Quality Management Tools Research Articles

Key factors influencing the effectiveness of hospital quality management tools: using the quality control circle as an example–a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo identify the key factors influencing the effectiveness of hospital quality management tools and analyse the mechanisms needed for long-term scientific hospital management.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, a large number of...

Implementation of the circular supply chain management in the pharmaceutical industry.

The ever-increasing levels of pollution and waste creation have subjected industries around the world to incorporate the concept of circular economy (CE) in their supply chains. The amalgamation of the CE approach along with supply chain management is called circular supply chain management (CSCM). Among other industries, the pharmaceutical industry is also involved in damaging the ecosystem. Hence, an effective framework for the adoption of CSCM in a particular industry is very essential. Therefore, this paper aims to devise a model that will help the pharmaceutical industries to adopt CSCM in their organizations. For this purpose, the study in the first phase identifies ten barriers that are working as an impediment in the adoption of the CSCM approach. To counter those barriers, the study in the second phase identifies a set of twelve enablers. To analyse the barriers and enablers, the study uses a new hybrid methodology. For allocating weights and prioritizing the barriers, the fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique, i.e. fuzzy full consistency method (F-FUCOM) is used, whereas the total quality management tool, i.e. fuzzy quality function deployment (FQFD) is used to rank the enablers. The results from F-FUCOM suggest “lack of financial resources and funding”, “market challenges”, and “lack of coordination and collaboration among the entire supply chain network” to be the top-most barriers, respectively, whereas the results achieved from the FQFD suggest “industrial symbiosis”, “Reverse Logistic (RL) infrastructure”, and “block chain technology” to be the top-ranked enablers, respectively. The provision of a facilitating framework for the adoption of CSCM in the pharmaceutical industry and the newly developed hybrid methodology are both novelties of this study.

ОКРЕМІ ПИТАННЯ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЯКОСТІ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ В УКРАЇНІ НА СУЧАСНОМУ ЕТАПІ

The article seeks to discuss important implications of higher education quality in various society areas of – politics, management, pedagogy, economics, etc. Insights on international best practice convincingly demonstrate that assuring high quality of education and enhancing its further development are the key governance and public administration priorities in all developed countries. It is argued that the quality of life is greatly affected by the level and quality of education. Moreover, it is highlighted that Ukraine has built a robust institutional paradigm of the education system and its governing bodies which focuses on retaining and accumulating strong human capital and research potential. Among the shortcomings in the implementation of the education quality assurance process, the study has identified the following: weak links in the relationships between higher education institutions and business; immaturity of monetization system for university students in the context of their cooperation with private companies; lack of university involvement in promoting the creation of business incubators, science & technology parks, technocities, etc. Apart from that, the findings have revealed significant imbalances in the national economy that translate into the supply shortage in certain occupations and labor market surplus in other professionals, along with displaying another negative trends associated with the processes of skilled workforce migration from rural areas to more developed cities and regions, or the outflow of the working-age population abroad. In turn, labor migration challenges drastic demographic changes that according to statistics, negatively affect the number of higher education applicants. A special emphasis is placed that the national higher education system is facing serious competition from higher education institutions of economically developed neighbouring countries that offer educational services in prestigious high ranked universities, as well as create ample scholarship and grant opportunities to international students. Thus, from the tuition fee perspective, domestic HEIs are often far behind their European counterparts, too. The study presents an in-depth analysis of the range of various impact factors affecting the education quality, the most essential of them are reported to be the legal and regulatory framework for higher education; government policy for higher education management; higher education funding rates; labor market saturation; the effectiveness of quality management tools in rendering educational services, etc.

