Effectiveness of Quality Management System
Effectiveness of Quality Management System
Effectiveness of Quality Management System
ON
Effectiveness of Quality
Management System
SUBMITTED BY
NAME:
REG NO.:
SUBMITTED TO SCDL
1 Executive Summary 4
a. Introduction 7
3 Theoretical Perspective 16
b. Definition of Quality 18
c. PDCA Cycle 23
d. Pareto Charts 26
e. Implementing a QMS 32
6 Research Methodology 52
7 Research Design 53
10 Recommendation 74
11 Conclusion 76
12 Bibliography 78
This is to declare that I “________________________” have carried out this project work
myself in part fulfillment of the Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration
(Specialization – Operations Management) Program of SCDL.
The work is original, has not been copied from anywhere else and has not been submitted to
any other University/Institute for an award of any degree/diploma.
Date: Name:
Certified that the work incorporated in this Project Report on Effectiveness of Quality
Management System submitted by ______________________ is his/her original work and
completed under my supervision.
Material obtained from other sources has been duly acknowledged in the Project Report
Introduction:
Established in the year 1992, Vardhaman Polymers, Solapur are one of the leading
manufacturers and suppliers of superior quality PVC pipes, rigid PVC pipes & HDPE pipes.
The collection is globally accepted for its features such as rugged construction, corrosion
resistance, low maintenance and leak proof. Hence, we are honored as an ISO 9001:2000
certified company. It is classified as Indian Non-Government Company and is registered at
Registrar of Companies, Jaipur. In 2015, Its authorized share capital is Rs. 1,500,000 and its
paid up capital is Rs. 1,500,000. It is involved in Manufacture of plastic products.
Under the insightful guidance of the owner Mr. Shirish Chankeshwara, we have carved out a
niche for ourselves in the industry for offering quality PVC pipes and HDPE pipes. Moreover,
we are duly supported by dynamic, energetic and experienced team.
Further, we are backed by a strong dealer network of 200 dealers around Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh &.Maharashtra. It assists in prompt delivery of the ordered range to various clients
spread across India within agreed time.
History:
The industrial city of Ludhiana, located in the fertile Malwa region of Central Punjab is
otherwise known as the "Manchester of India". Within the precincts of this city is located the
Corporate headquarters of the Vardhman Group, a household name in Northern India. The
Vardhman Group, born in 1965, under the entrepreneurship of Late Lala Rattan Chand
Oswal has today blossomed into one of the largest Textile Business houses in India.
At its inception, Vardhaman had an installed capacity of 14,000 spindles, today; its capacity
has increased multifold to over 8 lacs spindles. In 1982 the Group entered the sewing thread
market in the country which was a forward integration of the business. Today Vardhaman
Threads is the second largest producer of sewing thread in India. In 1990, it undertook yet
another diversification - this time into the weaving business. The grey fabric weaving unit at
In the year 1999 the Group has added yet another feather to its cap with the setting up of
Vardhman Acrylics Ltd., Bharuch (Gujarat) which is a joint venture in Acrylic Fibre
production undertaken with Marubeni and Exlan of Japan. The company also has a strong
presence in the markets of Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, UK and EU in addition to the domestic
market. Adherence to systems and a true dedication to quality has resulted in obtaining the
coveted ISO 9002/ ISO 14002 quality award which is the first in Textile industry in India and
yet another laurel to its credit.
Manufacturing Unit:
These machines are regularly checked, serviced and lubricated for its smooth functioning. If
required, these can be replaced by latest and new one. These machines are handled by our
proficient team of engineers.
Our manufacturing unit is duly supported by an in-house design unit assisting in development
of latest designed pipes.
Mission:
“Our mission is to break into the golden circle of the globally acclaimed Information
Technology Services Companies by achieving sustainable and profitable growth through
delivery of exceptional IT services to customers by our outstanding people who take pride in
the quality of our services, our business ethics, and our passion to exceed customer’s
expectations”
Quality
Ontrack is an ISO 9001:2000 Certified Company with Total Customer Satisfaction as its
quality policy objective. The emphasis is on basic process discipline enabling timely delivery,
and quality assured deliverables. Well-defined and documented quality standards and
procedures have been laid down for project management that helps monitor projects on a real-
time basis and ensure that the customer is never out of touch.
Quality is our forte and can be found in every business activity of our company. We follow
stringent quality measures at every stage of production right from procurement of raw
material. We have been conferred with ISI approved: 4985:2000; CM/L: 7227366 and
4984:1995; CM/L: 7497294. Further, our collection is also developed in compliance with
ISO 9001:2000 certification and BIS (Bureau Of Indian Standard).
