5.3 Lean Production and Quality Management

Question 1

Lean Production

Answer 1

Product efficiently and minimizing resources whilst maintaining high quality

Question 2

Quality control

Answer 2

Inspection of the product or service (or sample)
* E.g. a car at the end of production line

Impacts:
* Negativity amongst staff
* Costs as have to hire Quality control managers
* Lack of EE responsibility

Question 3

Quality Assurance

Answer 3

• Setting agreed quality standards at all stages of production process to ensure customer satisfaction
• Not just on the finished product

Question 4

Quality Assurance advantages over Quality Control

Answer 4

• All EEs are responsible
• Increased EE motivation
• Can identify where problem is
• Prevention rather than inspection - reduced need for final inspection

Question 5

Benchmarking

Answer 5

• A process where you can identify the best firms in the industry
• Compare to own

Question 6

Quality circle

Answer 6

• Groups of EEs meet regu;ary to discuss ways of improving quality
• They then present their ideas to management

Question 7

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Answer 7

• ALL EEs are involved in the process and it is part f the job
• Requires a company culture and extensive training
• Think of your internal customer
• The person after you in line of production (must give them a good product for them to work on)

Question 8

Continuous Improvement (Kaizen):

Answer 8

A philosophy whereby all EEs contribute to improve the production process

The opposite of:
* Autocratic
* Large one-off improvements by management

Question 9

Andon and its benefits

Answer 9

• To tell management, employees and maintenance workers of possible problems in the production phase
• E.g. traffic light system

Benefits:
* Visual feedback
* Immediate feedback
* Empowers employees
*

Question 10

Kanban

Answer 10

• Whereby the supply of inputs and work-in-progress is controlled with the use of kanban cards

Benefits:
* Demand drives the production process
* The product is ‘pulled’ not pushed through production
* Last stage of production hurries up earlier stages with demand from customers
* Less work-in-progress storage costs

Question 11

Cradle to Cradle:

Answer 11

• Production techniques that are efficient but also waste free and sustainable

Question 12

International Standards:

Answer 12

International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)