Implementing Quality Management Tools to Improve Customer’s Journey at Café

Delivering high-quality service is critical to the café’s performance in order for it to survive and grow competitively. This paper aims to identify the impact of service quality on customer satisfaction in the context of cafés before customers enter the café, during the experience, and after leaving. The paper used a mixed-method approach using a qualitative method by applying two interviews with focus groups, and a quantitative method by conducting three online questionnaires. Further, several quality management tools, namely: Affinity diagram, Interrelationship diagram, Tree diagram, Process decision program chart (PDPC), Matrix diagram, Prioritization matrix, and Quality function deployment (QFD) were implemented to assess the problems that confront the café while serving customers and to figure out solutions to solve these problems. The issues regarding the café's service quality are categorized into seven main categories which are menu, place, communication with customers, B2C customers, B2B customers, suppliers, and employees. The house of quality (HFQ) represents 22 factors of customer needs, the highest percentage refers to hiring a third party whereas the lowest percentage describes the need for providing pre-prepared food. The paper revealed that to improve the customer journey and enhance the café’s performance, the café needs to always maintain a high level of quality, listen to employees’ concerns, use automation systems, and collect data and plan accordingly.

INSTRUMENTS OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN TASKS OF THE SYNTHESIS OF CHARACTERISTICS AND INDICATORS INTENDED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGINEERING FACILITY

The work is devoted to the consideration of quality management tools in the tasks of synthesis of characteristics and indicators of an engineering object intended for development. The relevance of the research is presented in the coordination of the consumer characteristics of the engineering object proposed for development, the formation of a list of technical characteristics and the establishment of the indicators of the object corresponding to these characteristics; at the same time, on the one hand, it is necessary to meet the requirements of the customer to the greatest extent (mainly related to the process of operation of the object), and on the other hand, to ensure the necessary conditions for the effective and full-fledged organization of works on the creation of the object with mandatory objective assessment of quality. It is asserted that the tools used in the process of synthesis of technical characteristics and technical indicators corresponding to these characteristics must necessarily comply with the provisions of system analysis. Tools that satisfy the specified conditions are quality management tools, a significant part of which, with appropriate modification, can be effectively used to solve the considered synthesis task. In addition, the use of these tools allows you to perform a combination, to solve in parallel the specified tasks of synthesis and formation of the structural and functional scheme of the object, that is, to move to the task of structural synthesis of the engineering object intended for implementation. The purpose of synthesis of the characteristics and indicators of both the object as a whole and its component parts based on agreed consumer properties (consumer quality) is proposed to be the consistent use of quality management tools adapted (modified) in view of the implementation of these procedures, namely a tree diagram; affinity diagrams; matrix diagram. It is noted that the use of the specified tools allows to combine and solve the given tasks of synthesis and formation of structural and functional solutions of objects in parallel, to proceed to the task of structural synthesis of the planned engineering object.

Improving productivity in fastener manufacturing through the application of Lean-Kaizen principles

The paper shows the roadmap to a sound application of Lean-Kaizen Manufacturing Techniques, along with certain tools in Total Quality Management. These Lean Principles along with principle of Continuous Improvement involved continuous elimination of wastes such as time, energy, cost, raw material through small and systematic improvements were seen to drastically improve productivity in the manufacturing unit. Concepts from Total Productive Maintenance were used so as to sustain the benefits of these lean practices. Facilitating 5S, a workplace organization methodology, helped to improve machine cleanliness and to organize the operator’s workplace. This leads to worker involvement and hence improves productivity. This paper and its associated project illuminated and enumerates in both qualitative and quantitative ways that the application of these principles bring about drastic and measurable difference not only for the productivity of the system but also the general environment and worker satisfaction that ultimately contribute heavily to the overall productivity of the system.

Culture and Molecular Methods as Complementary Tools for Water Quality Management

Culture and Molecular Methods as Complementary Tools for Water Quality Management

СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ МЕТОДЫ И СРЕДСТВА УЛУЧШЕНИЯ КАЧЕСТВА, ПОВЫШЕНИЯ ПРОИЗВОДИТЕЛЬНОСТИ И ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЙ В УСЛОВИЯХ ЦИФРОВИЗАЦИИ

The basic quality management methods and tools widely accepted in various types of international organizations are considered. These methods can be successfully used in today's environment in digitalization conditions during the electrical equipment operation and the other product life cycle stages. Recommendations on the use of various management and engineering quality tools are presented.

