Questions

1. Discuss at least three similarities and three differences between managing quality in higher education vs. business sector.

similarities:1. ensure that the quality is consistent2. continuous learning3. performance measurement

differences:1. employees are working to fulfill the objectives of the company, students are “working” for their own personal gain (individual versus organizational responsibility)2. companies have activity-level quality which applies to different working departments, while the university has and entity-wide quality.3. the level of quality in the company it is mainly process level, which means that the company strives to link the external and internal customer requirements, while at the university, the level is a performer one, because the university strives to meet the requirements of internal customers only (students)

2. Discuss at least three similarities and three differences between building commitment to quality in higher education vs. business sector? similarities:Similarities: 1.personal development2. being part of a whole3. building relationshionships4.

3. What are the criteria in relation to which you define organizational quality in a service business organization? Define the organizational quality from these perspectives.

.Two components of service in business organization1. quality of human contact: communication, information, delivery time etc2. information technology (IT): computing communication, data processing, other various means of converting data into useful information that leads to improved quality and productivity.

4. As CEO of the organization, what are your main concerns in terms of managing for quality at the organizational/ performer level? Comment on at least five concerns.Organizational level - focuses on meeting the requirements of the external customers.

Lesson 2, S24-27

At organizational level: focuses on meeting the requirements of the external customersFive concerns:-delivering top quality products-maintaining a good relationship with the customers (communication)-receiving constant feedback-continuous improvement-delivery on time

Performer level - focuses on meeting the requirements of the internal customers.Five concerns:-accuracy ->-teamwork and participation -> increase also the satisfaction- innovation -> involve the employees in the process of innovation by asking their opinion about the improvements which should be made-timeliness-cost-completeness-training -> by delivering training, company will gain skilled employees with expertise and know-how, and the employees will become part of the entire process

5. As Rector of your university, what are your main concerns in terms of managing for quality at the university level? Comment on at least five concerns.Concerns:- hiring skilled professors- feedback from students- ”updated” environment (new technology, internet access, digital library etc)- assessment of student learning outcomes-understanding students & stakeholder’s needs

6. Recognize quality as a competitive weapon in your university. What are the core competencies of your university which ensure its competitive advantages? Comment on at least five core competencies.Core competencies:- affordable tuition fee

- good location (very close to employers which are planning to hire the newly-graduate students)- good reputation (one of the best universities in Romania )- skilled professors (with Master & PhD diplomas from countries such as: France, Germany, US etc.)- extracurricular activities (memberships in students associations, conferences etc)- research (continuous research for determining the needs of the students: new subjects to study every two-three years, new inputs from professors who studied abroad, new publishings and scientific books written by the university professors etc.)- consistent quality

7. How would you plan to get commitment of your top manager to implement TQM program? Comment on at least five ways/ methods/ approaches. (ca la negocieri)

-Explain the benefits of TQM by presenting other companies who have successfully implemented the total quality management.-showing that by doing this, the company will have a competitive position-

The Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence Handbook identifies the following direct and indirect benefits that total quality management (TQM) can offer organizations:

· Strengthened competitive position

· Adaptability to changing or emerging market conditions and to environmental and other government regulations

· Higher productivity

· Enhanced market image

· Elimination of defects and waste

· Reduced costs and better cost management

· Higher profitability

· Improved customer focus and satisfaction

· Increased customer loyalty and retention

· Increased job security

· Improved employee morale

· Enhanced shareholder and stakeholder value

· Improved and innovative processes

8. Provide five examples of quality objectives developed by manufacturing business firms/ financial service firms/ business consultancy firms/ public administration institutions/ food retailers/ telecommunication companies/ higher education institutions/ IT companies and their performance indicators. Why are those considered quality objectives?

