3F

• define quality.

  Quality is a good or service’s ability to satisfy a customer’s need
• what does quality is measured in?

  • reliability
  • durability
  • delivery time
  • consistency of products
• Effect of producing high-quality products or services

  • meet customer expectations
  • improve its overall competitiveness
  • reduce wastage, as materials discarded is reduced during the production process due to errors or lack of quality.
  • reduce a business’s expenses
  • enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of an operations system
  • fulfil the needs of its customers by improving the value of its products and lowering its prices.
• Define quality control


  Quality control involves inspecting a product at various stages of the production process, to ensure it meets designated standards, and discarding those that are unsatisfactory.
• is the quality control reactive or proactive?

  reactive as it is used to detect and eliminate defects after they occur, rather than preventing them from occurring in the first place.
• process of quality control

  randomly select a number of products to inspect, rather than checking every single good or service. For quality control to be implemented properly, it requires the following steps:

  1. Standards of quality are established.
  2. Inspections are regularly conducted.
  3. A good or service is compared against set standards.
  4. A good or service is removed if it does not meet the set standards.
  5. The cause of the error is fixed to prevent further errors
• effect of quality control on efficiency

  • Identifying and fixing the cause of an error prevents the error from reoccurring, which results in less waste being created during production. Reducing waste allows a business to optimise its use of resources.
  • Identifying and fixing the cause of an error reduces the number of potential errors that could halt production, enabling the operations system to flow continuously without interference and increasing productivity.
• effect of quality control on effectiveness

  Removing defective products prevents customers from receiving faulty goods or services. This can allow a business to meet the objectives of increasing sales and market share.
• Advantages of quality control

  • Providing customers with consistently high-quality products, and minimising the number of faulty goods or services they receive, can improve a business’s reputation.
  • Reducing the number of faulty goods or services that are sold to customers can minimise the number of refunds the business is required to complete.
  • The strategy is relatively inexpensive to implement, as it is controlled internally by the business and no external parties are required to carry out the quality checks.
• Disadvantage of quality control

  • It does not actively attempt to reduce the level of wastage produced in the operations system, which can negatively impact a business's reputation as it may be associated with harming the environment
  • Unless every product is inspected, defective goods may still reach a customer, potentially causing the business to develop a reputation for selling poor-quality products
  • It can be boring and monotonous work for employees to check the production line for defects
  • It can be time consuming to identify and address the causes of errors in production
  • Errors are eliminated after they occur, usually when the product has already been created. This may cause a business to incur costs associated with waste
• Define quality assurance

  Quality assurance involves a business achieving a certified standard of quality in its production after an independent body assesses its operations system.
• Characteristics of quality assurance

  • is a proactive strategy as it aims to improve the quality of the operations system as a whole to avoid errors entirely.
  • independent body is organised by the business to assess its operations against national or global standards.
  • When approved, the business can advertise the certification it receives on its packaging or website.
  • Quality assurance certification can increase customer’s confidence in, and perception of, a good or service as they know the business has received official endorsement from a recognised body regarding its quality.
• effect of quality assurance on efficiency

  • Preventing errors before they occur reduces the number of faulty products produced, reducing a business’s waste. This can allow a business to optimise its use of resources.
  • Preventing errors before they occur can reduce the number of production halts related to addressing the causes of errors. This can promote seamless operations and reduce the amount of time wasted in the production process, improving efficiency as less of the ‘time’ input is required.
• • effect of quality assurance on effectiveness

  Customers are more inclined to purchase from a business with certified quality standards. This can allow a business to increase its sales and meet the objectives of increasing profit and market share.
• Advantage of quality assurance

  • Reduces the number of defective products produced
  • Reduces the amount of waste generated in production
  • Enhances a business's reputation as it is perceived to be environmentally friendly
• Receiving external certification from an independent body

  • Improves a business's competitiveness
  • Customers are likely to have increased confidence in the business and its products
• Workplace standards implemented to achieve external certification

  • Improve the safety of the workplace for employees
• Reduced number of errors


  • Enables production to flow smoothly
• Proactive prevention of errors

  • Minimises the number of resources wasted
  • Allows a business to utilise its resources optimally
  • Avoids having to repurchase wasted inputs
• Gaining external certification


  • Can be harnessed as a marketing tool by the business
  • Allows the business to increase sales
• Disadvantage of quality assurance

  • Employees may have to be trained to comply with new procedures.
  • Completing documentation required for the external body to check the operations system can be time consuming.
  • It can be expensive to organise an external body to assess the operations system of a business
• Define total quality management

