Assignment 6

1. Explain why continual quality improvement is

important.

Continual improvement is important for organizations, especially

when competing in a global marketplace. Continuous
improvement is critical in maintaining competitive advantage. The
needs and expectations of consumers are changing constantly,
and as such quality standards and definitions must adapt or else
be considered obsolete. One of the most fundamental elements of
total quality is continual improvement.

Continual improvement is important because :

1. Error Reduction: Continuous quality improvement can reduce

the number errors your business makes. Defective products and
mistakes made when providing services are examples of errors
that can be costly. Because small companies cannot produce
goods and services in mass like larger companies, errors can be
especially costly. Focusing on continuously identifying potential
sources of errors and fixing them can avoid problems that might
otherwise crop up over time.
2. Increased Adaptability : A philosophy of continuous quality
improvement can make a business better equipped to adapt to
changes in an industry, take advantage of opportunities and avoid
threats. Processes in a company pursuing continuous quality
improvement continually undergo incremental changes.
Companies used to continually implementing changes are better
equipped to adapt their businesses to changing markets than
those that employ rigid processes, such companies engaged in
mass production.
3. Increased Productivity : Continuous quality improvement can
result in hiccups in productivity in the short term as businesses
implement better processes, but it can lead to increased
productivity in the long term. For example, a small business that
revises its production processes might have to shut down
production for a day to implement the improvements, resulting in
a day of lost production. After the changes take effect, though,
the company might have fewer production slowdowns and higher
productivity

2. What is managements role in continual

quality improvement ?

Management can play the necessary leadership role and that

essentially is its role in continual improvement by doing the
following: Establishing an organization-wide quality council and
serving on it.
Working with the quality council to establish specific quality
improvement goals with timetables and target dates.
Providing the necessary moral and physical support. Moral
support manifests itself as commitment. Physical support comes
in the form of the resources needed to accomplish the quality
improvement objectives.
 Scheduling periodic progress reviews and giving recognition
where it is deserved.
Building continual quality improvement into the regular
reward system, including promotions and pay increases.

3. Discuss the Kaizen approach.

Kaizen is the name given by the Japanese to the concept of
continual incremental improvement. Kai means change and zen
means good. Kaizen, therefore, means making changes for the
better on a continual, never-ending basis. The improvement
aspect of Kaizen refers to people, processes, and products
The Five-Step Plan is the Japanese approach to implementing:

. Step 1: Straighten up. This step involves separating the

necessary from the unnecessary and getting rid of the
unnecessary in such areas as tools, work in process, machinery,
products, papers, and documents.

. Step 2: Put things in order. This step involves putting such

things as tools and material in their proper place and keeping
things in order so that employees can always find what they need
to do the job without wasting time looking.

. Step 3: Clean up. This step involves keeping the workplace

clean so that work can proceed in an efficient manner, free of the
problems that can result when the work site is messy.

. Step 4: Standardize. This step was originally aimed at

standardizing how the first three of the Five-Ss were
implemented and maintained, but since then expanded to include
standardizing on best practices. Visual management is also a
major component of standardization.

.Step 5: Discipline. This step involves careful adherence to

standardized work procedures. This requires discipline.

4. How would you describe a lean system?

Lean was originally developed as a manufacturing concept and,
as such, is often referred to as lean manufacturing .However, as
has happened with so many quality managementrelated
concepts, the service sectorimpressed with the results enjoyed
by practitioners of lean manufacturing began to adopt and adapt
the concept to this sector. Consequently, we use the term Lean in
this book to convey the message that the concept can be applied
with good results in the manufacturing and service sectors. The
purpose of adopting Lean as a business improvement method is
to produce better products or deliver better services using fewer
resources. If the concept had a motto, it would be this doing more
with less and doing it better .

The main benefits of lean operations systems are:

Reduced cost through reduced inventory levels

Higher quality

Reduced lead time

Increased productivity

Reduced amounts of waste

The purpose of adopting Lean as a business improvement method

is to produce better products or deliver better services using
fewer resources.
5. What is lean six-sigma and how would you apply it to
a quality management system?

