Problem Solving and Quality Improvement - Stop IT Ltd - Case Study Example

Problem Solving and Quality Improvement Table of Contents Introduction 3 Importance of Quality Control and Quality Management processes in Business 4Problem Prevailing in the Products of Stop IT Ltd 5 Measures to Deal with the Problems: Recommendations 8 8 Preparing the F.M.E.A Document 10 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Over the years, business operations and the activities associated with it has changed rapidly owing to the transformation of the nature and the demand of the customers along with fluctuation in the market altogether. In the contemporary environment, competition has become quite intense among the players, which further have been forcing companies to come up with better ideas and processes in order to ascertain long-term sustainability of the business. Observably, businesses are now-a-days forced as well as encouraged to enhance their approach of operations in order to sustain their operation profitably amid the intense competition prevailing in the global periphery and emerge as a better player in comparison to that of the competitors who are operating in similar industry. Contextually, it is believed that providing better quality products and services to the customers is also one of the potential approaches of gaining competitive advantages for companies. In this regard, quality improvement as well as management has become crucial in order determine the assurance of delivering high quality products to the customers (McCain, 2012). Contextually, this particular assignment will intend to ensure the establishment of comprehensive understanding in relation to the importance of quality control, quality improvement and quality management with the assistance of a particular case study. The paper will emphasize on depicting the problems associated with quality management of a particular company and present measures accordingly. Case Overview It is clear that quality management is one of the most important and integral part of any business. The performance of business is directly dependent on the quality of products it delivers to the customers which further frame its image in the market. Contextually, in the case of Stop IT Ltd, it has been noted that owing to deterioration in the quality of products of the company, its performance has seen a rapid decline in the recent years. Observably, the company specializes in manufacturing high performing braking systems for the motorsport industry. It has developed a commendable reputation in front of the customers i.e. the rally car drivers. However, owing to a series of complete brake failures on the AB7 system of the company, its customers have put continuous complaints about the quality of the products. Consequently, two of its loyal customers even hold the order made owing to the deterioration in the product quality. Hence, a report will be developed with regard to investigate the reasons behind the failure of the quality of its products so that measures can be adopted to deal with the issue and consequently save the reputation of the company among the stakeholders especially including the investors and the customers. Importance of Quality Control and Quality Management processes in Business Owing to current complex and challenging business scenario, the margin for error for companies in their operations is quite less. Companies need to efficient as well as effective in order to ensure the deliverance of quality product and services to the customers for gaining their loyalty and faith towards the business. This can be justified from the case scenario of Stop IT Ltd. where the hard build reputation of the company among the customers and other stakeholder has deteriorated extensively owing to certain deficiency in their operations which lead to the deterioration of their products. This shows the importance of quality pertaining to quality management and quality improvement in business. Contextually, it is crucial that companies in the global scenario gets involved in continuously improving the products and services since the demands and the expectations of the customers is augmenting continuously. Deliverance of quality products and services should be ensured for the customers every time they associate with the company so there is no scope for dissatisfaction. It will be worth mentioning that in order to secure better operational future companies needs to follow systematic process of performing quality management practices in an efficient manner along with adopting advance technologies towards better quality management for the product and services of the business. It is significant that apart from setting goals and objectives for the overall business, companies should also come up with certain predetermined goals and objectives with regard to quality improvement and quality management. These goals must be provided with equal priority to that of the overall goals of the organization as it is an integral part of companies operations and a major factor that determines success for the overall business (Ho, 1999). Hence, it is apparent that quality management and quality improvement techniques and processes are indeed quite important in business and they should be executed with higher efficiency and effectiveness. Problem Prevailing in the Products of Stop IT Ltd Apparently, the reputation of the company i.e. Stop IT Ltd has been impacted unfavourably in the recent years owing to which its collective performance has seen a trend of rapid decline. This scenario is relevant to the deterioration of the quality of products and services of certain products of the company which were one of their highest selling. Contextually, it will be crucial to depict the reasons behind such unexpected scenario which has negatively impacted the buying experience of the customers associated with the company’s products. The product that has shown deteriorated performance for the company includes the AB7 system which is primarily used in rally cars. Several cases of its non-performance as well as brake failures on the system during races have been reported by the customers. This aspect has caused much trouble for the customers which have resulted in cancellation of order from two of its loyal customers. Observably, the company is expertise in manufacturing this type of products and this has ensured the company a noteworthy position in the global motor sport industry. The brakes on the AB7 system of the company has shown impressive performance in the past but it has failed to continue the same in the recent times forcing some of the rally drivers with terrifying