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International Management - Rodchenko VV

Quality management in US companies

In the US, strategic planning is implemented, for example, in quality improvement programs, "zero defects", proposed by F. Crosby. One of the most popular programs, made for the company "Hewlett Packard", includes the following provisions: the conviction of employees of the importance of the program and the personal involvement of each in this; determining the level of the quality of the additional costs; development of methods of motivation quality work; specification of testing methods; general training on quality of work and the introduction of the principle of "zero defects"; establishment of a single "day of reflection" (the quality of the day); defect-free development of individual programs of work; promoting achievement and so on. d. All the work in the program usually ends the analysis done, summing up, the creation of the program for the next period.

Many of the ideas and principles of quality management were formed by Phil Crosby, A. Feigenbaum, W. Deming, J.. Joo-Ran et al.

The concept of total quality management first introduced A. Feigenbaum. He defined it as an efficient system that brings together the activities of various parts of the organization responsible for the development of quality parameters, maintaining the achieved level of quality and its increase in order to ensure the production and operation of the product at the most economical level, with the full satisfaction of customer requirements. [22]

On the American company's quality management is understood as an administrative activity, which consists of four phases: establishing the quality requirements; assessment of conformity with these requirements; measures for non-compliance with these requirements; further enhance the quality requirements.

The United States believes that the quality control significantly affects both the creation of a high level of technical projects, as well as for high quality manufacturing and service products in the field of operation. Therefore, quality control is enhanced at all stages of its life cycle and is not only a test, but also analytical. Such control is called universal. It is divided into four stages: control over the development of new products, the entrance control of materials and components, manufacturing control and product quality control services in the consumer products.

Oversee the development of new products provides for the development and establishment of requirements to the quality and technical level of future production. Purpose of the input control of materials and components to start production only those that fully ensure the quality of the finished product. Control of product manufacturing quality control plan provides, ie. E. The distribution of control operations in the course of a technical process, as well as ensuring the production of products that meet the specified requirements and satisfying customer requirements.

universal control system covers the entire organization, its divisions and staff groups; it allows for a constant, coordinated control over the design and manufacture of products. Such control many firms distribute and service sector of its products by the consumer. It goes without saying that the specific content of the actions under the public control is determined by the peculiarities of the organization, its structure, scope and nature of the products.

Total Quality control is the organizational form of the distribution of rights and responsibilities between departments related to quality assurance. In this way, the higher the firm's management frees itself from the petty cares and does not lose time to overcome the everyday misunderstandings.

In the implementation of the general quality control of the Americans come from two locations:

- Total control - it's everyone's business;

- Universal control can lead to a general irresponsibility.

Therefore, the firm's management organizes quality management services to individual operations to improve the quality, carried out by individual performers and units carried out properly and effectively.

In the US quality management practice, pay great attention to the costs associated with the creation of high-quality products, to ensure and improve its quality. Such costs are called cost of quality; they consist of the cost of technical control, development and implementation of preventive measures, as well as losses from marriage.

Increased attention to the cost of the quality of an objective dictated by the constant rise in price of new product development, increase in the cost of the preparation of its production, the increase in quality assurance costs and a significant excess of operating expenses over the price of products.

The idea and practice of universal control calls for a quality management system product development. A. Feige-Baum wrote about it this way: ". ... The company's management should recognize that a comprehensive quality management system is not a temporary project, designed to improve the quality or reduce the costs only in the moment when the main problems associated with the increase quality or reducing costs are eliminated, quality management system for the enterprise will become leaders in constantly operating lever to improve the quality of products "[22].

American scientists and experts believe that a well-organized and efficient quality management system can be established only on the condition that this work should lead director of the company personally.

American practices for improving the quality of extensive use of statistical methods, control charts, allowing to organize and store information about recurring defects production, sampling table with the spread of the quality assessment results for all products, as well as the methods of probability theory as to evaluate the reliability and to predict changes other quality indicators.

In American companies make extensive use of technical means mounted controls, which are programmed methods of statistical control. These tools not only accumulate, but also processed the relevant information and give the necessary data for decision-making.

In the US, firms in the 80-ies of XX century. more attention was paid to the quality of planning (in accordance with the "quality triad" Juran: planning - control - improving the quality). Prior to that, American companies in their quality policy have concentrated on monitoring, thus contributing to a kind of "freeze" qualitative parameters, and this caused the quality crisis. W. Nyudzhin, the company "Chrysler Motors" expert criticized existed tolerance for defects, based on the fact that they can be detected and later (for example, during the warranty period). One defective bolt per kilogram of bolts did not disturb the manufacturer, although the customer a car with a defective bolt sooner or later will cause a critical situation. Understanding this helped top a turning point in quality management - customer focus and Prevention (not detectable) defects.

By adopting such a "philosophy" is much ahead of the Americans, the Japanese car companies have a distinct advantage during the Energy Crisis: their compact and fuel-efficient vehicles with sufficient production flexibility responsive to fluctuations in consumer demand.

"Chrysler Motors" Politics today is that every employee, every department a clear idea what the demands of consumers, and they brought quality products and services in full compliance with them.

A characteristic feature of present-day activities of US firms to improve the quality of a regular assessment of quality management systems in order to increase their effectiveness. Some companies carry out such assessments each year.

The evaluation concludes (non-compliance) policy quality system carried out by the company. A special group of managers checks to ensure the quality of management, periodic quality control plan, the development plan system. Considerable attention is paid to checking the status of work with suppliers; It analyzes the current system of supplier evaluation, visit plans for their businesses and control the activities carried out there. Especially carefully checked reporting system on the quality of expenditure. It turns out, what measures are taken to reduce the costs, if they are unreasonably high, and how to ensure the quality of stability, if the cost level is acceptable.

But perhaps the most important criterion of the effectiveness of the quality management system is considered to be the degree of satisfaction of customer needs. This rate is usually determined by a survey conducted by the marketing departments, intermediary organizations, representatives of trading companies and, of course, consumer organizations themselves. Resulting in all positions such audit data is evaluated in points. The quality management system is considered to be effective if the points amount is not less than 95 (out of 100).

Measures to improve the quality management system focused not only on the current period and the near future, but also in the more distant future. Thus, many US firms set up a laboratory for the preparation of the technical re-equipment, which develop advanced standards, quality requirements for future products, and other standards.

Bolypoe importance is attached to the legal liability of manufacturers and trade for the quality. The manufacturer and trade company in accordance with the law obliged to compensate the consumer harm caused by the use of low-quality products. In the courts introduced the concept of strict liability for the quality of manufactured products, according to which a manufacturer and trade organization must take responsibility not only for the performance characteristics of products, but also for its impact on the environment, safety in operation. Strengthening legal responsibility led to the revitalization and significant improvement in activities related to the manufacturer's warranty.

Quality management system is not considered in the US as a panacea, but in those enterprises where it is well-developed and stable operating results tangible: increased product sales, the firm's reputation and profits are growing, production costs are reduced. For example, the firm "Polaroid" by constant activity in the direction of improving the quality of production costs due to the poor quality decreased by 44%; Labour productivity increased by 8; the volume of sales increased by 27; Gross profit increased by 124%. The corporation "General Electric" for 4 years at the expense of product quality improvement costs were reduced by 50%, earning a profit of 37 million US dollars [22].