1 Explain why continual quality improvement is important.

Continual improvement is a type of change that is focused on increasing the

effectiveness and/or efficiency of an organization to fulfil its policy and
objectives. It is not limited to quality initiatives. Improvement in business
strategy, business results, and customer, employee and supplier
relationships can be subject to continual improvement. It means constantly
getting better which is an excellent way to ensure quality.

2 What is managements role in continual quality improvement?

Essential improvement activities include maintaining communication,

correcting obvious previous problems, looking upstream, documenting
problems and progress, and monitoring change. Commonly used
improvement straggles are describing the process, standardizing the
process, and eliminating errors. Continual incremental improvement is an
important quality improvement process tool.

3 Discuss the Kaizen approach

Kaizen, also known as continuous improvement, is a long-term approach to

work that systematically seeks to achieve small, incremental changes in
processes in order to improve efficiency and quality. rapid improvement, is a
focused activity on a particular process or activity. The basic concept is to
identify and quickly remove waste.

4 How would you describe a lean system?

The Lean system is essential to the success of total quality management.

A systematic approach to the identification and elimination of waste and non-
value added activities through employee development and continuous
improvement in all products and services. It is very different from
benchmarking in that it does not dictate any particular result.

5 What is lean six-sigma and how would you apply it to a quality

management system?

Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that relies on a collaborative team effort to

improve performance by systematically removing waste;
combining lean manufacturing/lean enterprise and Six Sigma to eliminate
the eight kinds of waste: defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilized talent,
transportation, and inventory. This would be very beneficial to implementing
total quality management.

6 Define benchmarking. Define auditing. How does

benchmarking and auditing relate to each other?
The concept of benchmarking helps to compare different products or services
in order to attain quality. Bench marking is the process of measuring an
organization's internal processes and then identifying, understanding, and
adapting the outstanding practices from other organizations considered to be
best-in-class. Most business processes are common throughout industries.
Effectiveness on an audit can includes interviews with internal stakeholders
from across the organization and thorough reviews marketing processes,
systems, and performance measurement competencies. This approach
reveals how strong your organization is. First a benchmark must be put into
place, and then follow it up by auditing to evaluate effectiveness.

7 How can you apply benchmarking data in auditing processes,

systems, designs, products, factories and services?

Bench marking is the process of measuring an organization's internal

processes and then identifying, understanding, and adapting the outstanding
practices from other organizations considered to be best-in-class. Most
business processes are common throughout industries. This would allow all
data to be compared and the best data would be investigated in order to
emulate and exceed eventually.

8 What is a JIT system?

Just In Time JIT is an inventory strategy companies employ to increase

efficiency and decrease waste by receiving goods only as they are needed in
the production process, thereby reducing inventory costs. It is a
management philosophy that strives to be able to eliminate any and all kinds
of waste in a process.

9 What are the benefits of JIT/lean?

As a production system, it creates only what is needed specifically. Just In

Time - JIT' An inventory strategy companies employ to increase efficiency
and decrease waste by receiving goods only as they are needed in the
production process, thereby reducing inventory costs. It is a management
philosophy that strives to be able to eliminate any and all kinds of waste in a
process.

10 Discuss automation system ideas for JIT/lean

Lean manufacturing encompasses a number of things. It essentially is

a version of JIT and Japanese kaizen, or continuous improvement. Lean
manufacturing is a process for measuring and reducing inventory and
streamlining production. It is a means for changing the way a company
measures plant performance. A knowledge-based system, lean
manufacturing takes years of hard work, preparation, and support from
upper management.