experiences of their lives as race drivers. It would be vital to mention that the AB7 system of the company come with brake that has little probability of complete failure. The brake on the AB7system is manufactured with the implementation of two separate braking systems, wherein the failure of one system will not entirely effect the functioning of the system as the other braking system will be able to stabilize the car. However, it would be crucial to mention that in order to stop the car with the alternative braking system drivers will need to have long distance and should not panic. Drivers that were using the AB7 system of the company in their cars during rally have continuously faced this scenario owing to failure of the system in repeated occasions. As per the investigation, it has been noted that there might be several reasons owing to brake failures on the AB7 of the company occurs. Among those the catastrophic failure is deemed to the primary one. It has been observed from the investigation that catastrophic failure on the AB7 usually occurs due to break fade. Notably, it can be affirmed that brake fade is one of the most common reasons for brake failure on the AB7 system model of the company. However, the aspect of break fade in the system is further categorized into four other types including the friction fade, the mechanical fade, the domino fade as well as the fluid fade among others. Observably, friction plays a significant role in converting the kinetic energy into the heat energy in order to ensure proper working of the brakes. However, when there is reduction in the friction, there is failure in the proper functioning of the brakes. This scenario is also known as friction fading. The AB7 system of the company has encountered with similar sort of problem and it can be affirmed owing to the fact that many of the drivers complained about the hardening of the brake pedal which in most of the time is a result of friction fading in brakes. Fluid fading is also ascertained as a key reason for failures of brakes in some of the scenarios on the AB7 system of Stop IT Company. Fluid fading is quite common with the hydraulic brake system which is closely relevant with the break system provided on the AB7 system. In such fading, the brake pedal become spongy and the forces required for proper functioning of the brakes get reduced which further results in failure of the brakes on the AB7 system. Fluid fading was also apparent in some of the complaints reported by the customers related to break failure (Glennon, 2014). Additionally, apart from the aspect of fading, investigation also underlined that the failure of brakes on the AB7 system is also caused from increasing diameter of the discs used in the brakes. It has been noted that the diameter of the discs or the plates used in brake is also a significant factor in determining the performance of the braking system. Observably, the curves and rolls in the discs of the braking system are made by considering certain specific aspects so that it properly fits with the height as well as stiffness of the tyres. However, with the reverse scenario where there is a fault or misjudgement in the diameter of the discs, braking failures are tend to occur. This aspect is relevant in some of the complaints emerge with regard to the aspect of Break failure on the AB7 system model of the company. Furthermore, it is also comprehended that the use of cast iron is quite common in manufacturing the braking system of the AB7 system model of Stop IT Ltd. However, it is known that this material corrode quite easily which is not an appreciative prospect towards the proper functioning of any breaking system (Automobile Association Developments Limited, 2014; StopTech, n.d.). Hence, it can be sum up that there lies several differed problems in the braking system of the AB7 system of the company which ultimately resulted in its inefficient and improper functioning. Measures to Deal with the Problems: Recommendations It is apparent from the above discussion that there lay several problems with the AB7 model of the company which results in failure of the braking system. The company has been expertise in this type of product and has gather appreciation for this in the overall motorsport industry. However, after this instance of continuous failure in the braking on the AB7 system its reputation and position in the global motorsport industry has declined rapidly and in a considerable extent. In order to revive its image, the company will need to ensure proper quality improvement and quality management process so that it could deliver fault free products and services to the customers. The investigations depicts that most of the problems in the products directly indicates the failure to maintain quality of the products. In this regard, it can be recommended that the company should come with a process and approach of continuous improvement in its product and services with the assistance of broad based engagement. In this particular approach, quality initiatives of the company need to be framed on a wider array right from the process of product development to the deliverance of product and services to the customer. Owing to this particular approach, the management of the business could be able to ensure higher quality in products through supervising every stage of the process including product development, manufacturing as well as delivering the products to the customers among others to meet the ever changing and challenging demands of the customers. Through this particular approach towards quality management and control, the management of the company will also be able to depict any sort of problems in the products and amend the same accordingly. This will also help the company to depict the problems prevailing in the AB7 product that has resulted continuous braking failure. Furthermore, the management of the business should also be flexible towards implementing advanced technologies in the manufacturing of the superior quality products. . This might be a potential measures that can save the declining reputation of the company in the global motor sport industry (AIAG, n.d.). Again, the management of the company might come up with measures of quality improvement which are already tried and tested with positive results with some of the biggest and renowned companies of the world. In this regard, it has been noted that Ford Motor Company provides utmost emphasis on continuous improvement of the quality of design of its products and services in order to maintain its reputation of being called as the leaders in the automobile industry. Contextually, the company provides