ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

(Commonwealth MBA/MPA Programme)

Course: Quality Management (5575)

Semester: Autumn,

2014
Level: COL MBA / MPA Programme
100

ASSIGNMENT No. 1

by

FAISAL SAFDAR KHAN

ROLL NO. AW565146

Total Marks:

Assignment #1
Code 5575

Roll No. AW565146

(Faisal Safdar Khan)

Q.1 Describe the meaning of quality in its true spirit for a services
organization? How the quality can be judged from a customers
viewpoint; discuss with the perspective of fitness to standard and
fitness for use.

(20)

QUALITY
The term "quality" is expressed by the ISO definition: "The totality of features and
characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied
needs". In other words, we can say that a product has good quality when it "complies
with the requirements specified by the customer or client".
Quality can also be defined as "delivery of reliable information within an agreed span of
time under agreed conditions, at agreed costs, and with necessary aftercare". The
"agreed conditions" should include a specification as to the correctness and accuracy of
the data which is directly related to "fitness of use" and which may differ for different
applications. Many laboratories work according to established methods and procedures
which are not readily changed and have in-built default specifications. Moreover, not all
future uses of the data and reports can be foreseen so that specifications about
required precision and accuracy cannot even be given. Consequently, this aspect of
quality is usually left to the discretion of the laboratory. However, all too often the
embarrassing situation exists that a laboratory cannot evaluate and account for its
quality simply because the necessary documentation is lacking.
According to Demming, Quality may be defined as an excellent product or services that
fulfills or exceeds our expectations. Quality can be quantified as:
Q = P / E,
where Q is Quality, P is Performance and E is Expectation(s).
QUALITY FOR A SERVICE ORGANIZATION
Quality can be determined in service industry by a number of dimensions, few of them
are:

Accuracy

Completeness

Timeliness

Courtesy

Friendliness

Quality Management

Page 1 of 28

Assignment #1
Code 5575

Aesthetics

Service Providers knowledge

Reputation

Roll No. AW565146

(Faisal Safdar Khan)

So, quality in service delivery may be gauged by the customer / end-user satisfaction or
dissatisfaction communicated through the feedback, complaints and / or suggestions, if
any. We will discuss this aspect of quality in more detail in the following paragraphs with
regard to the fitness of standards and fitness for use perspectives.
Fitness to Standards
It is the quality of a product / service as per its specifications, considered by the
manufacturer / designer. In other words the quality according to this perspective can be
defined as conformance to the specifications
The quality is therefore checked by comparison between the output and the
specifications. Fitness to standards can be achieved / checked by following methods:

Standardization;

Statistical quality control;

Inspection.

Standardization is the set of actions taken for the product / service and the process to
be clearly identified, e.g. a set of written procedures. The classical test for checking
whether standardization has taken place is: "If the people go, do the procedures stay?"
Inspection is a simple mean by which the items are sorted. Good items are kept and
bad ones are dropped. We can decide to check all the products (total inspection) or only
some of them (statistical control).
Drawbacks:

Inspectors are considered as "the enemy" by the workers

Inspections do not add any value;

Conformance to specifications does not mean conformance to needs.

Based on this last drawback, the following definition, i.e. Fitness for Use was
introduced.
Fitness to Use

Quality Management

Page 2 of 28

Assignment #1
Code 5575

Roll No. AW565146

(Faisal Safdar Khan)

A product / service is deemed as of quality if it performs as expected not as specified.

The difference is between the intended use of a product (its specification) and its real
use. In other words quality may be defined as conformance to the expected use.
A screwdriver is specified for a given size. We generally want to use the same
screwdriver for any kind of screws, and maybe for opening a can of paint.
The fitness of use is difficult to reach since this use may vary over customers and time.
It may be checked by market research / contact. Here we enter the world of marketing.
The only way is to ask the consumer and customer feedback plays the role.
Disadvantages:

Inspectors are considered as "the enemy";

Inspections do not add any value

"Fitness of use" assumes that definitions of the specifications are "consumer based".
Fitness of use consequently requires fitness to (the new) specifications and therefore
also requires inspections.

Quality Management

Page 3 of 28

Assignment #1
Code 5575

Roll No. AW565146

(Faisal Safdar Khan)

Q.2 Elaborate the role of leadership in implanting the total quality

management program in an organization.

What critical issues

leadership has to tackle while implementing the quality program in a

manufacturing concern? Support your answers with real time example.
(20)

HAZARD

Quality Management

Page 4 of 28

Assignment #1
Code 5575
Q.3

Roll No. AW565146

(Faisal Safdar Khan)

The quality begins with the customer and ends on the customer.
Provide logical justifications about this statement. How far it has
concern with the customer relationship program and why? Support
your answer with any multinational corporation operating in Pakistan.
(20)

RISK MANAGEMENT

Quality Management

Page 5 of 28

Assignment #1
Code 5575

Roll No. AW565146

(Faisal Safdar Khan)

Q.4 Quality management program and strategies cannot be developed and

implemented in isolation. Do you agree with this statement. What
critical success factors you consider to be the most important to
address

from

human

implementation phase?

resources

perspective

during

quality

(20)

EMERGENCY

Responsibilities

Quality Management

Page 6 of 28

Assignment #1
Code 5575

Roll No. AW565146

(Faisal Safdar Khan)

Q.5 Why ISO certification is important for both service and manufacturing
organizations? Select an organization and guide through the initial steps
in the certification process. Help the organization to make a decision
regarding ISO certification with reference to the strengths and
drawbacks of ISO, as to whether or not certification would be
advantageous.

(20)

MOBILIZATION

Quality Management

Page 7 of 28