Assessment : TQM- SPC, Improvement Program and Quality costing
Submission Date: 4th April 2024
Late submissions will be penalised in accordance with University/Faculty policy
Learning Objectives (Numbering from MID):
3. Design a quality improvement program, select and identify suitable tools and techniques. Discuss the importance of performance measurement and explain how performance measurement system, benchmarking, and other techniques can help a company achieve continuous improvement.
4. Compare the different approaches to quality costing and evaluate the effectiveness of these methods.
7. Explain variation, apply SPC to a simple example and calculate process capability. Plan the implementation of SPC in a manufacturing organisation.
Procedure.
This is an individual assignment. Submission is online via Moodle (Submission automatically through Turnitin link).
Student Effort.
It is estimated that you should spend approximately 25-30 hours on this assignment. The written element of the assessment is expected to be no more than 3000 words.
Assessment.
The marks will be allocated as shown below. In addition:
Section A: marks will be awarded for detailed, accurate explanations and comments along with accuracy of calculations and completeness of charts.
Section B: All quotes and additional sources of information must be fully referenced. The following marking scheme will be applied. References and bibliography are not included in the page limit.
Overall clarity and structure of the report.
Plagiarism.
Any suspected cases of plagiarism or collusion will be dealt with via Coventry University disciplinary procedures.
Do not “cut and paste” paragraphs/chapters from sources of literature.
All quotes, figures, illustrations etc must be correctly referenced.
Marking scheme.
100-70% Outstanding. An exceptional level of ability. No weaknesses.
69-60% Very Good. A high level of ability, no major weaknesses. Clear
Understanding of the project brief.
59-50% Good. Overall good level of ability. Weakness in some areas offset by
Strengths in others.
49-40% Fair. Overall minimum standard achieved. There may be competence
in some aspects, but performance may be below standard on other aspects.
<40% Unsatisfactory. Most aspects below the required standard. There are serious
shortcomings in coverage, content and approach.
Assignment Brief.
Section A: SPC theory
- A. Explain the concept of control charts in SPC. Provide an example of situations where control charts can be effectively used to monitor and improve a process. Additionally, discuss the key component and interpretation of control charts (7 marks)
B. Your process has a normal histogram with mean located at 10 mm, 1s points at 9.9 and 10.1 mm, 2s points at 9.8 and 10.2 mm, and 3s points at 9.7 and 10.3 mm.
Construct a histogram and discuss the importance of sigma as a measure of variation.
(5 marks)
C. If your customer will accept parts measuring between 9.7 and 10.3 mm, how many parts of every 1,000 produced would you expect to scrap? What would have to be done to bring the scrap rate down to what it had been at the customer specification? (7 marks)
2. What is “Goalpost Mentality”? Why does it give producers false hope that they are satisfying their customers? What is a better way of looking at your performance capability?
(7 marks)
3. In developing a control chart, the analyst recognizes that there are two types of variation in a system. Specify the types of variation. Explain the difference and what should be done to eliminate these variations
(4 marks)
4. The following results were obtained by taking samples of five (5) items at regular intervals. (20 marks)
| Sample # | observation | ||||
| 1 | 74.030 | 74.002 | 74.019 | 73.992 | 73.999 |
| 2 | 73.989 | 74.000 | 73.992 | 73.995 | 74.000 |
| 3 | 73.998 | 74.002 | 74.05 | 73.989 | 74.030 |
| 4 | 74.005 | 74.030 | 73.995 | 74.000 | 73.990 |
| 5 | 74.006 | 73.990 | 74.004 | 73.998 | 74.002 |
| 6 | 73.982 | 73.984 | 73.998 | 73.999 | 73.995 |
| 7 | 74.003 | 74.002 | 74.008 | 73.992 | 73.999 |
| 8 | 73.989 | 74.001 | 74.001 | 73.998 | 74.000 |
| 9 | 73.998 | 74.002 | 74.001 | 73.989 | 74.030 |
| 10 | 74.005 | 74.021 | 73.995 | 73.990 | 73.993 |
| 11 | 74.004 | 73.995 | 74.004 | 73.998 | 74.002 |
| 12 | 73.982 | 73.984 | 73.998 | 73.999 | 73.995 |
| 13 | 74.006 | 73.998 | 74.005 | 73.998 | 74.000 |
| 14 | 73.998 | 73.995 | 73.998 | 73.982 | 74.006 |
| 15 | 74.000 | 74.005 | 73.982 | 73.998 | 74.006 |
| 16 | 73.998 | 74.030 | 73.998 | 74.000 | 74.002 |
| 17 | 74.005 | 74.006 | 73.995 | 74.000 | 73.998 |
| 18 | 74.006 | 73.998 | 74.000 | 74.030 | 73.982 |
| 19 | 74.005 | 73.998 | 74.006 | 74.005 | 73.998 |
| 20 | 73.998 | 73.993 | 73.995 | 74.006 | 74.005 |
a) Construct control charts for the sample means and ranges showing the control limits and comment on the results.
| When sample size (n) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| A2 | 1.880 | 1.023 | 0.729 | 0.577 |
| D2 | 1.128 | 1.693 | 2.059 | 2.326 |
| D3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D4 | 3.268 | 2.574 | 2.282 | 2.114 |
(10 marks)
b) The specification asks for a tolerance of 74inch +/- .04inch. Calculate the process capability indices Cp and Cpk and comment on these. What level of process capability should you strive to achieve for Cp and Cpk.
(10 marks)
Section B: SPC Implementation
4
Read the texts listed (below) on SPC implementation and other appropriate texts.
Antony, J., Balbontin, A. and Taner, T. (2000), “Key ingredients for the effective implementation of statistical process control”, Work Study, Vol.49 No.6, pp.242-247.
Does, R.J., Schippers, W.A.J. and Trip, A. (1997), “A framework for implementation of statistical process control”, International Journal of Quality Science, Vol 2, No. 3, 181-198.
The above documents are available electronically via the University Library electronic databases.
You are the Quality Manager in a computers manufacturing company and feel it is time to implement some form of improvement programme. Describe your recommendations in a report to the Directors, which must include:
- A method for implementing SPC across the company, including pre-requisites for implementation, the implementation process and procedures to follow to ensure that the benefits of SPC can be achieved. This should be in the form of a flow chart with an additional 1 page justification. (20 marks)
- A summary of one relevant tool/technique which could be applied alongside statistical process control and its benefits. (10 marks)
- Select a quality costing method and analyse the benefits this technique could bring to the company. Additionally, evaluate any issues with the quality costing method.
(10 marks)
- Overall structure and clarity of the report (10 marks)
You will need to make assumptions about the company, state these clearly.