Lean six sigma combines the strengths of the two approaches into
one. It takes Lean's elimination of waste and Six Sigma's
methodology for the solving of performance issues. There are
several advantages to its use in a quality management system.
First and foremost, there is the elimination of the 8 wastes
mentioned previously. There is a focus on the improvement of
process flow, identification of Key process Indicators, methods of
ordering key factors, sustaining key factors, advantage of linking
together Lean and Six Sigma tools, and the advantages of tying
all advantages into the overall financial health of the organization.
The Lean Six Sigma objective is making the organization superior
in its day to day processes and results, which align with the
objectives all organizations aim for.

6. Define Benchmarking

Benchmarking is the process of comparing and measuring an

organizations operations or its internal processes against those of
a best-in-class performer from inside or outside its industry.

Essentially, benchmarking provides a snapshot of the

performance of your business and helps you understand where
you are in relation to a particular standard. The result is often a
business case for making changes in order to make
improvements. The term benchmarking was first used by cobblers
to measure ones feet for shoes. They would place the foot on a
"bench" and mark to make the pattern for the shoes.
Benchmarking is most used to measure performance using a
specific indicator.

Key points to remember about benchmarking are as follows:

Benchmarking is an increasingly popular improvement tool.

Benchmarking concerns processes and practices.

Benchmarking is a respected means of identifying processes

that require major change.

Benchmarking is done between consenting companies that

may or may not be competitors.

Benchmarking has become a popular tool among companies

trying to become more competitive and striving for world-class
performance. The majority of them are actively engaged in
benchmarking. Benchmarking is a part of the total quality
process.

7. How can you apply benchmarking data?

Organizations that benchmark, adapt the process to best fit their

own needs and culture. Although number of steps in the process
may vary from organization to organization, the following steps
must flow in a sequence. A number of variations are possible, but
the process should follow this general sequence:

1. Obtain management commitment.

2. Baseline your own processes.

3. Identify your strong and weak processes and document them.

4. Select processes to be benchmarked.

5. Form benchmarking teams.

6. Research the best-in-class.

7. Select candidate best-in-class benchmarking partners.

8. Form agreements with benchmarking partners.

9. Collect data.

10. Analyze data and establish the gap.

11. Plan action to close the gap or surpass.

12. Implement change to the process.

13. Monitor results.

14. Update benchmarks: continue the cycle.

Key points relating to the 14-step sequence of steps for

implementing benchmarking data are as follows:

Benchmarking requires top managements commitment,

participation, and backing.

It is necessary that an organization thoroughly understand

its own processes before attempting to benchmark.

The processes that should be benchmarked are those that

most need improvement.

Benchmarking teams must include process operators.

Benchmark best-in-class, not best-in-the-industry.

Do not rush into new processes or major changes without

thorough, thoughtful planning.

Do not be satisfied with a zero gapaim to surpass.

Carefully monitor new processes or major process changes.

Benchmarking is not a one-shot process; continue it forever.

8. What is a JIT system?

JIT stands for Just in Time. The system only produces products
right as they are needed with resources available from suppliers
as required. JIT manufacturers often let their suppliers keep the
materials inventory until materials are needed. It became
synonymous with Toyota Production System and was known as a
highly efficient manufacturing system since the 1950's. JIT has
also been described as a management philosophy that seeks the
elimination of all wastes in all aspects of the organization.

For manufacturers, using materials and producing products in

excess of what distributors and retailers demand means you have
to hold onto the inventory. This requires warehousing of finished
goods to go along with already taxing costs to manage raw
materials inventory. Extra space requires utilities costs and
employees to store, organize and retrieve goods as needed.
Additionally, excess production runs the risk of the business
ending up with unwanted products and having to sell them at
auction or let them go to waste.

9. What are the benefits of JIT/lean?

Just in Time system eliminates waste and improves quality, and in

the process, improves all- around organizational efficiency. JIT
improves organizational efficiency in five major ways:
 The Just in Time method entails sourcing the required raw
material or item for processing on demand, and scheduling the
work based on order or demand for the product. This
synchronization of supply with production, and production with
demand improves the flow of goods and reduces the need for
storage facilities.

