Quality management of executive holloware

Quality management of executive holloware 1 Why is quality important to Executive Holloware? Quality is important to Executive Holloware because they are one of the UKs leading suppliers of top-quality holloware. They describe themselves as selling to a top end market. As a result their products are priced high. Executive Holloware say their most important product was a handmade silver-plated Georgian tea set priced at over  £400. It is implied that this is the most expensive product and thats why they thought it was the most important. This could be a misguided opinion. It could have been the companys trademark, the item which made the brand; in this case you could have called it the most important because without it, there was no brand. The entire product range was hand-made and it looks like this was a big part of Executive Hollowares brand image. Holloware is a term that refers to table service items such as sugar bowls, coffee pots, teapots and other metal items that go on a table. Holloware is traditionally constructed to last a long time. It is typically made with thicker walls and more layers of silver-plate than other silverware. [1] 2 What do you understand by the term quality? The ISO9000 system describes Quality as: The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements[3] The American society for Quality describes Quality as: A subjective term for which each person has his or her own definition[4] In reality the definition of quality depends on your viewpoint. A customer may look at quality in terms of design, how the product performs, or whether it lasts as expected. A producer may look at quality in terms of conformance to requirements and the cost of quality i.e. scrap and profits. A government may see quality in terms of safety or environment. In industry, quality is often measured using values e.g. number of features, reliability, aesthetics etc. The majority of definitions seem to agree that regardless of your viewpoint, there is a set of requirements, whether it is conscious or sub-conscious, for which conformance is the goal. It is important to understand a range of peoples requirements both for a products customer base and within the company in design, manufacturing and other departments. 3 How would you specify quality for executive holloware? A quality product for Executive Holloware is a product that is free from: * Dimensional inaccuracies * Scratches * Bruises The product must be free from defects if a customer is to be proud of presenting it on their dinner table. Customers use the product to give their dinner tables a touch of class and give their guests the impression that no expense has been spared. In terms of the Georgian tea set, the product should be made of a layered silver-plate, other products are made from pewter or stainless steel. 4 What are the underlying causes of the problems at Executive Holloware? One of the main problems is that there is no dimensional / defect inspection carried out until the product is ready for shipment. Too many problems are getting ignored during the manufacturing processes and the product is getting passed down the line with defects. It appears that there is no quality control data generated during the processes until the end of the production line. For this company, the data would not have to be complex, just a numerical count of defects and possible reasons. There definitely seems to be a lack of control chart knowledge. The problems with defects are causing a massive amount of rework, which costs the company money as work is being done twice, this should be virtually unnecessary. The culture of the workforce is wrong. It appears that this stems from the top as the Production Director, Andrew Keegan, is constantly pressuring them to speed up production. This will not work if the quality is not under control. It will only multiply the problem or even increase the percentage of rework. It is a reactive culture with people only reacting to problems with the finished product. There seems to be a blame culture affecting the workforce too. Nobody wants to help with the root causes of the problem; they just want to blame somebody else. This could be because the workforce doesnt feel empowered to do anything about the quality problems. They cant stop production if they notice a problem because they will get blamed for a loss of production time. The workforce may be paid per item they get through their station. This is the case in so many industries of this kind. The problem with that is that the workforce is inclined to rush jobs because they know that if there is rework then they will get paid again. Another problem is that when a defect is found the workforce has no way of knowing if it is out of tolerance or not because there is no specification. There are no limits. 5 How should Executive Holloware measure quality at each stage of the process? Statistical Process Control should be used to take periodic samples from the processes and plot sample points on a control chart. It can then be determined whether the process is within limits. Variability is inherent in production processes and the aim is to lessen the variability to random causes. Three quality characteristics have been highlighted in section 3 which can be measured. A specification needs to be drawn up so that the workforce can decide which defects are failures and which are not. There needs to be a set of tolerances for problems like dimensional inaccuracies. The workforce also needs to be provided with measuring equipment to assist with this. A process control chart can be used as shown in Figure 5‑1. The process would be in control if no sample points lie outside the limits, most points are near the average, and there are an equal number of points above and below the centre line. A histogram can then be created to visually show which problems are most significant. A Pareto analysis could also be done to work out which problem is costing the most. Using control charts at each stage it will be possible to pinpoint at which stage defects are caused. A Fishbone diagram could then be used to show all the causes of a particular quality problem. All these visual aids are useful for meetings to aid effectively communicating the message to everybody present. Another approach to quality control is acceptance sampling. This can also be used on a random basis to measure the % defective. As the products are intended to be top quality and supplied to a top end market, this is not really suitable; especially with the large number of non-conforming products. 