Under the guidance of quality controllers, we do quality check at all stages of production. The
finished array is also quality tested on various parameters in accordance with international
quality standards. These parameters include:
Dimensional accuracy
Leakage
Corrosion resistance
Quality whether of the people, product or of the services rendered, is of utmost importance
improve employee productivity and overall general development. Mandatory training courses
on programming practices and software quality assurance have been identified for Ontrack's
human resource, the actual practitioners of quality processes. Vardhman is among the few
Steel Overview
Vardhman Special Steel is a niche player in the special and alloy steel market of India. With
installed capacity of 1,00,000 MT per annum, Vardhman offers alloy steel made with
contemporary technologies like electro-magnetic stirrers, vacuum degasification, auto mould
level controlled and auto controlled cooling etc. With continuous research and development
efforts, Vardhman Special Steel meets the stringent quality requirements of commercial
vehicles, tractors, cars, two wheelers, defence applications, railway components and other
engineering products.
FIBER Overview
The acrylic fiber of Vardhman is acclaimed for a wide variety of textile applications. The
modern manufacturing plant based on renowned Japan Exlan Wet Spun technology produces
18000 MT per annum acrylic fiber at Gujarat (Western India). The fiber marketed under the
brand name VARLAN has achieved high level of recognition in the Indian market because of
super soft touch and silky appearance.
Product Range
Acrylic Bright & Semi-dull Non shrinkable fibre in 1.2,1.5,2,3,5,7,10,15 deniers in a
wide range of cut lengths
Acrylic Bright & Semi-dull Shrinkable fibre with different shrinage levels in 2,3,5
deniers in a wide range of cut lengths
Acrylic Tow endless Bright & Semi dull in 2,3 denier
Specialty acrylic fibres suitable for Open end spinning; Soft handle, Water absorbent
applications etc
Quality Philosophy
In order to achieve total customer satisfaction it is important to meet their expectations in
terms of quality and prompt, professional response to their needs. It is this belief that makes
To ensure the right quality, Vardhman Special Steels has been quick to incorporate state-of-
the-art technology in its quality control programme. At first, the process parameters and
conditions are developed. Later, these are constantly monitored throughout the entire
manufacturing process. The quality parameters are repeated within a narrow range from heat
to heat. The final produce is then inspected and tested to ensure compliance with the
customer's requirement. Appropriate statistical quality control systems and the latest testing
facilities are the hallmarks of Vardhman's Quality Assurance Department.
Quality Assurance:
Define QA Plan and Review Process
Define and Measure Quality Metrics
Conduct Reviews based on pre defined Checklists and Review Forms
Testing Correctness, Completeness and Traceability
Methodology:
The methodology used consists of stages, which broadly are the following:
Systems Study
Planning and Estimation - Project Plan, Test Plan, Configuration Management Plan,
Risk Management Plan and Training Plans.
Project Kick Off and Start Audit
Requirements Analysis
High Level Design - DFDs, ERDs, Use Cases, Site Map, Screen Shots
Prototype
Low Level Design - Technical Specifications including Class Design, and Database
Design, Use Case Diagrams
Periodic Reviews for Compliance and Process Improvement
Construction (includes Unit Testing)
Integration and System Testing
Preliminary Acceptance Testing
Weakness:
1. The prices of finished goods are controlled by Government but the prices of Input-
Raw materials have been de-controlled.
2. No uniform facilities(No dress Code).
3. Lack of working machines.
Opportunities:
1. Strong marketing network in all over India.
2. 591 across of Land and Infrastructure facilities.
3. Operational efficiency and high capacity utilization.
Threats:
1. Transportation Problem.
A QMS is not static, and by definition it must be improved continually in order to enhance
organizational effectiveness and efficiency. It may be formally defined as follows. A quality
(management) system consists of the organizational structure, procedures, processes, and
resources needed to implement quality management.
Quality management is the process for ensuring that all project activities necessary to design,
plan and implement a project are effective and efficient with respect to the purpose of the
objective and its performance.
Project quality management (QM) is not a separate, independent process that occurs at the end
of an activity to measure the level of quality of the output. It is not purchasing the most
expensive material or services available on the market. Quality and grade are not the same,
grade are characteristics of a material or service such as additional features. A product may be
of good quality (no defects) and be of low grade (few or no extra features).
