Intended learning outcomes: Identify the cause of differences between stakeholders’ expectations and actual product or process characteristics.
Quality planning is a term used today for all planning activities prior to the start of production; quality planning sets goals and works toward achieving the goals and preventing failures.
Analogously to this definition, in the PDCA Plan phase as well as in the Six Sigma Define phase, the project team identifies what is important to the customer (captures the “voice of the customer”[note 1801]), the goals, and the scope and boundary of the project. Inclusion of stakeholders in quality planning means that, for all of these tasks and activities, the quality of the outcome must be evaluated to determine whether it satisfies stakeholders’ needs. Figure 18.2.3.1 shows potential discrepancies between stakeholder needs and product characteristics that can arise during execution of the whole task from subtask to subtask.
Fig. 18.2.3.1 Cause of differences between stakeholders’ expectations and actual product or process characteristics.
Discrepancies can arise due to the following:
- Assumed or implied needs have to be translated into words or symbols — that is, identified and established — in the language used by stakeholders. Here, there is the danger that the
translation will fail to be accurate. - The stated expectations determined have to be broken down into ideas or expectations concerning
requirements for the product and the process to be developed. This is often connected with a transition from relatively general quality characteristics to more specific ones. The result is a detailed, functional picture or functional model, which again is expressed in the language used by stakeholders. - The functional pictures or models determined for the product and the process are translated into specific quality requirements, but now in the language used by the provider/supplier. Finally, the requirements are described in specifications, called product requirement specifications, which are more technical descriptions.
- The technical descriptions are transferred into designs, plans, and recipes. This is the actual development and design of product and process. The output then undergoes validation, which is the process of ensuring that the product conforms to the original stakeholder needs and requirements.
Continuation in next subsection (18.2.3b).
Course section 18.2: Subsections and their intended learning outcomes
18.2 Quality Management Tasks at the Operations Level
Intended learning outcomes: Produce an overview on the Deming Cycle (PDCA Cycle) and the Shewhart Cycle as well as the Six Sigma Phases. Present the phases of quality planning, control, assurance, and activation of the Deming Cycle. Describe the Six-Sigma phases of define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. Differentiate between continual improvement and reengineering.
18.2.1 The Deming Cycle (PDCA Cycle) and the Shewhart Cycle
Intended learning outcomes: Produce an overview on The Shewhart cycle developed in statistical quality control. Present the Deming cycle. Describe quality management tasks in the Deming cycle.
18.2.2 DMAIC — The Six Sigma Phases
Intended learning outcomes: Present DMAIC, the Six Sigma phases. Describe the tasks in the Six Sigma phases. Differentiate between DMAIC, RDMAIC, DMAICT, and DMADV.
18.2.3 Quality Planning: PDCA Plan Phase — DMAIC Define Phase
Intended learning outcomes: Identify the cause of differences between stakeholders’ expectations and actual product or process characteristics.
18.2.3b Quality Planning: Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
Intended learning outcomes: Explain quality function deployment – the house of Quality and 10 steps of implementation.
18.2.3c Quality Planning: First-Pass Yield (FPY), SIPOC diagram and Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) matrix
Intended learning outcomes: Explain the first-pass-yield thinking. Describe the SIPOC diagram and the CTQ matrix.
18.2.4 Quality Control: PDCA Check Phase, Part 1 — DMAIC Measure Phase and Analyze Phase, Part 1
Intended learning outcomes: Produce an overview on tools used in quality control in their original usage stemming from production engineering. Identify deliverables of the Measure phase as well as the Analyze phase.
18.2.5 PDCA Do Phase — DMAIC Improve Phase
Intended learning outcomes: Produce an overview on tools of the jidoka concept, such as Andon (or a visual control system in a job shop) and Poke yoke (or fail-safe techniques).
18.2.6 Quality Assurance: PDCA Check Phase, Part 2 — DMAIC Measure Phase and Analyze Phase, Part 2
Intended learning outcomes: Identify changing definitions of terms over time in quality assurance and quality management.
18.2.7 PDCA Activation Phase — DMAIC Control Phase
Intended learning outcomes: Produce an overview on tools used in quality activation. Identify deliverables of the Control phase.
18.2.8 Project Management, Continual Improvement, and Reengineering
Intended learning outcomes: Differentiate between continual process improvement and (business) process reengineering.