utmost priority in ensuring right balance in the quality of its products with that of its performance. The company is quite responsive towards ensuring quality of the parts use in manufacturing its products. This is also a relevant step that Stop IT could adopt for dealing with the issues currently faced by it. Observably, one of the major reasons for the failure of brakes on the AB7 system, is owing to the use of iron cast as a material which corrodes quite rapidly further damaging the braking system. In this regard, the company must follow the footsteps of Ford and ensures the use of appropriate materials in manufacturing its product. Furthermore, Ford also spent more than one year in designing its product with maximum accurateness so that the final product is executed as effective and error free. This is also important to be considered by the management of Stop IT Ltd to deal with the problems of fading of the braking system for its AB7 model (Ford Motor Company, 2014). Altogether, it can be sum up that the management of the business should be quite cautious towards managing as well as improving quality of its products so that customers can acquire a better experiences. Preparing the F.M.E.A Document The analysis in the previous sections depicted about the problems in the AB7 braking system of the company. The discussion also depicted about the potential measures that the company can adopt in order to deal with the challenges it has been encountering with i.e. the AB7 braking system failure. However, in order to depict the entire process in a more apparent manner, preparing the FMEA document will be crucial step. FMEA stands for ‘Failure Mode and Effects Analysis’. It is a particular technique that is used towards depicting the failure of any particular system in an organized and comprehensive manner. FMEA analysis is often regarded as one of the primary technique in the system failure study. In this particular analysis of AB7 braking system failure of the company, the FMEA analysis is expected to be beneficial as it would facilitate in providing comprehensive picture behind the reasons of the failure as well as other implications associated with the AB 7 braking system failure. The comprehensive picture of the problem associated with the AB 7 braking system failure through the use of FMEA is provided hereunder. POTENTIAL FAILURE MODES AND EFFECTS ANALYSIS (Process F.M.E.A) FMEA REF: TITLE: Team Page: PROCESS: Date SUBSYSTEM: Action Results Function Description (Ref.) Potential S E V Potential Causes of Failure O C C Current Controls D E T R P N Recommended Action Responsibility/ Target Date Actions Taken S E V O C C D E T R P N Failure Mode Effects of Failure The product is the braking system of the company i.e. Stop IT limited. The identification number of product is AB7 and is used in sports cars. The potential failure mode identified for the product of the company is problem while stopping the cars during rallies as most of the products of the company is used by motorsport drivers. The sport car drivers using this particular product of the company faced difficulty while reducing the speed of the car in crucial situation by using the brakes. Some of the customer also reported injuries owing to the use of this product. 8 The potential causes of the failure of the product include catastrophic failure, Brake fading and increasing diameter of the discs. 5 The company has adopted various measures to deal with this particular fault of this product which includes proper quality management and thorough quality check among others. 8 320 As per the RPN result and the continuous complaints of the customers, the company must take urgent actions with regard to the detection of the problems in its AB7 products and comply with the same accordingly The manufacturing and quality control department of the company would be responsible to take the urgent action as mentioned in recommendation. This should be done within a minimal period of time in order to save the image of the business from further deterioration. The company has taken various measures especially in the section of manufacturing and quality check. The company has closely analysed the feedback of the customers regarding the product and has affirmed its steps accordingly to eliminate the same. 5 3 5 75 Conclusion It can be comprehended from the forgoing discussion that quality management is one of the integral parts of business especially in the modern day scenario where the demand of the customers is constantly changing and their expectations are raising. This was justified from the case scenario of Stop IT Ltd where the failure of the company in delivering quality products and services to the customers, not only led to the decline in its performance in the recent years but also resulted in deteriorating its image in the industry of its operation. This can be justified from the results of the investigation where it was quite apparent that quality is a major reason behind declining the performance of its products. Contextually, certain recommendations have been made to the management of the company in order to revive its reputation in the global motorsport industry where it was once the leader of the market. Hence, the report can be concluded by depicting that proper quality management process is indeed important measures in ensuring better performance of the products deliver to the potential customers. References AIAG, No Date. Quality. Home. [Online] Available at: https://www.aiag.org/staticcontent/committees/workgroup.cfm?FC=QU&grp=QUALITY&group=QUTC [Accessed February 9, 2014]. Automobile Association Developments Limited, 2014. Brake Problems. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/general-advice/brakes-discs-drums-pads.html [Accessed February 9, 2014]. Ford Motor Company, 2014. The Right Balance and Performance for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Vehicles. Our Products. [Online] Available at: http://www.fordparts.com/Products/Brakes-GenuinePartsPads-Shoes.aspx [Accessed February 9, 2014]. Glennon, J. C., 2014. Brake Failure Analysis Explained. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.crashforensics.com/brakefailure.cfm [Accessed February 9, 2014]. Ho, S., 1999. Operations and Quality Management. Cengage Learning EMEA. McCain, J. A., 2012. A Legacy of Successful Business Practices: A Modern Day Business Boot Camp for Owners and Managers. The eBook Sale. StopTech, No Date. Brake Systems and Upgrade Selection. Technical Support. [Online] Available at: http://stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/brake-system-and-upgrade-selection [Accessed February 9, 2014]. Read More