Quality Management Tools Research Articles

New Approach for Quality Function Deployment Using an Extended CoCoSo Method with Spherical Fuzzy Sets

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a customer-driven quality management tool that can improve system quality, promote innovation, and enhance the core competitiveness of enterprises. Nonetheless, the traditional QFD method has defects in handling the experts’ assessments, measuring customer requirement importance, and prioritizing engineering characteristics, which affect its efficiency and limit its application in the real world. In this study, a new QFD approach based on spherical fuzzy sets (SFSs) and a combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) method is proposed to overcome the shortcomings associated with the traditional QFD. To be specific, the linguistic relationship assessments between the customer requirements and engineering characteristics provided by the experts were described by the SFSs, the relative weights of the customer requirements were obtained via the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method, and the importance ranking orders of the engineering characteristics were determined with an improved CoCoSo method. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed QFD approach are illustrated by an empirical case of accommodation service design. The results show that the new QFD approach provides a useful and practical way to represent the relationship assessment information of experts and determine the priority of engineering characteristics in product development.

Quality management tools

Quality management is the process of identifying and managing the activities necessary to achieve the quality objectives of an organization. Implementing quality management involves all members of the organization. Thus, the management of the company becomes the responsibility of all levels of management, but it must be managed from the highest level. The paper presents the traditional quality management tools, used to solve the quality problems.

Tools for Advanced Control Processes in Plastic Injection Moulding Technology

This paper describes some tools usable for quality control in plastic injection moulding. The introductory part presents tools for quality management, the use of which is demonstrated in the next part using a practical example. The selection of suitable methods was based on proven methods for quality management. They were selected to work in synergy. The author's contribution is the modification of the PDCAI method, which was enriched by another step, namely, innovation. The last part of the article presents is a demonstration of FMEA, Ishikawa diagram, and Pareto diagram.

Bacterial Communities and Antibiotic Resistance of Potential Pathogens Involved in Food Safety and Public Health in Fish and Water of Lake Karla, Thessaly, Greece.

Bacterial communities, microbial populations, and antibiotic resistance of potential pathogens in the water and fish (Cyprinus carpio, flesh and gut) from different areas (A1, A2 and A3-A1 was linked with river water, A2 with cattle activity, and A3 with waters of a spring after heavy rains) of Lake Karla (Thessaly, Central Greece) were investigated. The isolated bacteria were identified using Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and were tested for resistance in 21 antibiotics. The microbiota composition of fish flesh was also studied using 16S amplicon-based sequencing Serratia fonticola and several species of Aeromonas (e.g., Aeromonas salmonicida, Aeromonas bestiarium, Aeromonas veronii, etc.) exhibited the highest abundances in all studied samples, while the microbiota profile between the three studied areas was similar, according to the culture-dependent analysis. Of them, S. fonticola was found to be resistant in the majority of the antibiotics for the water and fish (gut and flesh), mainly of the areas A1 and A2. Regarding 16S metabarcoding, the presence of Serratia and Aeromonas at genus level was confirmed, but they found at very lower abundances than those reported using the culture-dependent analysis. Finally, the TVC and the rest of the studied microbiological parameters were found at acceptable levels (4 log cfu/mL or cfu/g and 2-4 log cfu/mL or cfu/g, extremely low levels of E. coli/coliforms) in both water and fish flesh. Based on our findings, the water of Lake Karla would be used for activities such as irrigation, recreation and fishing, however, the development and implementation of a quality management tool for Lake Karla, to ensure environmental hygiene and prevention of zoonosis during the whole year, is imperative.

Economically Improving the quality of construction through Six Sigma and Cost Benefit Analysis

Six Sigma is a quality management tool which is highly effective in manufacturing industries, but implementing the six sigma in construction sector is a challenging task since each and every construction project is involved with huge quantity of money. As we all know that the quality and the cost of the constriction project are directly proportional to each other, so in the attempt of improving the quality of the project, we also end up in exceeding the budgeted cost of the project. To avoid this situation in the construction projects, the quality management tool six sigma is combined with a cost management tool Cost Benefit Analysis. This study shows the method of improving the quality of the construction process without affecting the cost of the construction. Combination of these two management tools provided an organization with a successful quality project with budgeted cost.

Analysis of the Possibility of Using the D3 Discipline of the G8D Method in Solving Quality Management Problems for Nok Products

Abstract In the paper the D3 discipline of the G8D method has been presented. In the presented procedure all decisions are made regarding the introduction of interim corrective actions - ICA. The algorithm of conduct for the discipline and the quality management tools that the discipline uses have been also presented. It has been also discusses how to proceed for the D3 discipline in determining temporary corrective actions for the NOK detail with the preceding actions in the D2 discipline.

