Was ist Qualitätskontrolle und wie verbessert man sie?
Quality control is a complex process that varies depending on the industry and organization.
This article defines the term and goes into more detail about how to improve them.
What is quality control?
Quality control can be defined as the process of overseeing various activities within a company to ensure that products and services are of consistent quality.
This means that quality control systems help to achieve and maintain a desired level within the company in order to reach the set goals.
The creation of a quality system comprises four components:
- Engineering: the process in which relevant quality standards are defined and decisions are made on how to meet them.
- Improvement of: the process by which results are improved.
- Control: the company’s efforts to maintain the integrity of a process or element.
- Guarantee: the measures required to ensure that a service or product meets the specified requirements.
Quality control requirements
There are numerous products and services on the market that focus on quality. However, the processes that are part of quality control must meet a number of requirements:
- Helping an organization, a greater robustness of tasks and activities to reach those that serve the production of products and services.
- The Efficiency of processes increase.
- This contributes to the Customer satisfaction zu structures.
- This enables companies to effectively commercialize their products and tap into new markets.
- Companies that New hires facilitate.
- To ensure that products or services, processes and systems within a company are continuously improved.
Methods of quality improvement
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, quality control depends heavily on the field in which it is applied. Nevertheless, three commonalities often emerge:
- Product improvement.
- Process improvement.
- Employee-based improvements.
There are numerous applicable methods and techniques of quality management, including Kaizen, zero-defect strategies, Six Sigma, quality circles, Taguchi, the Toyota Production System, Kansei Engineering, TRIZ, BPR, OQRM, as well as ISO and top-down and bottom-up approaches.
Example of quality control
To give a well-known example of how much quality management can benefit a company, let us recall the introduction of the Kanban system by the car manufacturer Toyota.
As you probably know, the Kanban method is an inventory control system developed by Taiichi Ohno in 1947.
This system helped to limit the increase in excess inventory in the production plant at any given time.
At Toyota, this concept was used to implement the Just-in-Time (JIT) system, which helps to align raw material orders directly with production programs.
Assembly line production increased efficiency at Toyota, as it meant the company had sufficient inventory to pre-fulfill customer orders.
Principles of ISO quality control
You are probably familiar with the initials «ISO“(International Organization for Standardization) I’ve encountered here and there. This organization has published almost 20.000 international standards, which have been adopted by the most renowned organizations worldwide.”
There are ISO standards for various areas, including:
1. Customer orientation
The primary focus of every organization should be on meeting and exceeding customer expectations.
If a company is aware of what customers need now and in the future, it secures their loyalty and increases profits at the same time.
2. Continuous improvement
Every organization should aim to actively contribute to continuous improvement. When a company’s operational situation is continuously improved, productivity increases, work becomes more flexible, and more capacity is available to seize new opportunities. This requires implementing continuous learning and ongoing quality management training.
3. Relationship Management
Establishing win-win relationships with suppliers and retailers can positively impact business performance. Cultivating relationships with an organization’s stakeholders increases the likelihood of successful, long-term business partnerships.
Quality control is one of the cornerstones of a company’s success. If it is not managed properly, a company loses competitiveness and will sooner or later be forced out of the market. Contact us anytime if you would like more information about how EBIT and SAP Business One technology can support you.
4. Employee Commitment of an Organization
Employee participation is another fundamental principle. Employees in a company should be encouraged to continuously improve their skills and strengthen team cohesion.
5. Process focus
An organization’s performance depends crucially on a process-based focus. Concentrating on a process leads to activities being carried out faster, at lower costs, with less waste, and to continuous improvement.
6. Data-driven decision-making
Data-driven decisions are based on a better understanding of the market situation, making it easier for the quality manager.