Quality management is a continuous process that starts and ends with the project. It is more
about preventing and avoiding than measuring and fixing poor quality outputs. It is part of
Definition of Quality:
Quality has been defined as "the totality of characteristics of an entity that bear on its ability to
satisfy stated or implied needs. International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Quality
Management and Quality Assurance (Geneva, Switzerland: ISO Press, 1994) stated and
implied quality needs are the inputs used in defining project requirements from the donor and
the beneficiaries. It is also defined as the “Conformance to requirements or fitness for use”;
which means that the product or services must meet the intended objectives. Joseph M. Duran,
Quality Control Handbook (1951)of the project and have a value to the donor and
beneficiaries and that the beneficiaries can use the material or service as it was originally
intended. The central focus of quality management is meeting or exceeding stakeholder’s
expectations and conforming to the project design and specifications. The ultimate judge for
quality is the beneficiary, and represents how close the project outputs and deliverables come
to meeting the beneficiaries’ requirements and expectations. How a beneficiary defines quality
may be completely subjective, but there are many ways to make quality objective; by defining
the individual characteristics and determine one or more metrics that can be collected to
mirror the characteristic. For instance, one of the features of a quality product may be that it
has a minimum amount of errors. This characteristic can be measured by counting errors and
defects after the product is used. Quality management is not an event - it is a process, a
consistently high quality product or service cannot be produced by a defective process.
Quality management is a repetitive cycle of measuring quality, updating processes, measuring,
updating processes until the desired quality is achieved.
Quality Definition:
The first step on the quality management is to define quality, the project manager and the team
must identify what quality standards will be used in the project, it will look at what the donor,
beneficiaries, the organization and other key stakeholders to come up with a good definition of
quality. In some instances the organization or the area of specialization of the project (health,
water or education) may have some standard definitions of quality that can be used by the
project. Identifying quality standards is a key component of quality definition that will help
identify the key characteristics that will govern project activities and ensure the beneficiaries
and donor will accept the project outcomes. Quality management implies the ability to
anticipate situations and prepare actions that will help bring the desired outcomes. The goal is
Quality Characteristics:
All material or services have characteristics that facilitate the identification of its quality. The
characteristics are part of the conditions of how the material, equipment and services are able
to meet the requirements of the project and are fit for use by the beneficiaries. Quality
characteristics relate to the attributes, measures and methods attached to that particular product
or service.
Functionality is the degree, by which equipment performs its intended function, this is
important especially for clinical equipment, that the operation should be behave as
expected.
Performance, its how well a product or service performs the beneficiaries intended
use. A water system should be designed to support extreme conditions and require little
maintenance to reduce the cost to the community and increase its sustainability.
Reliability, it’s the ability of the service or product to perform as intended under
normal conditions without unacceptable failures. Material used for blood testing
should be able to provide the information in a consistent and dependable manner that
will help identify critical diseases. The trust of the beneficiaries depend on the quality
of the tests.
Relevance, it’s the characteristic of how a product or service meets the actual needs of
the beneficiaries, it should be pertinent, applicable, and appropriate to its intended use
or application.
Timeliness, how the product or service is delivered in time to solve the problems when
its needed and not after, this is a crucial characteristic for health and emergency relief
work.
Suitability, defines the fitness of its use, it appropriateness and correctness, the
agriculture equipment must be designed to operate on the soul conditions the
beneficiaries will use it on.
Quality characteristics are not limited to the material, equipment or service delivered to the
beneficiaries, but also applies to the material, equipment and services the project staff uses to
deliver the project outputs. These include the vehicles, computers, various equipment and
tools and consulting services the project purchases and uses to carry out its activities.
Quality characteristics must be included in all material, equipment and services the project
will purchase, the procurement officers must have a complete description of what is required
by the project, otherwise a procurement office may purchase the goods or services based on
her or his information of the product.
Quality plan:
Part of defining quality involves developing a quality plan and a quality checklist that will be
used during the project implementation phase. This check list will ensure the project team and
other actors are delivering the project outputs according to the quality requirements. Once the
project has defined the quality standards and quality characteristics, it will create a project
quality plan that describes all the quality definitions and standards relevant to the project, it
will highlight the standards that must be followed to comply to regulatory requirements setup
by the donor, the organization and external agencies such a the local government and
professional organizations (health, nutrition, etc) The quality plan also describes the conditions
that the services and materials must posses in order to satisfy the needs and expectations of the
project stakeholders, it describes the situations or conditions that make an output fall below
quality standards, this information is used to gain a common understanding among the project
team to help them identify what is above and what is below a quality standard.
Quality Assurance:
Assurance is the activity of providing evidence to create confidence among all stakeholders
that the quality-related activities are being performed effectively; and that all planned actions
are being done to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy the stated
requirements for quality. Quality Assurance is a process to provide confirmation based on
evidence to ensure to the donor, beneficiaries, organization management and other
stakeholders that product meet needs, expectations, and other requirements. It assures the
existence and effectiveness of process and procedures tools, and safeguards are in place to
make sure that the expected levels of quality will be reached to produce quality outputs.