Quality objuctives: Meet the customer needs => performance indicators: delivery time, number of complaints/month, satisfaction level, number of compliments/month, external recognition Involvement of employees => indicators: comparison between Job Description and actual performance, KPIs, self assessment, continuous assessment Provide quality products/services =>indicators: number of complaints/compliments, number of internal failures/100000 finished goods etc Find resources =>indicators: total sum of resources/month etc Building partnerships => find qulity suppliers; indicators: number of defective raw materials etc Create a good image in society =>indicators: articles in the media, complaints, compliments

9. Discuss the steps towards development and implementation of an ISO 9001 model of quality management system in a business organization.An ISO 9001 certificate will provide maximum benefit to your organization if it approaches ISO 9001 implementation in a practical way. This will ensure that the quality management systems that are adopted, work to improve the business and are not just a set of procedures that your employees will find hard to manage.STEPS:1. Purchase the Standards2. Purchase the Guidelines in the field3. Review support literature and software4. Assemble a team and agree your strategy5. Consider Training6. Review Consultancy Options7. Choose a registrar8. Document the QMS (define quality policy and objectives + develop a quality manual)9. Implement the Quality Management System10. Consider a pre-assessment11. Gain registration and certification12. Continual assessment

10. Create the SIPOC diagram for the following business process: Measuring and Analyzing the Performance/ Research and Development/ Employees Training/ Purchasing/ Customers’ Complaints Handling/ Quality Management System Implementation/ Acquiring Customer Knowledge/ Measuring and Analyzing the Performance/ Strategic planning/ Developing new products and services/ Fulfilling customer orders. A SIPOC diagram is a tool used by a team to identify all relevant elements of a process improvement project before work begins. SIPOC( Suppliers, Input, Process, Output, Customers) Suppliers: Actual suppliers, Learders, Scientists, Speakers, Trainers, InformaticiansInputs: Software, Charts, forecasts, cost-benefit analysis, surveys, market reports, suggestions, feedbackProcess: developing charts, brainstorming, hypothesis testing, cause & effect diagram, training sessionOutput: skills, improvement, know-how, new products, knowledge about the customerCustomers: employees, consumers, organizations, individuals, ++11. What are the benefits of achieving ISO 9001 certification by an organization? Comment on at least five of those benefits.ISO 9001 certification is not just suitable for large organisations, but also small businesses that will benefit from adopting efficient quality management systems that will save time and cost, improve efficiency and ultimately improve customer relationships.

Implementing ISO often gives the following advantages:

1. Creates a more efficient, effective operation2. Increases customer satisfaction and retention3. Reduces audits4. Enhances marketing5. Improves employee motivation, awareness, and morale6. Promotes international trade7. Increases profit8. Reduces waste and increases productivity9. Common tool for standardization(consistent, repeatable processes and a common system)

12. Discuss the steps taken to conduct a quality audit in a university/ business organization. For what purpose?Audit Cycle Using DMAICA quality audit can be completed in five steps:1. Plan Audit and Define Audit AgendaPractitioners can set the audit agenda by answering the five Ws and one H: Who, When, Where,

What, Why and How. The agenda should include the goal of the audit, the name of the person conducting the audit, the date it will be conducted, the venue, what is to be audited and the reason why the audit is to be conducted. The auditor should also be clear about the directions to be followed during the audit. To cover every critical aspect, a checklist could be used.2. Conduct Audit and Measure PerformanceThe audit should be conducted according to the scope and goal defined in the audit agenda. The auditor will measure key aspects of the current process and collect relevant data. Of course, every organization must follow its defined policy and the regulatory norms of its country. Audits should also be conducted to review processes and systems of an organization; by measuring their performance, practitioners can determine their reliability.3. Record Results and Analyze FindingsAll problems found during audits should be documented and categorized in order of their importance. Problems can be categorized as critical, major or minor, based on the significance of their break with organizational policy.Audit reports provide a balanced overview of the current process, with details about any under- or over-performing metrics. All problems observed during the audit should be sent to the organization’s leadership, with critical and major noncompliance issues flagged as early as possible.4. Uncover Trends and Make ImprovementsAuditors should highlight process areas that show excellence and best practices. They should also separate all critical and major problems from the minor problems so the organization can focus improvement efforts accordingly.Problem importance can be determined after conducting a root cause analysis of the process issues. Causes can be mapped on a Pareto chart, which typically reveals that 20 percent of the problems create 80 percent of the negative impact on a quality system. Through the use of the Pareto chart, practitioners can identify areas of improvement and suggest necessary changes.5. Control System with Follow-up AuditAfter defining process control limits, auditors can identify and implement measures, such as control charts, to help prevent problems from occurring again. Follow-up audits are required to measure actions taken to improve processes and systems of organization.

