The use of expert systems in total quality management: An exploratory study

This paper explores the potential for the use of expert systems in total quality management (TQM). The study was carried out under the auspices of the first multi-company programme of research into TQM. Among the findings are that it is feasible to run expert systems on personal (and other) computers in order to assist with aspects of TQM such as statistical process control, quality costing, goods receiving, corrective action procedures, supplier development, quality function deployment and field failure analysis, and that the potential application of expert systems to TQM was received with some degree of enthusiasm by the personnel with whom the concept was discussed. It is also pointed out that the most difficult task in producing an expert system is acquisition of knowledge, and that knowledge elicitation can be facilitated by use of the quality assurance mapping technique—Q-MAP.     

How supply quality management improves an organization's quality performance: a study of Chinese manufacturing firms

Because of unfavourable economic conditions, organizations worldwide have to constantly reconstruct their business strategies in order to survive. Recent studies have stressed the importance of supply quality management (SQM) for the general competitiveness of manufacturers. However, very little empirical research has been carried out that specifically examines how SQM practices lead to improvements in quality across an organization. To scrutinise the impact of SQM practices, a survey was conducted of 138 leading manufacturing companies in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), a manufacturing hub in southern China dubbed ‘the factory floor of the world’. By using path analytic techniques, a model was constructed to portray the relationships among SQM practices and organizational quality performance. This model could act as a tool of reference for companies seeking to improve their SQM systems, and help them in their efforts to raise quality across the company. This paper demonstrates that quality-conscious management practices speed up the implementation of SQM practices. This paper finally reveals the influential effect of SQM practices on both supply quality and organizational quality performance.     

Doctors are not pilots and patients are not airplanes: Quality improvement in medicine

Abstract

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science issued a report in 1999 entitled “To Err Is Human.” It described errors in hospitals which led to between 44,000 and 99,000 deaths per year. This was the “tipping point” toward self-evaluation and quality improvement. Medicine has slowly developed quality improvement methodologies that seem to work. Surgery leads the way. This article will go through some of the history of quality improvement with the difficulty comparing patients and defining outcomes, along with the difficulties changing physician behavior. The challenges of implementing quality improvement across an entire hospital will be demonstrated.     

Designing a software reliability programme

Designing reliable software is becoming an ever increasing problem because the high cost of software is largely due to reliability problems. The costs of finding and fixing the errors, better known as maintenance and testing costs, account for as much as 80 per cent of the total cost of the final software product. Software developers now have an even greater interest in preventing errors from making their way into the software and finding the errors that are present in the early stages of development. Precise software design, coding and testing play an important role. This paper presents a management plan for implementing a software reliability programme at a small software industry where no reliability programme yet exists and no reliability programme is yet established.     

Reengineering of the Laundry Service at a University Campus: A Continuous-Improvement Quality-Management Methodology

The Department of Auxiliary Services of the University of Miami had been the recipient of numerous anecdotal complaints by resident students regarding the service of the laundry system offered at the residential on-campus dormitories (students often complained about nonworking and/or busy machines). In this paper we present a holistic systems approach that utilizes total quality management and quantitative decision-making tools in a seamless fashion to improve the students' satisfaction and perception related to the laundry system. At the same time, other departmental important objectives, such as the implementation of an ongoing in-house procedure that supports its continuous-improvement program, are taken into account. Results that document the improved system performance are further presented.     

浅析后扩招时代高校教学质量的管理

中国高等教育已经进入大众化教育阶段，高等教育质量的提升与结构调整成为目前的中心任务之一；文章就后扩招时代高校教学质量管理的现状与提高进行了初步探讨，提出了建立具有多层次质量观，并将社会、中介性机构引入到教学质量管理体系中，以便建立有效的高校教学质量管理保障体系。     

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP): implementation in Greek industry

HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)has been internationally recognized as a logical tool towards a more modern, scientifically based inspection system. The main sector where HACCP finds application is in the processing of safe food. The influence of the application of the HACCP system in Greek industry was examined as a function of important process parameters (e.g. cost, training programmes, employees' behaviour). Problems encountered during the implementation of HACCP were identified and actions to overcome these problems were proposed. Merging the HACCP system with a quality assurance programme will render HACCP more effective in industry. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Minimum Variance and VOQL Sampling Plans

In this paper the outgoing quality and the total inspection under sampling for attributes are introduced as well-defined random variables. The variances of these random variables under total rectification are presented and are depicted graphically.