Quality assurance occurs during the implementation phase of the project and includes the
evaluation of the overall performance of the project on a regular basis to provide confidence
that the project will satisfy the quality standards defined by the project. One of the purposes of
quality management is to find errors and defects as early in the project as possible. Therefore,
a good quality management process will end up taking more effort hours and cost upfront. The
goal is to reduce the chances that products or services will be of poor quality after the project
has been completed. Quality assurance is done not only to the products and services delivered
by the project but also to the process and procedures used to manage the project, that includes
the way the project uses the tools, techniques and methodologies to manage scope, schedule,
budget and quality. Quality assurance also includes the project meets any legal or regulatory
standards.
Quality Audits:
Quality audits are structured reviews of the quality management activities that help identify
lessons learned that can improve the performance on current or future project activities. Audits
are performed by project staff or consultants with expertise in specific areas. The purpose of
quality audit is to review how the project is using its internal processes to produce the
products and services it will deliver to the beneficiaries. Its goal is to find ways to improve the
The four quality assurance steps within the PDCA model stand for
Plan: Establish objectives and processes required to deliver the desired results.
Do: Implement the process developed.
Check: Monitor and evaluate the implemented process by testing the results against
the predetermined objectives.
Act: Apply actions necessary for improvement if the results require changes.
The PDCA is an effective method for monitoring quality assurance because it analyzes
existing conditions and methods used to provide the product or service to beneficiaries. The
goal is to ensure that excellence is inherent in every component of the process. Quality
assurance also helps determine whether the steps used to provide the product or service is
appropriate for the time and conditions. In addition, if the PDCA cycle is repeated throughout
the lifetime of the project helping improve internal efficiency.
The PDCA cycle is shown below as a never-ending cycle of improvement; this cycle is
sometimes referred to as the Shewart/Deming3 cycle since it originated with Shewart and was
subsequently applied to management practices by Deming.
Act Check
Quality assurance demands a degree of detail in order to be fully implemented at every step.
Planning, for example, could include investigation into the quality of the raw materials used in
manufacturing, the actual assembly, or the inspection processes used. The Checking step could
include beneficiary feedback or surveys to determine if beneficiary needs are being met or
exceeded and why they are or are not. Acting could mean a total revision in the delivery
process in order to correct a technical flaw. The goal to exceed stakeholder expectations in a
measurable and accountable process is provided by quality assurance.
Acceptance: The beneficiaries, the donor or other key project stakeholders accept or
reject the product or service delivered. Acceptance occurs after the beneficiaries or
donor has had a change to evaluate the product or service.
Rework; is the action taken to bring the rejected product or service into compliance
with the requirements, quality specifications or stakeholder expectations. Rework is
expensive that is why the project must make every effort to do a good job in quality
planning and quality assurance to avoid the need for rework. Rework and all the costs
associated with it may not refundable by the donor and the organization may end up
covering those costs.
Adjustments; correct or take the necessary steps to prevent further quality problems
or defects based on quality control measurements. Adjustments are identified to the
processes that produce the outputs and the decisions that were taken that lead to the
defects and errors. Changes are taken to the Change Control processes of the project.
Cause and Effect Diagram, also known as fishbone diagrams or Ishikawa diagrams (named
after Kaoru Ishikawa, a Japanese quality control statistician, who developed the concept in the
Quality Error
Cause D-2
Cause E-2 CauseF-2
Pareto Charts; based on Pareto’s rule, which states that 80 percent of the problems are often
due to 20 percent of the causes. The assumption is that most of the results in any situation are
60%
40%
20%
0%
Upper limit
i
gh
t
W
e M
i e
g a
h n
t
Lower limit
i
gh
t
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time Scale
Figure: Control charts
Control charts can also be used to the project management areas, such as schedule and budget
control, to determine whether the costs variances or schedule variances are outside the
acceptable limits set by the donor.
Quality Improvement:
It is the systematic approach to the processes of work that looks to remove waste, loss, rework,
frustration, etc. in order to make the processes of work more effective, efficient, and
appropriate. Quality improvement refers to the application of methods and tools to close the
gap between current and expected levels of quality by understanding and addressing system
deficiencies and strengths to improve, or in some cases, re-design project processes. A variety
of quality improvement approaches exists, ranging from individual performance improvement
Identify what you want to improve; the project using the data found in the quality
control process identifies the areas that need improvement.
Analyze the problem or system, the team then investigates the causes for the problem
and its implications to the project, the causes may be internal or external to the project.
Develop potential solutions or changes that appear likely to improve the problem or
system, the team brainstorms ideas and potential solutions to the problem, taking in
consideration its impact to the project schedule and budget. After careful
considerations the team decides and chooses the best alternative.