An Approach to Determining the Need for Integrating Quality Management into Industrial PLM Implementation

In practice, companies use different tools and systems to plan and manage product and process quality. Most of these tools and systems are disconnected from product data/information management systems. The downside of disconnected tools for quality management is that the repeating issues that appear in multiple systems can obscure root cause investigations by isolating related data elements, with no means to understand relationships among them. Redundant work identifying and resolving quality issues can happen in multiple tools without an automated way to communicate knowledge learnt to other teams. This leads to inconsistent and incomplete problem resolutions that impede, not improve, product and process quality. In the recent development of new technologies, many IT tools have become available on the market and among them are the PLM systems proving very popular among companies which enable the creation and maintenance of complex industrial products. A comprehensive solution in the PLM Platform is presented in this paper that aims to link quality to product design, manufacturing planning, and business-critical processes such as change management. The approach provides cross-disciplinary teams and the extended supply chain with powerful closed-loop capabilities to identify and manage risk, improve quality, meet customer requirements, and attain environmental, safety, and information management compliance.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ СОВРЕМЕННЫХ ИНСТРУМЕНТОВ МЕНЕДЖМЕНТА КАЧЕСТВА ДЛЯ ПРИНЯТИЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНЫХ УПРАВЛЕНЧЕСКИХ РЕШЕНИЙ

Abstract. The article systematically examines the problems of using quality management tools to make informed management decisions. The use of FMEA analysis to analyze the types and consequences of possible damages in relation to the production of cable products is considered.

Total quality management tools and techniques for improving service quality and client satisfaction in the healthcare environment: A qualitative systematic review

The aim of the given research is to analyse total quality management tools for improving service quality and client satisfaction in healthcare settings through a systematic qualitative review. Data was collected through the web of sciences (WOS), Scopus, EBSCO, PubMed, and Medline. Initially, we found 573 articles from all the sources, but after eliminating the non-relevant articles, only 24 usable articles were finalized. Furthermore, 12 articles were purely related to TQM, service quality, and client satisfaction. This study concludes that TQM practices and tools improve service quality and client satisfaction in healthcare organizations. This study provides excellent managerial and practical insights. Managers should implement the TQM tools to improve service quality and client satisfaction. This way, customer satisfaction is enhanced, and patient satisfaction is improved, leading to high operational and overall performance. This study also reveals a need for further studies to clarify the role of TQM tools on service quality and patient satisfaction.

Efficient operation of recovery stamp charge cokemaking at JSPL: an experience

Cokemaking through the stamp charging route was introduced in Jindal Steel & Power Limited in 2017. Over the years, there has been a significant change in operational practices, blend coal cost, coke productivity and coke quality. The first strategy tactic was changing the mindset for operating philosophy to achieve desired productivity and coke quality. At the same time, the second approach and strategy analyzed the deficiencies of the heating regulation system to take the countermeasures to overcome them and operate the plant at optimal specific energy consumption. Thus the energy-efficient operation of the coke oven plant can only help for a reduction in specific heat consumption through optimization of the coke oven heating system without sacrificing the productivity and coke quality. This paper also touches upon the process variability, operational excellence in battery operation, improved conditions of the different types of equipment and machines to facilitate operations through the use of total quality management tools, optimization of coal blends for available coal types to produce superior coke from the same coke oven batteries without sacrificing oven health.

Quality 4.0: leveraging Industry 4.0 technologies to improve quality management practices – a systematic review

PurposeQuality 4.0 is an emerging research topic concerned with rethinking how quality management needs to be adopted in the digital era. The purpose of this research is to conduct a systematic review on the state of the research in the field of Industry 4.0 impact on improving quality management aspects and how technology can be leveraged to enhance its practices.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review of the literature published in the last 5 years is conducted. 52 papers were selected, mapped based on the technology they focused on and categorized based on the addressed quality aspects.FindingsThe review revealed various areas where quality management can benefit from Industry 4.0 technologies, identified several research gaps and suggested new directions for future research. Firstly, the literature provided some insights about industry 4.0 potential contributions but lacks further detail on the exact applications and solutions through use cases and case studies. Secondly, there has been a focus on the potential benefits provided for quality control while there is a clear scarcity in terms of the other quality management tools and methodologies. Thirdly, there is a lack of studies on economic analysis or detailed impacts on quality costs that justifies the substantial investments needed. Finally, there is a need for including more studies about the mapping and integration of ISO 9001 requirements and Industry 4.0 features.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt to conduct a comprehensive review on the ways industry 4.0 technologies can be leveraged for the field of quality management. Based on this review, several directions for further research in this area are identified.