The thrust of the paper is to establish criteria for minimum variance sampling plans and lo present techniques for their determination. In addition to providing minimum variance sampling plans, a technique is developed for designing sampling plans with a designated maximum variance, a VOQL plan. The VOQL concept is analagous to the AOQL concept except in the VOQL plan, it is the variance which is maximized instead of the usual expected value of OQ.     

Impacts of collaborative investment and inspection policies on the integrated inventory model with defective items

For an imperfect production system, to reduce quality-related costs, a manager may consider investing capital in quality improvement. In general, the investment expense in reducing the defective rate of items is often paid by the vendor. On the other hand, the buyer may inspect the product quality as the order is received which implies it incurs an inspection cost. In a supply chain integrated system, to accomplish global optimisation, the vendor and buyer can agree to jointly invest capital to improve the imperfect production processes, and the buyer can remove the inspection programme as the defective rate reaches a certain low-level. Hence, this paper investigates the impacts of collaborative investment and inspection policies on an integrated inventory model with defective items. The objective of this study is to seek the optimal order quantity, shipping times from the vendor to the buyer per production run, and the defective rate that minimise the joint total cost per unit time. An algorithm is developed to find the optimal solution. Several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the proposed model and solution procedure, and then several management insights are obtained from the numerical examples.     

发展中国家制造业出口质量升级研究——基于中国、印度和巴西数据

本文根据Hallak提出的产品质量影响双边贸易方向的质量模型,构建基于单位价值、国家之间距离和人均收入等变量的出口产品质量实证模型,测度了2003—2013年中国、印度和巴西三个发展中国家出口到美国的HS6位码的产品质量,并对中国、印度和巴西制造业的产品质量和质量升级进行比较研究,据此提出中国出口产品质量升级的政策建议。     

Quality of v-process moulds through the taguchi technique

The global consciousness for quality has motivated designers and manufacturing engineers to be engaged constantly in product and process development. The approach, quality by design, developed by Taguchi has produced a unique and powerful quality improvement discipline that differs from traditional practices. In the present paper, Taguchi's technique has been applied to obtain an optimal setting of V-process parameters. The results indicate that the sand grain fineness number and amplitude of vibration are the control factors. These factors affect both the mean and the variation of the bulk density of the V-process mould. The signal factor, that is the factor that affects only the mean value, is time of vibration. The insignificant factor is the degree of vacuum imposed. The optimum value of bulk density (1–588 gm/cm³) at the optimal setting of these parameters has been obtained and confirmed by further experiments.     

Quality Improvement Strategy in the Electricity Supply Industry

This paper introduces a novel strategy of total quality management (TQM) in the electricity supply industry (ESI) in order to achieve quality improvement. Statistical process control tools, such as control charts, cumulative sum charts, correlation coefficients, and scatter diagrams are introduced to analyze the stability and capability of attributes and variables data affecting the quality of real power and reactive power supply. Also Taguchi's technique is applied for quality improvement of the ESI process. The designed TQM technique demonstrates the quality state of power process in the Hellenic ESI. More specifically, the quality condition, relationship, and capability of frequency and voltage are examined, before and after the installation of flexible AC transmission systems devices in the northeastern Hellenic system.     

The quality assurance programme for the national radioactivity surveillance network in Italy

The quality assurance programme (QAP) carried out by the ENEA and ANPA for the laboratories belonging to the radioactivity surveillance network in Italy is outlined. The organisation of the QAP and the measurement campaigns performed from 1983 to 2000 are reviewed under different aspects such as network evolution, measurement types, standard sources needed for the calibration and intercomparison campaigns. network homogeneity and accuracy level, and main sources of systematic errors. The results show the effectiveness of the programme in obtaining a uniform accuracy level among the participating laboratories. Nevertheless a few sources of systematic errors are still present.     