6 What steps would you advise Paul Stone to take to improve quality? The basic four steps from the Total Quality Management theory should be used: * Step 1: Collect and organize data * Step 2: Identify problematic components or maintenance processes * Step 3: Analyse data after maintenance process monitoring * Step 4: Action plan [5] The management should ask themselves the 5 Whys each time there is a problem with quality. The 5 Whys is a technique that doesnt involve advanced statistical tools, and in many cases can be completed without a data collection plan. By repeatedly asking the question Why at least five times, you can peel away the layers of symptoms which can lead to the root cause of a problem. [6] Paul should advise management to instil a new culture into the workforce. The workforce should be empowered to report problems and stop production if they feel there is a problem. They should also be involved with problem resolution because it has been proven that if a workforce feels more involved then they are more likely to use their process knowledge to come up with solutions for themselves. This would increase morale and is a basic TQM (Total Quality Management) philosophy. There could be daily meetings for each production unit to go through control chart data. There could then be monthly meetings for the entire staff which will make everyone feel involved and issues can be discussed between departments. Installing a continuous improvement mentality should be the goal. Quality control data as discussed in section 5 should be analysed and used to direct resources for improvement efforts. Specifications need to be created for each product stating tolerances for defects of different types and in different locations on the product. Appropriate metrics need to be identified so that problems can be measured against a standard. There could be cause for a pay restructuring so that workers are paid a fixed rate instead of per item. Bonuses could be introduced based on quality production targets as a different type of incentive. Andrew Keegan should be advised that if the efficiency of the process is increased, then this will bring an increase in productivity. Cycle time should also be increased because there will be fewer problems during processes and rework should be rare. The spare capacity introduced from the lack of rework could then be used to increase production and for new product development. It may be possible to reduce manpower which will lower costs and increase profitability. Increased production means increased turnover. One study by the University of Manchester states that success in applying the quality tools and techniques discussed relies on: * In-depth knowledge of the process * Formal training in problem solving techniques * Appropriateness of tools selected for use * Application of simple models at all levels in the organisation to aid communication and learning [7] If this is true then there needs to be formal training of statistical process control and problem solving techniques generally. There must also be involvement from all levels of the organisation. The Six Sigma theory can be used to help this organisation as well and can be applied to all stages of the problem solving process. The DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) methodology can be used. Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing variability in manufacturing, which is exactly what this company needs to do. As quality assurance manager, Paul should take the lead role in this. The six sigma tools matrix (see Table 6‑1) can present a clear roadmap for the problem solver, especially if the problem solver is a novice (Black Belt or Green Belt). Six Sigma may be an appropriate strategy to base the work on but not in place of TQM because, as Dr Rick L. Edgeman from the University of Idaho said: Six Sigma is a highly structured, information-driven strategy for product, system and enterprise innovation and design. In contrast I would say that TQM seeks to satisfy customer needs continuously by providing what they desire at the lowest possible cost as a result of involving a critical mass of the organizations human resource. [8] Different aspects of both of these methodologies / strategies will be helpful for this company. The steps discussed in this section should have a positive effect on the shops as they will be more confident in the product they are selling, and the end users. Works Cited 1. Encyclopedia Britannica. Holloware Article. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. [Online] [Cited: 7 December 2009.] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/269441/hollowware. 2. AtlanticHospitality.com. Holloware. Atlantic Hospitality. [Online] 2003. [Cited: 7 December 2009.] http://atlantichospitalityinc.com/images/on_halloware/EJAZZ.JPG. 3. International Organization for Standardization. Quality management systems Fundamentals and vocabulary. 2005. ISO 9000:2005. 4. American Society for Quality. ASQ Glossary Entry: Quality. 5. E. Vassilakis, G. Besseris. An application of TQM tools at a maintenance division of a large aerospace company. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering. 2009, Vol. 15, 1. 6. EMS Consulting Group. Problem Solving. Lean Manufacturing Consulting and Training. [Online] 1 February 2006. [Cited: 7 December 2009.] http://www.emsstrategies.com/dd020106article.html. 7. Greatbanks, David R. Bamford and Richard W. The use of quality management tools and techniques: a study of application in everyday situations. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management. 2005, Vol. 22, 4. 8. Antony, Jiju. Six Sigma vs TQM: some perspectives from leading practitioners and academics. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. 2009, Vol. 58, 3. 9. Catherine Hagemeyer, John K. Gershenson, Dana M. Johnson. Classification and application of problem solving quality tools. The TQM Magazine. 2006, Vol. 18, 5.