Test and implement the solutions. The team may decide to test the solution on a small
scale to verify that it is capable of fixing the problem, it testes for the initial
assumptions made about the problem and once it confirms that the solution is a viable
alternative, it then proceeds to implement in a full scale the solution.
Cost of Quality:
The cost of quality is the sum of costs a project will spend to prevent poor quality and any
other costs incurred as a result of outputs of poor quality. Poor quality is the waste, errors, or
failure to meet stakeholder needs and project requirements. The costs of poor quality can be
broken down into the three categories of prevention, appraisal, and failure costs:
Prevention costs: These are planned costs an organization incurs to ensure that errors
are not made at any stage during the delivery process of that product or service to a
beneficiary. Examples of prevention costs include quality planning costs, education
and training costs, quality administration staff costs, process control costs, market
research costs, field testing costs, and preventive maintenance costs. The cost of
preventing mistakes are always much less than the costs of inspection and correction.
Appraisal costs: These include the costs of verifying, checking, or evaluating a
product or service during the delivery process. Examples of appraisal costs include
Leadership:
Joseph M. Juran, one of the leading experts in Quality management said that “it is most
important that management be quality-minded. In the absence of sincere manifestation of
interest at the top, little will happen below” 4 What this means is the main cause of quality
problems is a lack of leadership. In order to establish and implement effective quality projects,
senior management must lead the way. A large percentage of quality problems are associated
with management, not technical issues, it is the responsibility of the development
organizations senior management to take responsibility for creating, supporting, and
promoting quality programs.
Quality problems should be taken as an opportunity for improvement; problems can help
identify more fundamental or systemic root causes and help develop ways to improve the
process. Unfortunately projects do not have a culture that promotes the identification of
problems for the fear that making improvements is an admission that the current way of doing
things is flawed or that those responsible are poor performers. Improved performance cannot
occur unless the project team feels comfortable that they can speak truthfully and are
confident that their suggestions will be taken seriously.
Maturity Models:
Another approach to improve quality is the use of maturity models, which are frameworks for
helping organizations and projects improve their processes. The model includes a method for
assessing the projects maturity levels as a first step to determine the improvements needed to
increase the capacity of the project to deliver the project outputs as promised.
The proper level of maturity to which an organization should strive is determined during a
detailed assessment conducted by a professional project management consulting team. The
organization has achieved full project management maturity when it has met the requirements
and standards for project management effectiveness and it is capable of demonstrating
improvements such as on-time project delivery, cost reductions, organizational efficiency, and
quality outcomes.
Implementing a QMS:
For most organizations, the primary motivation for implementing a QMS is either
management need or customer demand. Management’s motivation for implementing a QMS
usually stems from its need to improve productivity, improve product quality, and reduce time-
to-market, thus gaining a competitive advantage. Sometimes, management’s motivation for
implementing a QMS is driven by competitive pressure, where the organization’s competitors
have established (or are in the process of establishing) a formal QMS with the goal of
registration to a recognized QMS standard, such as ISO 9000. In such cases, registration to a
quality management system standard is perceived to be a valuable asset for marketing and
soliciting new customers.
It has been argued that the “management-motivated approach will normally be more
comprehensive and fruitful than the model used for demonstrating the adequacy of the quality
system” (i.e., the customer motivated implementation of a QMS). In other words, the
likelihood that a QMS will be adequate and effective is significantly improved if its
implementation is driven by internal motivation in the organization (management need) rather
than external pressures (customer demand). In fact, management commitment to quality is the
most significant prerequisite for a successful QMS implementation.
When management visibly demonstrates its commitment to quality, and promotes a quality-
oriented and customer-focused mindset in the organization, it encourages the employees to
strive to realize the true benefits of the implemented QMS. On the other hand, a QMS that is
implemented solely with the objective of achieving a coveted quality registration to win new
business, or please potential customers, will serve merely as a short-lived marketing tool. This
is because the lack of an effective QMS eventually will manifest itself in poor product quality,
late product delivery, low employee morale, and dissatisfied customers.
ISO 9000 defines a quality management system as a set of interrelated or interacting processes
that achieve the quality policy and quality objective. But the word quality gets in the way of
our thinking. It makes us think that quality management systems operate alongside
environmental management systems, safety management systems, and financial management
systems. In ISO 9000 it is stated that the quality management system is “that part of the
Many organizations have appointed specific managers to achieve each of these objectives so
that we have for instance an Environmental Manager, fulfilling Environmental Objectives
through an Environmental Management System and a Quality Manager fulfilling Quality
Objectives through a Quality System. Do the same for the others and you would have multiple
management systems. This is what functional management produces and as a result puts the
managers in potential conflict with each other as each tries to achieve their objectives
independently of the others. Many of these objectives are in reality not objectives at all but
constraints that exist only by virtue of the organization’s necessity to satisfy customers.