13. Apply and explain the concept of “lean organization” in your university or a business organization.Lean manufacturing, lean enterprise, or lean production, often simply, "lean", is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Working from the perspective of the customer who consumes a product or service, "value" is defined as any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for.Essentially, lean is centered on preserving value with less work. Lean manufacturing is a

management philosophy derived mostly from the Toyota Production System (TPS) (hence the term Toyotism is also prevalent)

14. What Sigma performance level has achieved your school? Provide at least five examples to support your response.

Our Faculty is currently at the level of 3 Sigma because around 6.7% of students, fail to get the bachelor degree, there are still a lot of students who don’t attend the courses, the projects delivered are not original (own contribution),

15. What are the steps required by development of a Six Sigma project (methodology)? Exemplify for the case of a company operating in ….

The DMADV project methodology, known as DFSS ("Design For Six Sigma"),[9] features five phases:

· Define design goals that are consistent with customer demands and the enterprise strategy.· Measure and identify CTQs (characteristics that are Critical To Quality), product capabilities, production process capability, and risks.· Analyze to develop and design alternatives· Design an improved alternative, best suited per analysis in the previous step· Verify the design, set up pilot runs, implement the production process and hand it over to the process owner(s).

16. How do you recognize the existence of an organizational culture in your university? What is the quality culture? Describe the quality culture in your university or a business organization.A company has an organizational culture if it has:

● a world view● traditions, daily work activities/practices● ways of resolving problems● ways of conducting the processes● interactions between the people involved in the organization● a specific working environment● organizational behaviours

Quality culture = attitude / set of values employed by the company to improve the levels of quality in its service by:

improving the quality of relationships with stakeholders

improving the communication between employees

improve the attitude and mindset of employees.

Quality culture in the university/company = values:Value 1: We're all in this together: company, suppliers, customers.Value 2: No subordinates or superiors allowed.Value 3: Open, honest communication is vital.Value 4: Everyone has access to all information on all operations.Value 5: Focus on processes.Value 6: There are no successes or failures, just learning experiences.Value 7: Individual, organizational and social responsibilityValue 8: Dedication and professionalismValue 9: Intensive work to achieve the objectives (either for the company or university)

17. How would you plan to get commitment of your top manager to implementing a EFQM program? Comment on at least five ways/ methods/ approaches.- showing that the current situation is not a favourable one and needs improvements- presenting the benefits (self assessment, provides a structure for the organisation’s management system, benchmarking)- saying that the tool provides the status and the current place of the company on the market - stating that this method is easy to implement due to the common vocabulary and way of thinking- presenting the EFQM as a competitive advantage against the competitors- by implementing the tool, the company will perform better because it will discover the areas for improvement => profits

18. Describe the following standards for internal control …. in an organization which operates in the following industry: education/ public administration sector/ IT services/ food retailing/ telecommunications/ consultancy.4 types of control activities: 1) directive=> guidance2)Preventive=> avoid errors3)detective=>Identify errors4)corrective

Standards:-commitment to competence-integrity+ethical values-management operating style-organizational structure-assignment of authority + responsibility -HR practices + policies-Oversight group

-Risk assessment

internal control activities:-Monitoring-separate evaluation-audit resolution

19. As CEO of the organization, what are your main concerns in terms of internal control management?- to provide the leadership needed to establish and guide an integrated internal control framework- to establish a positive tone at the top by conducting an organizations’s affairs in an honest and ethical manner and establishing accountability at all levels of the organization- to design internal control systems- to create the policies needed to ensure that services are provided effectively and assets safeguarded- to foster a favourable control environment- conduct risk assessment- to provide effective communication- to monitor the effectiveness of control-related policies

20. Provide five examples of actions needed for control environment/ risk assessment/ control activities/ ongoing monitoring/ information and communications in a business organization.Control environment:- establish and communicate a code of ethics- require ethical and honest behaviour from all the employees- apply the same rules to follow by everybody- require appropriate conduct from everyone in the organization- create and maintain open relationships

Risk assessment:- identify the risks regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of financial and service operations,- comparing the initial objectives and the final outputs in order to see what went wrong- reevaluation of objectives- checking the financial records