Appraising Employees at the San Diego Zoo Essay

1. What skills does Black think employees need to work successfully in the area of HR? The skills that Black thinks employees need to work successfully in HR is for them to be commercial, challenging, and focused on delivery and excellence. They must also understand change and transformation, excel at operations, and balance tactical and strategic thinking and acting. They will have to be able to manage and navigate organizational complexity and ambiguities and not be afraid to say no in order to establish boundaries with the business. 2. What are some of the outcomes of the company’s new HR strategy? I think the outcomes of the company’s new HR strategy has been great. Early on there were some employees that were unsure about the charges, especially the long-time employees that were used to the old ways. Now it seems everyone sees how it has helped the company and everyone is happy and enjoys working for Lloyds. Another outcome is that the company is being recognized outside the firm. Lloyds was in the Sunday Times top 100 Best Companies to work for in the UK. It was also UK’s top 40 Business Brands by an independent researcher. 3. What do you think might be some of the challenges of establishing HR policies for global company? I think there are many challenges when establishing HR polices for a global company. Some of the challenges is the different geographies, culture, employment laws, employee compensation and benefits, taxes and business practices.Creating a global mind-set within the HR group, creating practices that will be consistently applied in different locations/offices while also maintaining the various local cultures and practices, and communicating a consistent corporate culture across the entire organization. 4. What types of situations do you think might require an HR manager to say â€Å"no†?I think the HR manager should say no, when the employees are requesting things that go against the company policies. CASE STUDY 2 1 .Evaluate the conduct of Peter Lewiston against the EEOC’s definition of sexual harassment. Peter’s actions definitely shows sexual harassment when compared to the definition of the EEOC. The second form of sexual harassment is what caused a hostile environment for Beverly and is classified as unwelcomed sexual conduct which has an effect of interfering with job performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive  working environment. Peter made it his business himself to enter her environment by spending extra time in her classroom with her and her students which were unwelcome advances. Peter also begged again and again asking Beverly out on lunch dates, which she continuously denied. Peter also spoke (e.g. verbal) on Beverly appearan ce and the feelings he had for her as well as giving flowers, cards and notes, all of them were unwelcome and was told to Peter by Beverly. Peter harassed her in a physical form too, stalking her and staring when she walked to her car, also attempting to touch Beverly. All of Mr. Lewiston’s actions created an extreme hostile environment for Beverly Gilbury. 2. Should the intent or motive behind Lewistons conduct be considered when deciding sexual harassment activities? Explain.Peter actions should surely be taken into consideration. If an employee was to touch another employee, it could mean a signal for saying hello or congratulations, or see you later it might not mean anything.However, if employee that was touched had emotional feelings for the employee the touchers touch can be percieved as trying to fondle. If the touched is okay with this, there is no problem, but if toucher was asked repeatedly to stop, there could be reason for a sexual harassment suit. 3. If you were the districts EEOC officer, what would you conclude? What disciplinary action, if any, would you take? If I held the position of EEOC officer, I would evaluate the evidence such as, letters, statements, and legal documents and would recommend that the enployee accused, Mr. Lewiston would, be terminated for creating a hostile work environment for the victim in this case.

The Nature Of Animal Testing Essay - 1801 Words

Around the world, an estimated 115 million animals are used in various medical research facilities per year (â€Å"Animal Testing,† n.d.). The relationship of humans and animals have been entirely interdependent since early on. Traces of animal testing have dated back to as early as 500 B.C. Even today, numerous species of animals are used for investigation throughout the world. These animals include, but are not limited to, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds and non-human primates such as monkeys and chimpanzees. Countless people display contradictory positions on animal practices; numerous individuals view animals as partners, while others use animals on behalf of enhancing medical practices and expanding experimental exploration. Prior research has revealed that there are a variety of explicit features that influence people to either aid or contradict the practice of using animals in medical research. Many people consider the kind of animal used, style of study bei ng directed, and how the animals are treated in the experiment (Henry Pulcino, 2009). Since animals have been universally tested in various fields of experimentation, the ideology of medical research has been a continuous debate within humans. This paper will present alternative positions pertaining to the topic of animal practice in medical research and conclude with a position that seems most permissible. Perspective One: One side of the argument consists of medical researchers who are proponents ofShow MoreRelated Animal Testing Essay1729 Words   |  7 Pages Animal Testing nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;More and more animals are being taken form their natural habitats and tested on every year. Researchers, scientists, and companies just trying to make new products are using animals to further their experiments. 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Without morals, it would beRead MoreEssay about Animal Rights1553 Words   |  7 Pagesissue of animal experimentation is a widely debated topic in the United States. A fundamental question of this deba te is whether the functions of animal testing and research are morally and ethically justified. In the viewpoint of the pro-research community, animal testing is a necessary practice. They support this position by stating that humans, instinctually, prioritize their own survival above other animals thus making any use of animals justifiable (Fox 5). The supporters of animal testing believeRead MoreAnimal Testing Is A Controversial Issue For A Significant Time Frame Essay1321 Words   |  6 PagesAnimal testing Abstract: Animal testing also known as animal experimentation has become a controversial issue for a long time.Testing on animals has enormously increased with the advancement of research and development in medical field. 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Cell cultures, the MIMIC system, TraumaMan, in vitro, and human volunteers are substitutes for this inhumane procedure (Sullivan 4; â€Å"PCRM Scientists Educate† 10). Animal testing is