However, several questions arise: “Are quality objectives, objectives of the same kind as the
other objectives or are these other objectives a subset of quality objectives?” and “Is the
quality management system just one of a series of systems or is it the parent system of which
the others are a part?”
To find the answer it is necessary to go back a step and ask: Which comes first, an objective or
a need? We don’t set financial objectives because we think it’s a good idea; there is a need that
has its origins in the organization’s mission statement.
If our success depends on the safety of our products, we need safety objectives.
If our success depends on securing the integrity of information entrusted to us by our
customers, we need security objectives.
If our success depends on the impact our operations have on the environment, we need
environmental objectives.
If our success depends on capital investment in modern plant and machinery, we need
financial objectives.
This list is incomplete, but if we were to continue, would we find a reason for having quality
objectives? Business will only create customers if they satisfy their needs; therefore success in
all businesses depends on fulfilling customer needs and expectations.
Quality is defined in ISO 9000 as the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils
requirements. Note that the definition is not limited to customer requirements and the inherent
characteristics are limited to products. It could apply to any set of requirements internal or
external, technical or non-technical including health, safety and environmental requirements.
It could also apply to any process outcome: products, services, decisions, information,
impacts, etc. It extends to all those with an interest in the business.
All the objectives only arise as a result of the organization seeking to create and satisfy
customers. There is no environmental objective, impact or anything else if the organization
does not have customers. Objectives for the environment, safety, security, finance, human
resources etc. only have meaning when taken in the context of what the business is trying to
do, which is to create and satisfy customers. While many might argue that the purpose of
business is to make money for the shareholders or owners this is different from the purpose of
a business, which is to create and retain customers and do this in a manner that satisfies the
needs and expectations of all stakeholders. Without a customer there is no business at all,
therefore customer needs must come first. Satisfying customers becomes the only true
objective; all others are constraints that affect the manner in which the organization satisfies
its customers. It may help therefore if we view any objective that serves a stakeholder other
than the customer as a constraint or a requirement that impacts the manner in which customer
objectives are achieved.
It is unlikely that you will be able to produce and sustain the required quality unless you
organize yourselves to do so. Quality does not happen by chance, it has to be managed. No
human endeavor has ever been successful without having been planned, organized and
controlled in some way.
Including every function and activity within the system should not be interpreted as
compelling every function and activity to certification to ISO 9001 far from it.
This traditional cycle for products therefore has some redeeming features:
Design does not commence without a specification of requirements – if it does, the
wrong product is likely to be designed.
Designs are documented before product is manufactured – if they are not documented,
it is likely that the product cannot be manufactured or will not fit together or functions
as intended.
Designs are proven before launching into production – if production commences
before design proving, the product will probably fail on test or in service.
Design documentation is changed before changes are implemented in production – if
documentation is not changed before implementation, the product will be different
each time it is made; solved problems will recur and no two installations will be alike.
If we apply the same logic to the design and implementation of a management system, we
would:
Define the requirements before commencing management system design, i.e. we
would establish the objectives the system is required to achieve (The vision, mission,
corporate goals etc.)
Document the management system design before implementation.
The management system is made fully operational before being verified it meets the
requirements.
Changes are made to practices before they are documented.
As the management system is the means by which the organization achieves its objectives, the
management system delivers the organization’s products. (This includes hardware, software,
services and processed material including information products.)
If we analyze the factors on which the quality of these products depends we would deduce
they include:
The style of management (autocratic, democratic, participative, directive etc.)
The quantity and quality of the available resources (materials, equipment, finance,
people)
The condition and capability of the facilities, plant and machinery
The physical environment in which people work (heat, noise, cleanliness etc.)
It follows therefore that a management system consists of the processes required to deliver the
organization’s products and services as well as the resources, behaviors and environment on
which they depend. It is therefore not advisable to even contemplate a management system
simply as a set of documents or if we do go some way towards ISO 9000:2000, a set of
processes that simply converts inputs into outputs. Three out of the seven factors above relate
to the human element, we therefore cannot afford to ignore it.
Implementation prerequisites: Identify prerequisites for success, and ensure that they
have been secured. Doing so helps maximize the chances of success and helps mitigate
risks from the beginning of the QMS implementation.
Implementation goal: Establish a clear goal statement that satisfies the SMART
criteria.
Implementation team: Plan for an implementation team with adequate cross-functional
representation and clearly defined roles and responsibilities that are communicated to
all implementation team members.