- checking the compliance with laws and regulations

Control activities:- provide guidance to employees to help achieve the desired objectives of the department (ex: job description, personnel policy, code of ethics)- deter the occurrence of errors or other undesirable events (ex: segregation of duties)- identify on a timely basis when errors or other undesirable events have occured (ex: reconciliations and reviews of performance)- detect budgetary problems by comparing info about financial performance with budgets, prior periods, to measure the extent to which financial goals and objectives are being met- identify the flaws in the process and determine the actions to be taken to correct the problems (ex: additional employee training and reassessment of the current procedures)

Information and communication- implement communication process that captures info and provides it to all who need it- info about identified risks and the means of controlling those risks also need to be transmitted to those who are responsible- info about the policies and procedures to be followed should flow down through the organization- inform all employees about the control responsibilities, about their role in the internal control system, about how their activities relate to the work of others- organize frequent meetings- create a “feedback & suggestions” box for the employees

Monitoring- implement an evaluation programm to check the implementation of the policies- provide questionnaires to the employees- supervising the running of the activities- inspect the “primary” outputs to check if the standards are being met-performance appraisal program

21. Analyze critically (against ISO 9001 requirements) the following quality policy and objectives of ….. (the company). Set up your quality management system: develop, use and improve it.4.2 Document your system to say how it should work. 4.2.1 Write documents including a quality policy, objectives, manual, procedures and records; decide what procedures you need for your system; must include those listed below 4.2.2 Have a quality manual 4.2.3 Control your documents to make sure they are accurate and suitable, including a procedure 4.2.4 Manage your records (which show your system works as you say it does) suitably, including a procedure.

22. What types of recommendation would you make to the top management of your organization based on the quality cost analysis performed on the following data …….?Types of costs:-appraisal cost-prevention cost-internal failure cost-external failure cost

Quality cost stage:-firefight stage ( customer complaints, rework, a blaming culture)-Conventional Stage( happy customers, no preventive measures, rework(not so much), the problems are hidden)-Total Quality Stage- Zero defects, prevention, low external failure due to the internal control failure, strategic management.

you can apply here the FORCED CHOICE MODEL=>1) Statement of the mission2)Financial + nonfinancial objectives3)strengths + weaknesses 4) operational needs5) Future programmes 6) economic assumption7) governmental + regulatory issues8)technological force9) market opportunities + threats10) strategies of competitors11) Strategic options

23. Apply the concept of “lean organization” for a company operating in education/ public administration sector/ IT services/ food retailing/ telecommunications/ consultancy.waste reduction,process efficiency, Just in time orders,Creating more value to the customers, using fewer resources.=> focus on customer’s value, key processes Eliminating waste along entire value streams, instead of at isolated points, creates processes that need less human effort, less space, less capital, and less time to make products and

services at far less costs and with much fewer defects, compared with traditional business systems.

Aceste concepte trebuie aplicate la fiecare domeniu in parte :)

24. What tools for quality improvement would you use in the following situation …..? For what purpose? For quality improvement,firstly,you should have a balance between needs of the basic functional areas:marketing,accounting,human resources,operations,engineering,strategy. Tools for improvement:The affinity diagramInterrelationship diagraphTree diagramPrioritization GridMatrix diagramProcess decision program chart.

25. Provide five examples of measures/ metrics you use to assess your current level of performance/ the following business process performance …. How did you set those metrics?

Developing performance metrics usually follows a process of:

1. Establishing critical processes/customer requirements2. Identifying specific, quantifiable outputs of work3. Establishing targets against which results can be scored

● Benchmarked○ Financial ratios (ROA, ROI etc)○ Productivity ratios (labour productivity, plant and equipment productivity, energy

productivity, material productivity, firm overall productivity)○ Customer-related results (retention, gains/losses, customer perceived value,

competitive awards, customer ratings)○ Operating results (cycle times, waste-reduction measures, values-added measures,

time from concept to market, setup times)○ Human Resources measures (employee satisfaction measures, training

expenditures, training hours per year, work system performance, turnover, safety statistics, absenteeism, employee effectiveness measures)

○ Quality measures (reject rates, capability information, scrap and rework measures, percent defectives, field repairs, costs of quality, process performance measures, average response time for phone inquiries, number of people a caller must contact

to get a problem resolved)○ Market share data (shares in different markets served by the firm)○ Structural measures (objectives, policies and procedures followed by the firm

concerning: safety, production, accounting, financial, engineering)● Balanced Scorecard

