1 MARCH 2004 77
ISQUALITY STILL
FASHIONABLE?
Philippe Pailhé
CONTROL: AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
PROCESS OR THROUGH FILTERING?
When defining a successful “quality control” method, it is
helpful to keep in mind the original, tried and trusted method,
where tight controls are placed on all translated documents
from the beginning to ensure that no sub-standard material
reaches the consumer, and also the filtering method that controls
the operations and processes and places the priority on
prevention of errors in these areas.
Current opinion advocates the passage from one to the other;
control from the outset replacing filtering efforts using a progressive
approach. The practical impact of this course of action
is known, but the levels of its development vary considerably.
For example, in order to apply the preventative approach
and control the processes, an organisation must possess
resources and competences that are generally lacking in
smaller, more modest companies.
This approach is inadequate. It should be regarded as a
temporary solution pending more efficient responses and
improvement of the source material. In fact, filtering allows
one to forget that the origin of quality is in the operations
themselves and not in control and sorting. The cost involved
in using filtering as a form of quality control can be prohibitive,
and in the face of competition, the long-term risk
involved in this method is an important factor. Costs incurred
because of poor quality can amount to up to 25% of production
costs.
Suppliers do not control markets, customers do, and no
customer is willing to pay for poor quality products. Customer
power combined with the pressure exerted on prices by competitors,
means that a lack of quality is a tangible element that
must be taken into account when calculating a company’s
profit margin. This can be done using the following equation.
PROFIT MARGIN = PRICE OF SALES –
LOSSES DUE TO LACK OF QUALITY
When a procedure is complex, and difficult to control, the
filtering process tends to reflect this and become entrenched
over the long term. Even on a temporary basis, one ends up
getting accustomed to this manner of organisation, and integrating
it into daily management practices.
Any interruption in this filtering process could affect quality,
and cause it to deteriorate rapidly. This means that at first
glance, filtering seems to be a legitimate form of quality control,
while in reality it addresses only the symptoms and not
the root causes.
When problems are brought to our attention we are embarrassed
and irritated, we say that we have tools to resolve the
problem, and pledge to change our approach so that causes
are addressed but urgency, the need to compete, means that
we interest ourselves in finding effective short-term solutions
that allow us to be competitive.
This urgency has existed for months, even years. The parable
of the woodcutter illustrates perfectly our obstinate behaviour
and failure to address this issue.
A person out for a stroll sees a woodcutter weary from
trying to cut wood with a blunt axe.
The stroller asks: “Why don’t you sharpen your axe?
Your work would be so much easier.”
“I do not have the time,” answers the woodcutter, sweat
dripping from his brow. “I must cut wood.”
Redoubling efforts to counteract effec
本论文由英语论文网提供整理,提供论文代写,英语论文代写,代写论文,代写英语论文,代写留学生论文,代写英文论文,留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。