Implementation strategy: Brainstorm the implementation strategy and ensure that it is
clearly communicated to all implementation team members and staff members.
Implementation schedule, needed resources, and cost: For the implementation roadmap
defined in the previous step, estimate the resources for each activity and establish an
implementation schedule. Ensure that an adequate contingency is included within each phase.
Also, estimate the major expenses for the implementation and budget for the anticipated
implementation costs.
In this phase, the QMS is rolled out incrementally so that it gradually is adopted and becomes
the new way of working. As each process is defined, documented, and approved for use by
employees, it enters the QMS deployment phase. In this phase, employees are trained on the
defined processes, and execution of the processes is monitored by the quality assurance
personnel (and by QMS implementation team members, as appropriate) who participate in or
observe activities as they are executed.
They verify that processes are being executed correctly and that they are adequate and
effective. Process execution also is verified by means of internal quality audits performed
during or after process execution.
This does not imply that during QMS deployment, all old processes are thrown out and
replaced with new high-quality processes. However, establishment of a QMS will cause the
organization to examine all its existing processes, and it is safe to assume that most of them
would be impacted to some extent during QMS implementation (mostly in terms of needed
improvements). This examination also may reveal some inadequate and inefficient processes
that need to be discarded and replaced with new ones. For the most part, however,
implementation of the QMS generally will result in changes to existing processes, with some
processes undergoing major change and others undergoing minor change. It is important to
plan for a certain amount of time (typically, months) between completion of employee training
and commencement of internal quality audits. This time period, referred to as the process
establishment period, is required for two reasons: first, some amount of time is required to
adequately promulgate a QMS throughout an organization such that it becomes well
entrenched in the organization by becoming an inherent part of how the organization conducts
everyday business.
Second, some amount of time is required to build sufficient amount of evidence of use of the
QMS that then can be audited. Starting an internal quality audit program too soon might not
Continuous Improvement:
With the completion of the QMS deployment phase, an organization effectively transitions to a
state where compliance with the defined QMS needs to be continually monitored and the
defined system needs to be continuously improved and optimized. This is the final and never-
ending phase of QMS implementation the continual improvement phase. It entails the use of
mechanisms necessary to facilitate continuous improvement of the QMS.
Mechanisms for continuous improvement are not necessarily established in this phase only.
Some of them may have been defined in the QMS definition phase and deployed in the QMS
deployment phase. Others may have been defined but their deployment deferred until the
continuous improvement phase. Yet other continuous improvement mechanisms may remain
undefined until this phase. For example, an organization typically does not start collecting
Quality is not something that is done at the end of a phase or at the end of the project, is a
continuous process to ensure quality is performed in all aspects of the project. The goal is to
continuously improve based on the lessons learned and new insights provided by the project.
To be effective it should happen during all activities of the project.
The main objective of the study was to find out the following: -
To identify areas where there can be scope for improvement in Quality Management
System.
To know Quality Management System that has changed over a period of time.
The study was descriptive in nature and except for a few instances where statistical analysis of
considerable region was used, the researcher tried to present the findings in a simple format.
The respondents were selected through simple random sampling. The method of contact was
through personal interview as it was the most versatile amongst the alternatives. This helped
provide clarification to the respondents and also had the advantage of recording additional
information and opinion.
Research Design:
Research design refers to “framework or plan for a study that guides the collection and
analysis of data. A typical research design of a company basically tries to resolve the
following issues:
Determining Data Collection design.
Determining Data Methods.
Determining Data Sources.
Determining Primary Data Collection Method.
Developing Questionnaires.
Determining Sampling Plan.
Limitations:-
The study being very extensive might be very difficult to complete within the
stipulated time of two months.
The project may suffer from financial constraint.
It may suffer from biasness & ignorance of the respondents.
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN:
The questionnaire method of survey was undertaken due to its main advantages of versatility,
speed and cost. The questionnaire helps to get accurate point of view of personnel.
In order to learn the awareness of persons working at ‘Vardhaman’ about quality management
system as well as to collect other relevant information. The questionnaire intended broadly
covered the following areas:
Workers awareness
Comparative statements
Satisfaction level
QUESTIONNAIRE:
In survey made of data collection, questionnaire is by far the most popular means of data
collection instrument. A questionnaire uses a structured standardized format of data collection
I have chosen the questionnaire technique, to collect the primary data because of its obvious
advantages which are as follow:-
(a) Versatility-The unique advantage of using a questionnaire is its versatility. Respondents
can be probed on a wide diversity of issues by questioning.
(b) Speed and cost- questionnaire method is usually cheaper and faster than observations.