The Extent to which the Overall Quality can be Applied to University Educational Performance - An Applied Study in Iraqi Universities

The important of the study lie in his particle aspect that combined both total quality management and university performance in both public and private university, which can be achieved by introducing the scientific bases that all the university must followed. The problem of the paper is that most of the Iraqi universities do not apply the total quality management tools in its performance therefore the paper focus on identifying the relationship between total quality management and university performance, the study include preparing questionnaires forms and distributed on a sample of faculty deans, their assistants, and department heads and these questionnaires were analysis using statistical program (SPSS) by frequency and percentages. In order to know the direction of each hypothesis and the evidence validity or incorrectness of the hypothesis and the extent to which the phrases coincide with the hypothesis, the following measures were used (arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and mode).

Universal Model to Support the Quality Improvement of Industrial Products.

Improving the quality of industrial products quality still is a challenge. Despite using quality control, there is a constant need to support this process to achieve an effective, precise, and complex analysis of product quality. The purpose was to develop a universal model that supports improving the quality of products via the consistent and repetitive determination of the causes of product incompatibilities and actions leading to their elimination; the model can be integrated with any quality control of the product. The model verification was carried out for the incompatibility of the mechanical seal in alloy 410, in which the porosity cluster was identified by the fluorescence method (FPI). The purpose of the analysis was created by the SMART(-ER) method. Then, a team of experts was selected from which the brainstorming (BM) was realized. After the BM method, the source of incompatibility and initial causes were identified. Then, the Ishikawa diagram (according to rule 5M + E) was developed to group the initial causes. Next, during the BM method, the main causes were selected. In the last stage, the 5Why method was used to determine improvement actions, i.e., adjust clotting parameters, introduce the obligation to undergo periodic training, and set aside a separate place for storing the electrodes. Originality is the combination of selected quality management tools in a coherent model, the main aim of which is to identify the main causes of incompatibility and improvement actions. Additionally, this model is universal and has applications with analyzing any product and the causes of its incompatibility, and it can be integrated with any product quality control. Therefore, the model can be useful for improving the quality of products in any enterprise.

A COMPLEX CONCEPTION OF MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF ORGANISATIONS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The difficult situation is affecting many organisations at the present time. This article mainly deals with ensuring of the quality of production on the example of a case study in one manufacturing organisation. However, it is about involving other aspects, such as: maintenance, social responsibility, process approach. Everything is based on specific findings related to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Quality management tools and responsibility tools were applied in solving this complex task. The example of the mentioned organisation shows that the conformity application of aspects of the management system above in a holistic connection to soft resources not only supports the strengthening of production quality and the growth of efficiency, but it also strengthens an internal culture of the organisation. The goal is to ensure an efficient operation of the organisation and thus to support its competitiveness.

Seasonal dynamics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) plays a vital role in the biogeochemical cycles of elements in aquatic ecosystems. Seasonal dynamics of CDOM of the lake are sensitive indicators of the biogeochemical processes and water quality, which are critical to the water security of the lake. Thus, a field investigation of the CDOM and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) properties was conducted during four hydrological seasons in 2016 to track the temporal variability of CDOM and DOC properties and to explore the influence of rivers and wetlands on the quantity and quality of CDOM in Poyang Lake. The results showed that the alternations of flood and dry periods have a different influence on the quantity and quality of CDOM and DOC in the main lake and the river mouths districts. DOC and aromaticity in the main lake district were more influenced by seasonal variations, while CDOM concentrations and molecular weight in the river mouths were more affected. CDOM fluorescent components in both these districts varied obviously across the hydrological seasons. More terrestrial humic-like substances with higher aromaticity and lower DOC in the rising and flood season than in the dry and retreating season. The contributing rate of CDOM and its terrestrial humic-like substances from input rivers to the lake in the rising season can account for more than 50%, which was more than that in the flood season. Flooding causes wetlands to contribute a higher abundance of CDOM and DOC with lower aromaticity to the lake, contrary to the CDOM features in the flood season, highlighting the important role of wetlands in the organic carbon pool. The DOC can be modeled using CDOM fluorescent and optical parameters by the Support Vector Regression (SVR) method, which provides a tool for DOC dynamic monitoring and water quality management.