○ Financial (profitability, revenue growth, return on investments, economic added value, market share, stakeholder value)

○ Internal (productivity, cycle time, distribution channels, product quality levels, operations costs)

○ Customer (service quality levels, repeat business, customer satisfaction ratings, loyality)

○ Innovation and learning (intellectual assets, employee satisfaction, market innovation, skills development)

26. Define at least five measures you plan to use to improve your professional performance level.

1. Define your goals: Determine your measures for success. Make your goals challenging, but achievable. Do you want to increase customer retention, improve market share, penetrate a new market segment, change a perception, generate more store traffic, reduce customer complaints? Be specific and make your objectives measurable. For example, by what percentage do you want to increase sales?

2. Determine the Metrics to Measure Your Company’s Performance� : Compile a list of factors that are important in your industry. Criteria may include:

● Marketing: sales growth; market share; distribution methods; sales force size, effectiveness and training; advertising budget and effectiveness; inventory levels, delivery time; product quality; customer retention rates

● Production: plant capacity, locations and age; age of equipment; ability to expand capacity; skill and turnover of labor force; union relations; quality control; supplier retention; raw material sources

● Administrative: employee turnover, age of facilities● Management: experience, depth and turnover of top, middle and supervisorymanagers;

effectiveness of communication systems; access to information; cohesiveness of top management ranks; compensation plans; decision-making speed; strategic planning ability

● Technology/Research & Development: age of R&D facilities; age of production technology; production patterns; basic innovation; engineering abilities; experience of R&D team; R&D budget; R&D project timelines

3. Develop Methods to Collect and Organize Data: Determine a process for tracking and reporting all relevant data. Report on trends that emerge from your findings on a regular basis.

. 4. Compare Yourself to the Competition: You can glean a lot by doing your homework, including shopping your competitors. Also check:

● Annual and 10 K reports on public companies● Internet search engines by competitors' names or key words● Trade associations and publications● Business and general press as well as press releases● Government agencies● Private research firms, including online computer databases

. 5. Conduct Research: When you need specific information about your customers and prospects that doesnt exist, conduct your own primary research.� There are two types of research: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative research is used to understand why customers behave as they do or to develop hypotheses about that behavior. Personal interviews and focus groups (a meeting of 8-12 carefully selected people) are two examples of this semi-structured type of survey. Quantitative research is a highly structured form that attempts to answer how much. Numbers can be projected to the universe that the sample represents. Telephone, online and mail surveys are examples.

6. Understand Your Strengths and Weaknesses: Rate your company on your developed list of metrics in comparison to your competitors. Look for clusters of strength that may give you a competitive advantage.

7. Focus on Customer Retention: Customer retention is a matter of business survival, as getting a new customer is five times more expensive than retaining a current one.

Work on core product and service attributes to build customer loyalty (such as treating each customer as a valued individual). Businesses must focus on such issues as instilling a helpful staff attitude, delivering on advertising promises, developing a favorable return policy and providing accurate product information. Use your success with current customers to attract new referral business, but also remember that not every customer is worth keeping. You cannot be all things to all people. Sometimes, you have to let customers go and train energies on those clients who are the best fit.

8. Measure Marketing Effectiveness: Effective measurement lays the groundwork for future plans, so keeping track of results is the only way to improve your marketing efforts. The key is determining which data should be collected. Your marketing results may be measured in sales (dollars or units), market share, store traffic, number of inquiries or reduced complaint rates, or other metrics. Tracking can also be based on surveys that assess customer perceptions.

9. Track Employees: Having top employees who are motivated is critical to your companys success. Track the effectiveness of your recruitment methods and retention �levels as well as employee satisfaction and performance.

10. Apply the Information: Analyze the intelligence youve collected, draw �

conclusions and make recommendations based on it. Develop a plan for seeking out opportunities to demonstrate your companys strengths. If weaknesses are critical �drawbacks to your companys success, develop a plan for overcoming them.�

27. How do you know if you are a quality person or not? Argue your response.From three perspectives:

● way of thinking: personal values and beliefs● way of being: behaviors, attitudes● way of doing: actions/ positions, decisions