Tools of product quality planning in the production part approval process

The article concerns the analysis of the applicable normative requirements in the field of product quality planning in the process of approving parts for production.The analysis, in particular, concerns the correlation of appropriate methods and quality management tools in the quality planning process.Correct use of quality planning tools in product and process development determines the effectiveness of implementing individual phases of APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning).It is important that the organisation skilfully and consciously uses the quality tools required by APQP; they usually require multiple uses during the project implementation time, which depends on the specificity of a particular project.The study presents how core quality planning tools are related, proving that they cannot be treated as an individual tool, but only their correct use can protect the project/organisation against nonconformities or misunderstandings between the supplier and the customer.The study's originality and novelty show the relations and dependence between APQP phases and core quality tools/evidence developed in the PPAP (Production Part Approval Process), according to PPAP level 3. The article presents a practical approach to the use or multiuse of particular core quality planning tools according to APQP phases.

The Chinese University stakeholder satisfaction survey: Developing a customer-centered self-assessment tool for higher education quality management.

Customer-centered management theory has considerable potential for increasing the quality of higher education (HE) in China and promoting its sustainable development. This study applied customer-centered enterprise management theory to develop an HE stakeholder satisfaction scale based on data from 1,654 students, teachers, and other staff members, including human resources personnel. The three-part stakeholder satisfaction survey consists of the China University Student Satisfaction Scale, the China University Teacher and Staff Satisfaction Scale, and the China University Graduate Human Resources Department Satisfaction Scale. All three subscales were valid, reliable, and can be used to foster management innovation, although they require adjustments to improve their coverage of different HE environments. Organizational self-assessment based on customer-centered corporate management theory has much to contribute to the quality and sustainability of China's HE systems.

Application of total quality management tools in the risk analysis of pathologies in steel-structured buildings

Application of total quality management tools in the risk analysis of pathologies in steel-structured buildings

HSD31 Analysis of the Balanced Scorecard's Managerial Subdimensions in Health Care Organizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We intended to review all the managerial subdimensions used in balanced scorecard (BSC) implementations and then to assess the impact of the pandemic on the managerial subdimensions of health care organizations (HCOs). We performed a systematic review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to find all internal key performance indicators (KPIs) used in BSC implementations from the time of inception until October 2020 in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Google Scholar databases, and Google's search engine. Second, we searched for independent studies using the resulting managerial subdimensions with the COVID-19 keyword in Google engine and Google Scholar until June 2021. Out of 4031 studies, 36 implementations remained. From these, 72 managerial KPIs were extracted. Categorizing KPIs resulted in 4 subdimensions: planning and targets, standards and regulations, internal assessment, and external assessment. Hospitals utilized some of these subdimensions’ KPIs to perform planning and internal assessment of their performance. The CDC developed a checklist to help hospitals assess and improve their preparedness for responding to COVID-19. However, insufficient standardization of quality measurement approaches in the COVID-19 era was perceived, which disrupted the comparison and understanding of health systems’ optimal performance. The lack of standardization and conflicting or irrational managerial decisions were deemed dissatisfactory factors for health care workers in the pandemic. Moreover, few studies have examined centralized governance's impact on HCOs during the pandemic, which positively affected reactive strategies. Learning from past pandemics was suggested to may positively influences proactive and reactive strategies. However, the role of internal assessment, such as BSC and total quality management tools, or external assessments, such as Joint Commission International accreditations, certification, auditing, or peer review on HCOs during the pandemic, still requires more investigation. Future research to improve the performance of the managerial subdimensions during the pandemic, as well as a comprehensive assessment for HCOs is still needed.

The Main Benefits of Application of Six Sigma for Productive Excellence

Purpose: The present paper addressed the application of the Six Sigma method for process management to reduce the variability and scrap of packages manufactured at a company located in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Methodology/Approach: Exploratory research was conducted to understand the context, analyse, and create familiarity with the problems identified in the company, making them more explicit. Findings: Through Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) the company was able to identify the main causes of customer complaints and the factors that led to these complaints. Using management tools, it was possible to solve the problems with packaging outside the specifications, which was the reason for complaints from customers. The benefits of this research were the identification and analysis of the quality management tools. Research Limitation/Implication: The present research had as a limitation the application of the method is only one company, so it is proposed as a future study of the application in different production processes of different organizations. Originality/Value of paper: It was evidenced that there is a positive relationship between the application of Quality management methods and company billing, as there was an increase of 1.7% in company billing. In past surveys, new possibilities for improvement to be addressed emerged, making the team aware of the need to continue the process of continuous improvement.

Decision Support Tools for Water Quality Management

The sustainability of inland water resources worldwide is becoming increasingly endangered as climate change contributes to the human-induced problems of water supply scarcity and maldistribution [...]