  Total Quality Management (TQM) is a holistic approach whereby all employees are committed to continuously improving the business’s operations system to enhance quality for customers.
• Characteristics of TQM


  • is a proactive strategy
  • TQM involves maintaining and improving the quality of each element of the operations system; inputs, processes, and outputs.
  • As a quality management strategy, TQM encourages the entire business to strive for improvements in quality.
• three key feature of TQM


  1. Customer focus
  2. Continuous improvement
  3. Employee empowerment
• effect of Total Quality Management on efficiency

  Continuously improving the quality of the production system can prevent errors from occurring and reduce the number of discarded products. This can allow a business to optimise its use of resources.
• effect of Total Quality Management on effectiveness

  By determining the needs and wants of a customer, TQM can improve levels of customer satisfaction and allow a business to meet the objectives of increasing sales and profit.
• Advantage of TQM

  • A business can adapt TQM to suit its specific business requirements.
  • A business engaging in TQM can minimise the amount of waste generated, improving its reputation, as customers perceive the business as having a positive environmental impact.
  • Employees may feel increasingly valued if they are involved in the process of improving quality.
  • The proactive prevention of errors can minimise the number of resources wasted. This can allow a business to utilise its resources optimally and avoid having to repurchase wasted inputs.
• Disadvantage of TQM

  • Employees may feel confused about their role in improving quality if managers fail to communicate the TQM strategy clearly.
  • It may take time for a business to enjoy the benefits of TQM as it requires a shift in culture.
  • Introducing TQM can be costly for a business as employees may have to be trained so they can continuously identify methods to improve quality
• Similarities between Quality control and quality assurance

  • Both strategies reduce the number of faulty products reaching customers.
  • Both strategies require a good or service to meet set standards.
• Difference between quality control and Quality assurance

  • Quality control is reactive as it identifies and eliminates errors after they occur. On the other hand, quality assurance is proactive as it prevents errors from occurring.
  • Quality control does not involve external certification. In contrast, quality assurance involves a business receiving certification after it meets standards set by an external body
• Similarities between quality control and TQM

  • Both strategies can be implemented to see notable improvements in the quality of the final output.
  • Both strategies are internally controlled and involve employees assessing quality.
• Difference between Quality control and TQM

  • Quality control focuses on setting predetermined standards of quality in the first stage of this strategy. TQM focuses on continuously developing and improving standards.
  • Quality control is reactive as it identifies and eliminates errors after they occur. TQM is proactive as it aims to prevent errors from occurring.
• Similarities between Quality assurance and TQM

  • Both strategies are proactive as they prevent errors from occurring.
  • Both strategies improve the process of producing a good or service.
• Difference between Quality assurance and TQM

  • Quality assurance focuses on meeting set standards of quality to gain external certification, whereas TQM focuses on internally developing and improving standards within the business.
  • TQM does not involve external certification. However, quality assurance involves a business receiving certification after it meets standards set by an external body.
• Customer focus 


  involves identifying and fulfilling the customers’ exact needs and wants through a business’s goods or services.
• Continuous improvement 


  involves engaging in the process of constantly evaluating business processes and identifying methods to achieve a higher standard.
• Employee empowerment 


  involves fostering teamwork and employee participation within the business environment to ensure employees are involved in developing solutions to improve quality. This can be achieved using quality circles where employees initiate and share ideas to improve quality.
• Toyota Motor Corporation is an international automotive manufacturer that was founded in Japan in 1937. Toyota is well known for its establishment and use of Total Quality Management (TQM) and demonstrates three key features of TQM in its operations system; customer focus, continuous improvement, and employee empowerment.
• • Toyota demonstrates customer focus by prioritising a superior quality of service to customers.
  • there is a belief in continuous improvement at Toyota. The car manufacturer conducts several training days for employees throughout the year to ensure its workforce is able to ‘gain and develop the talents needed to deliver the best quality’.
  • Toyota Motor Corporation also demonstrates continuous improvement by constantly establishing and modifying its production system, having introduced Just in Time and lean manufacturing as upgrades to its operations system.
• • Toyota prioritises employee empowerment by making each person in every process a ‘quality inspector’ to ensure quality is at the desired standard. Toyota also conducts regular quality circles amongst employees to ensure its processes and final products are constantly improving. The corporation reports that its employees have a ‘personal pride in the quality of their work’, indicating the effect that Total Quality Management has on the company’s culture.