A new approach to predicting the extraction of malvidin-3-glucoside during red wine fermentation at industrial-scale

Red wine quality is largely determined by the concentration of phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins that are extracted from skins and seeds during alcoholic fermentation. As such, the ability to control this extraction process is a key consideration for winemakers. Current mathematical models based on regression analysis methods that are used to describe phenolic extraction during fermentation can provide insight into the effect of changing process conditions, however their use as predictive tools for process control and management of future fermentation scenarios is limited. In this study, red wine fermentations undertaken at a large commercial winery are compared with simulations of malvidin-3-glucoside extraction (the predominant red wine anthocyanin), using a first principles mass-transfer model with incorporated response surface equations for calculating relevant mass transfer parameters throughout fermentation. In general, the model employed to simulate this mass transfer process showed consistent extraction patterns to that measured experimentally in commercial large-scale fermentations, and displayed good predictive capabilities for malvidin-3-glucoside concentrations at the latter stages of fermentation, highlighting its potential usefulness as a new tool for quality management and process control during winemaking.

Six Sigma in Semiconductor: Continuous Improvement in Production Floor Area

This study addresses the improvement of first pass yield on the production floor of ABC Semiconductor. ABC is a company running a multiple volume complex product in aligning with memory business in the operation. First pass yield refers to the proportion of fully built product that pass testing without the need for additional rework. The first pass yield (FPY) project showed steady progression for its first five years. But over the following one year, the primary yield metric which is first pass yield has stayed stagnant. The goal of the paper presented here is to analyze the reasons for the current performance and propose novel ways of improving the metric again using quality management tools. The most common is using 7QC tools method by categorizing failure pareto that will lead to targeted corrective action to reduce the recurrence of pre-identified failure modes. A DMAIC methodology is establish on how to define an efficient corrective action, along with a top three major defect on data acquired from ABC organization. From the exercise, the yield loss was able to be reduced from 17.4% to 3.52%.

DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM BASED ON BLOCKCHANE TECHNOLOGY FOR DECISION MAKING IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The article considers and investigates the system of decision making in the production processes of an agricultural enterprise. In dynamic conditions of decision-making and operational adjustments, a methodology of operational analysis of the current situation is needed to obtain the necessary results. Decentralized blockchain-based systems are the most promising for doing business. Usage areas of decentralized systems are production and logistics. Globalized production and distribution of agricultural tasks have brought a new milestone in the development and optimization of existing systems. The growing number of issues related to the optimization of internal processes in enterprises, has caused an urgent need for an effective solution to process tracking, which serves as an important tool for quality management and provides adequate protection of the process in the agricultural production chain. Blockchain is one of the main technologies that can provide innovative solutions for tracking agricultural products and food supply chains. Modern agricultural supply chains are a complex ecosystem that includes a number of stakeholders and therefore complicates the verification of important criteria: country of origin, stages of crop development, compliance with quality standards, yield monitoring. Ethereum Smart Contracts can effectively monitor and seamlessly integrate business operations and workflows for a stable supply of agricultural products. The agricultural sector has great potential for modernization and optimization of production, which in general can be a breakthrough for the economy as a whole. It is thanks to him that the country receives a significant flow of currency. After the abolition of tariffs restricting the supply of products to Europe, new markets were opened for production. Demand for agricultural products is high and by modernizing the management system, we will be able to get even better results. Also, the involvement of information technology provides good conditions for productive and confident development of small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises and farms. For example, blockchain technology will provide access to new markets and reduce the bureaucratic burden on the company, simplify communication with suppliers and customers.