苹果栽培的世界性动向--提高果品质量

由数量型向质量型转变,是苹果栽培的世界性动向。栽培者应该放弃只追求果品高额产量的过时做法,实施每公顷只产30 000 kg ,以达到最高的果品质量为目标,来保持果园的良性发展和增强果品抢占市场的优势。     

Selecting the best defect reduction methodology

Defect rates in the range of 10 parts per million, unimaginable a few years ago, have become the standard of world-class quality. To reduce defects, companies are aggressively implementing various quality methodologies, such as statistical quality control,^1,2 Motorola's six sigma³ or Shingo's pokayoke.^4,5 Although each quality methodology reduces defects, selection has been based on an intuitive sense without understanding their relative effectiveness in each application. A missing link in developing superior defect reduction strategies has been a lack of a general defect model that clarifies the unique focus of each method. Toward the goal of efficient defect reduction, we have developed an event tree which addresses a broad spectrum of quality factors and two defect sources, namely mistakes and variation. The quality control tree (QCT) predictions are more consistent with production experience than those obtained by the other methodologies considered independently. The QCT demonstrates that world-class defect rates cannot be achieved through focusing on a single defect source or quality control factor, a common weakness of many methodologies. We have shown that the most efficient defect reduction strategy depend on the relative strengths and weaknesses of each organization. The QCT can help each organization identify the most promising defect reduction opportunities for achieving its goals.     

Implementation of quality assurance in diagnostic radiology in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republic of Srpska)

Application of a quality control (QC) programme is very important when optimisation of image quality and reduction of patient exposure is desired. QC surveys of diagnostics imaging equipment in Republic of Srpska (entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina) has been systematically performed since 2001. The presented results are mostly related to the QC test results of X-ray tubes and generators for diagnostic radiology units in 92 radiology departments. In addition, results include workplace monitoring and usage of personal protective devices for staff and patients. Presented results showed the improvements in the implementation of the QC programme within the period 2001--2005. Also, more attention is given to appropriate maintenance of imaging equipment, which was one of the main problems in the past. Implementation of a QC programme is a continuous and complex process. To achieve good performance of imaging equipment, additional tests are to be introduced, along with image quality assessment and patient dosimetry. Training is very important in order to achieve these goals.     

Towards a more effective approach to the development and maintenance of SEA guidance

Written guidance can contribute to the development of effective SEA, delivering relevant information for those involved in policy, plan and programme making processes. Generally speaking, guidance should aim at setting best practice standards. However, to date, how guidance is impacting on SEA effectiveness and how it is best developed and maintained has not been explored to any great extent. As a consequence, it has remained unclear how a key ingredient of effective SEA, namely the support of an enabling context, should be approached. In this paper, we look at the perceived relevance of written guidance for the delivery of effective SEA, based on a two-stage survey with 26 practitioners (all with over 10 years of experience) from the UK and the Republic of Ireland, conducted between 2015 and 2017. Survey participants included representatives of the regulatory, consultancy and academic sectors. Our findings indicate that guidance can promote SEA effectiveness if it: (a) aims to go beyond basic legislative requirements; (b) is able to respond to the specific situation of application; (c) can establish a minimum standard for SEA; and (d) is able to stimulate the advancement of quality standards within a tiered approach to SEA.     

论素质教育在教育改革中的推行和深入

素质教育作为一种教育思想或教育观念正在影响和推动着我国的教育改革。目前大学教育很多方面亟待改革和改良,而素质教育在大学教育改革中应该发挥极其重要的作用,为此,本文从三个方面进行了论述：（1）推行素质教育之必要性（2）现阶段推行素质教育在教育改革中的现状及其遇到的问题（3）对素质教育在教育改革中的推进的建议。本文的结论是：素质教育在现在高校教育模式改革和改良中意义重大,我们应该大力推行并且深入。