JITs focus on eliminating waste from the production process

leads to redesign of the workspace to ensure a smooth flow of
goods or processes, eliminating redundant tasks, and
minimizing transportation of the product across the workspace.

JIT makes it possible to manufacture even single pieces or

components without any delays.

JITs system of kanban or specific instructions for each

worker eliminates all scope for mistakes in the work floor.

The relentless effort to eliminate waste and achieve zero-

defects improves productivity, cuts down manufacturing time,
and improves product quality

10. Discuss automation system ideas for JIT/lean?

JIT/Lean and automation are compatible, but one should look long
and hard at the need and companys readiness for it, before
automating processes. There are many examples of very
successful automated plants, especially for high-volume
manufacturing. Automation and JIT/Lean are completely
compatible. Probably the best example of that is in todays auto
industry. Automation may be advantageous in many applications,
but if companies have not solved the problems in the human
operated versions of those same applications, they are not ready
to automate them effectively. It is more meaningful to discuss the
processes that use humans and manual machines than the same
processes powered by robots. In these plants, JIT/Lean is at least
as valuable as it is in plants with less automation. Its pull system
prevents overproduction of any manufacturing element, and
supplies materials at the front end of the process when needed,
and does it without the massive inventories of the pre-JIT/Lean
era. Whether the processes are operated by humans or robots
makes no difference in this regard.

SOCIAL NETWORKING ASSIGNMENT

1. Good Science Tells A Story, & Well-Written Research Has The

Greatest Impact

The review distributed in the Journal gathers environmental

change papers written in a more story style were for the most
part referred to by different researchers. It gave an imperative
measure of their impact in the field. Based on the findings, papers
that tell a story seem to get through to readers and are more
interesting compared to papers describing observations in an
objective way. There are as yet numerous logical diaries still
written drily that make them sort of exhausting and revolting to
the general population and even different researchers. Papers
that were for the most part referred to by different researchers
were those that consolidated tangible dialect which made it all
the more engaging per users, and these were likewise the most
high evaluated. When Journals are written in narrative style it
makes reader, read them with more interest because it is easy to
understand. scientific article are usually hard to understand
especially if you are not familiar with certain terms.

2. Trump's CIA nominee grilled on his advocacy of surveillance database

President Trump's chosen one needs to head and make a

monstrous reconnaissance database by restoring a U.S phone
records accumulation program. Couple of congresspersons
addressed what limits he would concur. Mike, a Republican
delegate from Kansas has approached Congress to turn around its
mid choice to get control over the telephone metadata gathering
program keep running by NSA. An Oregon Democrat, Senator Ron
addressed Mike about recovering the Congress and the nation in
business of gathering a great many telephone records from well
behaved individuals. He additionally included by asking whether
Mike has any limits or cutoff points. Mike abstained from depicting
limits, other than saying the 2015 USA Freedom Act now
precludes a metadata accumulation program in the U.S. Insight
offices ought to do he specified everything they can, in a legal,
protected way to gather outside knowledge critical to guarding
America.

3. Robust vs. robot learning

Innovation has progressed quickly consistently, making many

individuals lose their occupations. This is on account of machines
have turned out to be advanced to the point that it has possessed
the capacity to exceed individuals from their occupations. For
instance, PCs can do the math speedier than an exceptionally
talented statistician. Nonetheless, despite the fact that machines
can be exceptionally proficient, they do not have certain qualities
that exclusive individuals have. These attributes incorporate
interest, asking more inquiries, and differences. In spite of the fact
that productivity is basic, associations still need individuals with a
remarkable personality that can convey thoughts, and
imagination, which a machine can't. A machine will just do what it
is customized to do, yet a human, can likewise do that and voice
their reason. People can offer advancement, through steady
interest; and in view of differing qualities, suppositions and
thoughts will shift. Nonetheless, unique assessments and
thoughts are basic to the development of associations, and that is
what is vital while enhancing items, and administrations.