Long-Term Water Quality Prediction Using Integrated Water Quality Indices and Advanced Deep Learning Models: A Case Study of Chaohu Lake, China, 2019–2022

The rapid development of urban industrialization has had many negative effects on the quality of water sources around cities. Long-term prediction of water quality can be of great help to the conservation of water environment. This case tries to use several popular deep learning models, such as RNN, LSTM, MLP, and Transformer-based models to predict the long-term integrated water quality index in the Chaohu Lake area. The dataset is derived from daily monitoring data from four monitoring sites within Chaohu Lake from 2019 to 2022, and the long-term prediction performance of the model is evaluated using MAE and MSE as evaluation metrics. The experimental results showed that all models selected in this case achieved good results within the study area, but Informer performed more prominently (MSE = 0.2455, MAE = 0.2449) as the length of the prediction series increased. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of popular deep learning models in the field of WQI prediction, especially the significant advantage of transformer-based models represented by Informer in long-term water quality prediction, which will further provide an effective modern tool for water quality monitoring and management.

Roadmap for the implementation of total quality management (TQM) in ISO 9001-certified construction companies: Evidence from Turkey

This paper aims to develop a roadmap for ISO 9001-certified construction companiesn to move towards effective Total Quality Management (TQM) implementation. Although ISO 9001-certified companies are more ready for TQM implementation, there is no roadmap developed for these companies to move towards TQM. Therefore, in this study, 8 main critical success factors (CSFs) and 24 sub-CSFs of effective TQM implementation were determined through a literature review and expert review meetings. Then, to reveal the application-level differences of these CSFs, a questionnaire survey was prepared and distributed to participants working at 75 Turkish construction companies. The 16 of 75 construction companies were selected among members of the Turkish Quality Association (Kalder). Finally, a total of 40 completed questionnaires were received and t -test analysis was performed on the survey data. The results revealed that the most significant differences observed between these companies are giving quality awareness education to employees, training of employees on how to use quality management methods and tools, quality data related to products provided by suppliers, and measurement of internal customer satisfaction. Consequently, a roadmap was proposed based on the revealed differences. With this roadmap, first, ISO-certified companies should provide quality awareness education to employees, train employees on how to use quality management methods and tools, collect quality data related to products provided by suppliers, and measure internal customer satisfaction to move towards TQM.

Discrepancies between clinical diagnoses and autopsy findings: A comparative study conducted in South Africa.

The anatomical pathology autopsy serves several purposes, notably as a quality management tool for evaluation of accuracy in clinical diagnosis. Despite its value, for various reasons there has been an international decline in autopsies conducted. In the modern medical era, with all its advances in technology, diagnostic techniques and interventions, there is still a high discrepancy between clinical diagnoses and postmortem findings. To establish the discrepancies between clinical diagnoses and postmortem findings in anatomical pathology autopsies. A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted over the 4-year-period 2014 - 2017. The clinical diagnoses and postmortem findings of cases referred to the Department of Anatomical Pathology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, were evaluated and compared using the modified Goldman criteria. A total of 288 cases qualified for the study and were evaluated. The gender distribution was 155 (53.8%) male and 133 (48.2%) female, with the majority of cases in the age group 19 - 60 years (mean 36.4). The majority of the cases were referred by internal medicine, followed by paediatrics. The most common cause of death in major missed diagnoses was pulmonary conditions. Of the cases, 115 (39.3%) had a major discrepancy and 62 (21.5%) a minor discrepancy. This study showed that there is still a high discrepancy between clinical diagnoses and postmortem findings, similar to studies conducted globally. The current COVID-19 pandemic may be a driver for revival of the anatomical pathology autopsy, and future studies are recommended to evaluate whether the decline can be reversed.

Machine learning-based prediction of harmful algal blooms in water supply reservoirs

Abstract Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose a potential risk to human and ecosystem health. HAB occurrences are influenced by numerous environmental factors; thus, accurate predictions of HABs and explanations about the predictions are required to implement preventive water quality management. In this study, machine learning (ML) algorithms, i.e., random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB), were employed to predict HABs in eight water supply reservoirs in South Korea. The use of synthetic minority oversampling technique for addressing imbalanced HAB occurrences improved classification performance of the ML algorithms. Although RF and XGB resulted in marginal performance differences, XGB exhibited more stable performance in the presence of data imbalance. Furthermore, a post hoc explanation technique, Shapley additive explanation was employed to estimate relative feature importance. Among the input features, water temperature and concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus appeared important in predicting HAB occurrences. The results suggest that the use of ML algorithms along with explanation methods increase the usefulness of predictive models as a decision-making tool for water quality management.

DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW KIND OF BREAD PRODUCED BY THE TECHNOLOGY OF"DEFERRED BAKING" ON THE BASIS OF MODERN QUALITY MANAGEMENT METHODS

The article considers the use of Quality Function Deployment methodology in the development of a new type of bread based on the technology of "deferred baking" of high nutritional value. The research identified the main consumer requirements for a new product that directly affect its technical characteristics. By using quality management tools (affinity diagram, tree diagram, benchmarking) the transformation of consumer desires into quantitative technical (design) characteristics of the product. The ranking of consumer requirements for a new type of bread is carried out, weighting factors are determined. A tree of product quality indicators characterizing the level of consumer satisfaction has been formed, and their compliance with regulatory requirements has been established. To transform the requirements of consumers into the parameters of the quality of expected products, a "Quality House" was built for the production of a new type of bread using the technology of "deferred baking". It is established that when developing a new product with high consumer properties, it is necessary to ensure the naturalness of the product through the use of natural additives and high-quality raw materials, which will lead to a product with high biological active substances content and extended shelf life. It will also solve a number of problems inherent in the technology of "delayed baking", and most importantly it will lead to the creation of a product with good organoleptic characteristics.

Application of six sigma and the system thinking approach in COVID-19 operation management: a case study of the victorian aged care response centre (VACRC) in Australia

COVID-19 has posed many unique and critical challenges in various contexts and circumstances. This often led the stakeholders and decision-makers to depart from traditional thinking and the business-as-usual processes and to come up with innovative approaches to tackle various mission-critical situations within a short time frame. In this paper, a real-life case study of COVID-19 operation management following a multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder novel integrated approach in aged care facilities in Victoria, Australia, is presented which yielded significant and positive outcomes. The purpose of the intervention was to develop an integrated system performance approach through the application of various quality management tools and techniques to achieve organizational excellence at the aged care centers. The case involved the use of mathematical models along with statistical tools and techniques to address the specific problem scenario. A system-wide management plan was proposed, involving various agencies across several residential aged care facilities during the pandemic. A three-step methodological framework was developed, where Six Sigma, a system thinking approach, and a holistic metric were proposed to manage the value chain of the pandemic management system. The experimental result analyses showed significant improvement in the management process, suggesting the validity and potential of this holistic approach to stabilize the situation and subsequently set the conditions for operations excellence within the sectors. The model offers new insight into the existing body of knowledge and offers an efficient approach to achieving operational excellence in any organization or business regardless of its type, shape and complexity, which can help practitioners in managing complex, mission-critical situations like a pandemic.

The Influence of Service Quality and Facilities on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty of Blue Residence’s Boarding Room, West Jakarta

Blue Residence Kos is a boarding house in West Jakarta. This business has been going on for a long time and and over time, the boarding house owner also needs to consider the potential risk of being lonely due to the loss of attractiveness of the boarding house. This business has a high customer turnover rate and many boarding rooms are found to be unoccupied. For this reason, it is necessary to control the quality of boarding services provided in services and facilities. This study examines the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty boarding. It is proven that customer satisfaction and loyalty are influenced by service quality and boarding facilities. Customer satisfaction is affected by the variable boarding facilities and boarding services significantly and both variables affect simultaneously by 63.9%. Customer loyalty is not significantly affected by the variable costing facilities, but is significantly affected by the variable costing services. Simultaneously, customer loyalty is influenced by these two variables by 72.5%. Customer satisfaction regression formula Y1 = 1.379 + 0.423 X1 + 0.500 X2 and customer loyalty regression formula Y2 = -3.178 + 0.204 X1 + 0.775 X2. Researchers propose improvements with the QFD method and obtain a ranking of improvement priorities that have been evaluated for their level of competitiveness with competitors of the Blue Residence boarding house. Researchers also use quality management tools to control quality, namely Check Sheet, Pareto Diagram, and Fishbone.

METHOD OF PROCESSING CUSTOMERS' EXPECTATIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTS

Obtaining and processing customers’ expectations for products is a problem in view of the dynamic changes of these expectations. It refers to precisely determining the most important requirements of customers to improve the product in a standardized way. The purpose of the article was to develop a method to process customers' expectations to improve the quality of products. The motivation for developing this method was to reduce uncertainty in expressing customer expectations. Using the SMART(-ER) method, the goal of the analysis was determined. Then, during brainstorming (BM), the product and the analysis criteria were selected. Next, by using a survey with the Likert scale, the customer expectations were obtained. Later, these expectations were processed by the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP). Based on processed weights, the choice of important criteria was compiled. The choice was made according to the Pareto-Lorenz Rule. The originality of the article is based on a method, which simultaneously combines quality management tools with the method in a fuzzy decision environment. This method can be used to verify customers' expectations for any product.