Is There Such a Thing as a Planet Sound

Can a planet make a sound? Its an interesting question that gives us insight into the nature of sound waves. In a sense, planets do emit radiation which can be used to make sounds we can hear. How does that work? The Physics of Sound Waves Everything in the universe gives off radiation that — if our ears or eyes were sensitive to it — we could hear or see. The spectrum of light that we actually perceive is very small, compared to the very large spectrum of available light, ranging from gamma-rays to radio waves. Signals that can be converted to sound make up only one part of that spectrum. The way people and animals hear sound is that sound waves travel through the air and eventually reach the ear. Inside, they bounce against the eardrum, which begins to vibrate. Those vibrations pass through small bones in the ear and cause small hairs to vibrate. The hairs act like tiny antennae and convert the vibrations into electrical signals that race to the brain through the nerves. The brain then interprets that as sound and what the timbre and pitch of the sound are. What About Sound in Space? Everyone has heard the line used to advertise the 1979 movie Alien, In space, no one can hear you scream. Its actually quite true as it relates to sound in space. For any sounds to be heard while someone is in space, there have to be molecules to vibrate. On our planet, air molecules vibrate and transmit sound to our ears. In space, there are few if any molecules to deliver sound waves to the ears of people in space. (Plus, if someone is in space, theyre likely to be wearing a helmet and a spacesuit and still wouldnt hear anything outside because theres no air to transmit it.) That doesnt mean there arent vibrations moving through space, only that there are no molecules to pick them up. However, those emissions can be used to create false sounds (that is, not the real sound a planet or other object might make). How does that work? As one example, people have captured emissions given off when charged particles from the Sun encounter our planets magnetic field. The signals are at really high frequencies that our ears cant perceive. But, the signals can be slowed down enough to allow us to hear them. They sound eerie and weird, but those whistlers and cracks and pops and hums are just some of the many songs of Earth. Or, to be more specific, from Earths magnetic field.   In the 1990s, NASA explored the idea that emissions from other planets could be captured and processed so people could hear them. The resulting music is a collection of eerie, spooky sounds. There is a good sampling of them on NASAs Youtube site.  These are literally artificial depictions of real events. Its very similar to making a recording of a cat meowing, for example, and slowing it down to hear all the variations in the cats voice. Are We Really Hearing a Planet Sound? Not exactly. The planets dont sing pretty music when spaceships fly by. But, they do give off all those emissions that Voyager, New Horizons, Cassini, Galileo, and other probes can sample, gather, and transmit back to Earth. The music gets created as the scientists process the data to make it so that we can hear it.   However, each planet does have its own unique song. Thats because each one has different frequencies that are emitted (due to different amounts of charged particles flying around and because of the various magnetic field strengths in our solar system). Every planet sound will be different, and so will the space around it.   Astronomers have also converted data from spacecraft crossing the boundary of the solar system (called the heliopause) and turned that into sound as well. Its not associated with any planet  but does show that signals can come from many places in space. Turning them into songs we can hear is a way of experiencing the universe with more than one sense.   It All Began With Voyager The creation of planetary sound started when the Voyager 2 spacecraft swept past Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus from 1979 to 1989.  The probe picked up electromagnetic disturbances and charged particle fluxes, not actual sound. Charged particles (either bouncing off the planets from the Sun  or produced by the planets themselves) travel in the space, usually kept in check by the planets magnetospheres. Also, radio waves (again either reflected waves  or produced by processes on the planets themselves) get trapped by the immense strength of a planets magnetic field. The electromagnetic waves and charged particles were measured by the probe and the data from those measurements were then sent back to Earth for analysis. One interesting example was the so-called Saturn kilometric radiation.  Its a low-frequency radio emission, so its actually lower than we can hear. It is produced as electrons move along magnetic field lines, and theyre somehow related to auroral activity at the poles. At the time of the Voyager 2 flyby of Saturn, the scientists working with the planetary radio astronomy instrument detected this radiation, speeded it up and made a song that people could hear.   How Do Data Collections Become Sound? In these days, when most people understand that data is simply a collection of ones and zeroes, the idea of turning data into music isnt such a wild idea. After all, the music we listen to on streaming services or our iPhones or personal players is all simply encoded data. Our music players reassemble the data back into sound waves that we can hear.   In the Voyager 2 data, none of the measurements themselves were of actual sound waves. However, many of the electromagnetic wave and particle oscillation frequencies could be translated into sound in the same way that our personal music players take data and turn it into sound.  All NASA had to do was to take the data accumulated by the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Voyager probe and convert it into sound waves. Thats where the songs of distant planets originate; as data from a spacecraft.