Quality

• What is the main benefit of having a purchasing department for an organization?

  Ensures quality and consistency of goods
• Why is it beneficial to employ specialist purchasing managers?

  They have qualifications and experience in sourcing
• How does a purchasing department help in obtaining competitive prices?

  By leveraging bulk purchasing advantages
• What is one way a purchasing department prevents stock shortages?

  Ensures adequate raw materials are available
• How can a purchasing department build supplier relationships?

  By ensuring reliability through consistent orders
• What is one benefit of not over-purchasing stock?

  Reduces waste in the organization
• How is quality defined in the context of goods and services?

  Features that satisfy customer wants
• What is one way to ensure quality in raw materials?

  Use good quality raw materials consistently
• Why is it important to keep up with market developments?

  To adapt to technical and production changes
• How does staff training contribute to quality?

  Ensures tasks are carried out effectively
• What role does after-sales service play in quality?

  Maintains delivery speed and part availability
• Why is the image of retail outlets important?

  Impresses customers with service quality
• What are some quality initiatives businesses can adopt?

  TQM, kaizen, zero defects, quality circles
• Why is market research important for quality?

  Gains customer feedback on service quality
• How does employee motivation affect quality?

  Leads to better workmanship and service
• What is the role of purchasing in achieving quality?

  Ensures right quantity and quality of materials
• How does operations contribute to quality?

  Structures and manages the manufacturing process
• What is the finance department's role in quality?

  Ensures capital is available for investment
• How does human resources contribute to quality?

  Ensures skilled labor is available in right quantities
• What is the marketing department's role in achieving quality?

  Provides market research information for customer satisfaction
• What are some benefits of quality?

  Increased sales, reduced costs, customer satisfaction
• What is Total Quality Management (TQM)?

  An operations management system for quality
• What does it mean for quality to be 'built in'?

  Quality is ensured during production, not after
• What are some quality assurance methods?

  Team working, product design checking, benchmarking
• What is the definition of team working in quality management?

  A team is responsible for a production process
• What are the benefits of team working?

  Builds trust, morale, and improves communication
• What is benchmarking?

  Imitating standards of established quality leaders
• What is the process of carrying out a benchmarking exercise?

  Identify, choose, gather, implement, monitor
• What is product design checking?

  Monitoring the total design for quality assurance
• What is the significance of recognized standards like ISO 9000?

  Indicates achievement and maintenance of quality
• What are quality circles?

  Discussion groups identifying quality problems
• What are the benefits of quality circles?

  Improve practices, save money, motivate employees
• What is production control?

  Ensures standards are set and processes used
• What is quality control?

  Maintaining standards by testing output samples
• What happens if quality standards are not achieved?

  Defective units must be repaired or rejected
• What are the arguments for the production department being the most important?

  Consistent quality and compliance with health regulations
• What roles do other departments play in a business?

  Marketing, HR, distribution, finance, R&D are crucial
• What is the goal of establishing a culture of quality?

  Affects attitudes and actions of every employee
• What is the purpose of quality audits?

  Trace sources of problems for improvements
• What does empowerment mean in quality management?

  Giving employees control over their tasks