(c) Ease of communication- since the questions are formulation in advance, all the required
information can be obtained in an orderly and systematic manner. The exact wording of
the questions can be carefully worked art to reduce the possibility of ambiguity and
misunderstanding.
(d) Control- since same questions are put before all respondents in the same order, it offers
maximum control on the interviewing process and information content.
For this project on workers and outsider peoples’ awareness & profile, only one questionnaire
was designed and used. It was for both those working in the company and the prospective
personnel.
The questionnaire was designed in such a way that the respondent would have no hesitation in
fully expressing his/her views. Moreover, care was taken in the sequencing of questions.
Again care was taken in the wordings of questions direct, simple and unbiased wording were
used.
The questionnaire was divided into two segments so that correct information is achieved when
conducting the survey.
First type of the questionnaire was designed to gather information regarding the general
concept of the respondents.
Second type of questionnaire was specially designed to collect information regarding the
technical solution.
Question 1: “What does the term ‘ISO’ stand for? What standards make up the ISO
9000 2000 series?”
Unable to Define 00 2 3 5
Says that every person in the business must work together to make excellent quality products.
Excellent product increase sales and profits or lowers a business’s costs because making
excellent products means it does not waste money on repairs and refunds.
Tabulation of Respondents Perception:
Respondents View Management Casual Worker Percentage %
Agree 45 40 85
Disagree 05 06 11
No Response 00 04 4
Total 50 50 100
Perfectly Describe 73
Partially Describe 22
Ignorant 5
Total 100
By putting the above data in a pie diagram then we can find the visual representation of the
respondent’s view-
5%
25%
70%
The respondents view are 20% of them believes “producing excellent products that are
superior to other similar items”, 15% of them believe “conforming to the requirements
specifications”, 5% of them believe “maintaining uniformity of design” and 60% of them
thought the concept of quality is based on all of the above points.
Out of 100 respondents from Nagaon and out side of the firm I found the view about the
Vardhman product quality. There are people from Vardhaman they believe the product from
Vadhaman is latest i.e. the paper of can fulfilling this generations need. But few of believe
SYNTEX produces the best quality. Also from out side of the firm given the mix reaction as
shown in the table:
No answer 0 0 5 5
Total 35 35 30 100
Amazingly maximum of the personnel can explain PDCA cycle- The most popular tool used
to determine quality assurance is the Shewhart Cycle. This cycle for quality assurance consists
of four steps: Plan, Do, Check, and Act. These steps are commonly abbreviated as PDCA.
The four quality assurance steps within the PDCA model stand for:
Plan: Establish objectives and processes required to deliver the desired results.
Do: Implement the process developed.
Check: Monitor and evaluate the implemented process by testing the results against
the predetermined objectives.
Act: Apply actions necessary for improvement if the results require changes.
The maximum respondents are strongly agrees with the view “Originate on the shop floor
because of waste and product rework”.
We get the following visual representation by putting the respondents view with percentage
wise-
Question 11: “What have to do the manufacturers to prevent the majority of product
defect in most of the processes”.
15%
85%
Technical 40 10 00 50%
Vardhaman is a largest plastic producer which is popular among Education Sector and the
product quality is acceptable in India and out of India.
Vardhaman Ltd has large number of employer’s skilled and unskilled, line and staff, flexible
and inflexible – work in a network of domestic foreign facilities. Formal and informal system,
good and bad practices and old and new cultures co-exist production consists of a mix of low
volume of high engineered, customized products. Sometimes medium columns of high
performance products with short life cycles and sometimes high volume of high quality low
cost commodities.
Vardhaman ltd product process is as varied as the products they produce. Vardhaman ltd has
taken a new Manufacturing Strategy or Plan to bring structure or order into the complex
environment. The optical properties are one of the vital criteria beside the competitive price
for product (paper / board) selection by the customer.
Though management personnel are fully aware of the above mentioned systems, there seems
to be ignorance among the support staffs and casual workers to some extent.
The feedback generated during the study helps to identify the areas where needs
management’s attention to increase the effectiveness of ERP and TPM systems in Vardhaman,
and provides an opportunity for improvement
BOOKS
Quality Control Handbook by Joseph M. Duran
Successful Trial of Optimization of ASA Sizing by Tyagi Mohit, Bhandra, K.Goswami
NEWSPAPER
Company Website of Vardhaman
Times Of India
Telegraph
Reference:
www.google.com
Glossary:
PPC – Precipitated Calcium Carbonate.
QMS – Quality Management System.
BOM - Bill of Material.
QC – Quality Control.
QMP – Quality Management Planning.
MD - Managing Director.
ED - Executive Director.
GM - General Manager.