvement initiatives implemented for each Enabler's criteria, and the results of key performance indicators. The EFQM was a useful framework for self-assessment and a good system for identifying improvement initiatives. The model progressively improved the services provided for patients, the safety and efficiency of pharmacotherapy, productivity of the PD, and customer and staff satisfaction. The external assessment scores exceeded 300 points in 2010, 400 points in 2013, and 500 points in 2017. Scores for all of the criteria progressively improved, particularly in 'people'. The EFQM was a practical tool for improvement of PD performance, especially in areas such as strategic planning, people management, and innovation. The main difficulties were the lack of decision-making capacity in relevant areas and benchmarking with other PDs.

The Impacts of Quality System Integration and Relationship Quality on Quality Performance in Supply Chains: An Empirical Investigation in China

ABSTRACT Product-safety incidents and recalls such as automobile recalls by Toyota and a recall of sausages by Shuanghui have raised many quality management challenges and attracted increasing attention from practitioners and academics researchers in recent years. Traditional quality management and quality function development can no longer effectively address these problems, with competition moving from the firm level to the supply chain level. In this study, a holistic supply chain quality management framework on the relationship between supply chain quality system integration, supply chain relationship quality, and quality performance is proposed to improve quality management and mitigate the risk of product recalls. Then a structural equation model is used to analyze these relationships. To test this model empirically, we use survey data from manufacturers in consumer electronics, food, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and toys in China. Our results show that supply chain quality management can help companies achieve high quality. Further, quality system integration and relationship quality have significant impacts on the quality of design and of conformance and are positively related to supply chain quality performance.

An integrated Bayesian–Markovian framework for ascertaining cost of executing quality improvement programs in manufacturing industry

PurposeTypically, the budgetary requirements for executing a supplier’s process quality improvement program are often done in unstructured ways in that quality improvement managers purely use their previous experiences and pertinent historical information. In this backdrop, the purpose of this paper is to ascertain the expected cost of carrying out suppliers’ process quality improvement programs that are driven by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).Design/methodology/approachUsing inputs from experts who had prior experience executing suppliers’ quality improvement programs and employing the Bayesian theory, transition probabilities to various quality levels from an initial quality level are ascertained. Thereafter, the Markov chain concept enables the authors to determine steady-state probabilities. These steady-state probabilities in conjunction with quality level cost coefficients yield the expected cost of quality improvement programs.FindingsThe novel method devised in this research is a key contribution of the work. Furthermore, various implications related to experts’ inputs, dynamics related to Markov chain, etc., are discussed. The method is illustrated using a real life of automotive industry in India.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the extant literature in that a new method of determining the expected cost of quality improvement is proposed. Furthermore, the method would be of value to OEMs and suppliers wherein the quality levels at a given time are the function of quality levels in preceding period(s).