1.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT TOOLS FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Quality management tools are utilized by organizations of all sizes across many industries to help
them deliver their products and services of consistent and high quality on time.  The tools listed below
were greatly emphasized upon by Kaoru Ishikawa, who was instrumental in creating total quality
management and maximizing productivity by improving the quality of deliveries in the manufacturing
industry.

1) Cause-and-effect diagram (also called Ishikawa or fishbone diagrams): Identifies many

possible causes for an effect or problem and sorts ideas into useful categories.

2) Check sheet: A structured, prepared form for collecting and analysing data; a generic tool
that can be adapted for a wide variety of purposes.

3) Control chart: Graph used to study how a process changes over time. Comparing current
data to historical control limits leads to conclusions about whether the process variation is
consistent (in control) or is unpredictable (out of control, affected by special causes of
variation).

4) Histogram: The most commonly used graph for showing frequency distributions, or how
often each different value in a set of data occurs.

5) Pareto chart: A bar graph that shows which factors are more significant.

6) Scatter diagram: Graphs pairs of numerical data, one variable on each axis, to look for a
relationship.

7) Stratification: A technique that separates data gathered from a variety of sources so that
patterns can be seen (some lists replace stratification with flowchart or run chart).

These tools help reduce errors, create a more driven culture and work environment, improve
communication, help companies maintain compliance, and more. Adopting the right quality
management tool can help companies save a lot of time and resources, improve the overall quality of
delivery and processes, as well as generate a high ROI.

2. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Total Quality Management (TQM) is defined as a customer-oriented process and aims for continuous
improvement of business operations. It ensures that all allied works (particularly work of employees)
are toward the common goals of improving product quality or service quality, as well as enhancing
the production process or process of rendering of services. However, the emphasis is put on fact-based
decision making, with the use of performance metrics to monitor progress.
TQM oversees all activities and tasks needed to maintain a desired level of excellence within a
business and its operations. This includes the determination of a quality policy, creating and
implementing quality planning and assurance, and quality control and quality improvement measures.
The benefits of TQM include:

 Less product defects. One of the principles of TQM is that creation of products and
services is done right the first time. This means that products ship with fewer defects,
which reduce product recalls, future customer support overhead and product fixes.
  Satisfied customers. High-quality products that meet customers’ needs results in higher
customer satisfaction. High customer satisfaction, in turn, can lead to increased market
share, revenue growth via upsell and word-of-mouth marketing initiated by customers.
 Lower costs. As a result of less product defects, companies save cost in customer
support, product replacements, field service and the creation of product fixes. The cost
savings flow to the bottom line, creating higher profit margins.
 Well-defined cultural values. Organizations that practice TQM develop and nurture core
values around quality management and continuous improvement. The TQM mindset
pervades across all aspects of an organization, from hiring to internal processes to
product development.

3. QUALITY 4.0

Technological advances of the past decade have resulted in a new industrial revolution often referred
to as the fourth industrial revolution or "Industry 4.0." It’s a revolution driven by the exponential
growth of disruptive technologies and the changes those technologies are bringing to the workplace,
the workforce, and the markets organizations serve.

"Quality 4.0" is a term that references the future of quality and organizational excellence within the
context of Industry 4.0. The core concept of Quality 4.0 is about aligning the practice of quality
management with the emerging capabilities of Industry 4.0; to help drive organizations
toward operational excellence.

Quality 4.0 combines the capabilities of machine learning, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and
big data with conventional systems of quality management for driving continuous process
improvement and for improving overall business performance. Quality 4.0 does not only affect
delivery processes internal to an organisation, but also the entire value chain from procurement to
sales, including corporate enabler functions.
 4. VALUE STREAM MAPPING- EFFECTIVE LEAN TOOL

Value stream mapping (VSM) is defined as a lean tool that employs a flowchart documenting every

step in the process. Many lean practitioners see VSM as a fundamental tool to identify waste, reduce
process cycle times, and implement process improvement.

VSM is a workplace efficiency tool designed to combine material processing steps with information
flow, along with other important related data. VSM is an essential lean tool for an organization
wanting to plan, implement, and improve while on its lean journey. VSM helps users create a solid
implementation plan that will maximize their available resources and help ensure that materials and
time are used efficiently

The origins of value stream mapping are often attributed to Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota may
have adopted it from other origin sources, or it may have grown organically from shared ideas in the
lean manufacturing community. Toyota’s success and use of lean manufacturing practices helped
promote value stream mapping as a modern best practice for high efficiency business teams during the
1990s.

Value stream mapping is critical for business sustainability. Here’s why:

 Reducing or eliminating waste can improve your company’s bottom line. As a bonus, you
discover the root cause and the source of the waste.
 Once wasteful handoffs are identified as part of value stream visualizers, your teams can
consciously improve behaviour, culture, communication, and collaboration.
 Teams discard individual opinions and prioritize based on the customer’s perspective.