Quality Management of Companies - Assignment Example

Quality Management Name Institution Date Table of Contents Quality Management 1 Table of Contents 2 QUALITY MANAGEMENT 16 2 Question I 3 Emirates Airline 3 Introduction 3 Back ground Information 3 Emirates ISO Awards 4 Benefits of ISO Certification to the company 5 Question 2 6 Other Recognized Awards 6 The Deming Prize 7 Malcom Balridge National Quality Award 8 European quality Award 9 Australian Quality Award 10 Comparison of the quality Awards 10 Question 3 11 Six sigma criteria 11 Use of six sigma in the Emirates Airline 12 Benefits of the six sigma methods in the Emirates Airlines 13 Conclusion 14 References 15 Question I Emirates Airline Introduction Emirates airline is a company that is located in Dubai. Its main business is to offer flight services in the UAE and other parts of the world. Over the years, the quality of the services offered by the company has been improving. This has seen the company win several awards in recognition. The improvement and offering of quality services is mainly attributed to the management policies. These management policies were mainly brought about by quality management practices in the company. This has also enabled the company to satisfy its clients in terms of service delivery. Back ground Information The company was established in 1985 by the government of Dubai. Initially its main flight operation zones were between Mumbai, Karachi and Delhi. It only started operations with two aircrafts which were leased. However currently the company has over one hundred and eleven planes used for its operations. The company is publicly owned and currently has flight destinations all over the world. It main operation base which is also the headquarters is the Dubai International Airport. The company employs more than twenty thousand workers in different ranks, some being permanent while others work on casual basis. The company is very innovative and competitive in terms of service delivery and customer care. It was the first airline company to purchase the super Jumbo aircraft and it also boosts a fleet of airbus currently. It was a ranked the best airline service provider in the world in 2001 by skytrax. This greatly boosted the image of the company which in turn has led to good public relations the clients are also satisfied by the operations of the company. The company maintains pace with the changing technological trends which are readily adopted. This has enabled the company to increase its efficiency competitiveness in the market. The company also works closely with other companies and government agencies to ensure that the service delivery is maintained at a high level. Some of the government agencies the company works with include the security forces comprised of the police. This is mainly for the purpose of ensuring safety of travelers and staff from any security threat. The company’s staff is usually highly motivated and is very experienced in airline management and operations. Emirates ISO Awards Emirates Airline was among the first companies in the region to be awarded ISO 9001 Certification. This was as a result to its commitment to manage aviation security. The principle of zero tolerance to mistakes regarding security was the major driving force. The certification was a proof of high quality standards that are usually observed by the company when carrying out its main duties. According to Prajogo (2003), the certification was achieved mainly due to the contribution of the employees and the management. The management felt the need to have a thorough approach to aviation security mainly because it promotes growth and development in the company. However before achieving the ISO certification, some quality management practices were in place. The company had adopted the Total quality management, (TQM) and Quality Control circle (QCC). These two quality management systems were aimed at enhancing the operations of the company and formed the basis of understanding the concept of quality management. The organization had also been awarded by Technology Asset Protection Association (TAPA). This was due to its outstanding performance (Prajogo, 2003). The main reason for the certification is to ensure compliance with the requirements of the clients. The company was able to win the certification due to continuous compliance and achieving its visions. The company has thus led by an example in terms of delivering quality management in the Aviation sector. The improvements made by the company are also evident in its operations and the ability to achieve the status of being the best Airline Company in the world. Benefits of ISO Certification to the company Since the company received an ISO certification award, the quality of the services offered by the company has been improving. The clients are continuously getting satisfied with the services being offered to them. Incase of any issue that the customer has regarding the company, there is a complaint department and once a client reports the case, he or she may be facing regarding the services, feedback is absolutely guaranteed within a short period and the solutions to the problem sought. This has enabled good working relationship between the clients and the company’s staff (Timothy, 2007). The company currently works as a family with all the employees treated equally and with respect. The ISO certification has enabled the building of teams which is highly motivated. The employees are encouraged to present their views regarding any aspect and the views are usually treated with utmost dedication. Any idea or views presented by any team member is usually considered. This has boosted the morale of the employees and thus improved their working relationship with other employees and also the clients. The Emirates Airline Company also benefits fro the ISO certification directly. This is because the public image of the company has total changed and the public trusts the company in terms of service delivery. Timothy (2007) notes that ISO certification has enabled transparency in the operations of the company. All the operations can be accounted for and his has completly eliminated any chances of corruption or poor management within the organization. The profit margin of the company has also increased due to the procedures that are followed by the company when running its operations. This is evident when there was global recession but the company was still able to maintain all its employees and also purchase new equipment for the purpose of technological use within the organization. Question 2 Other Recognized Awards Several awards that are recognized all over the world also exist. These awards are usually awarded to companies for exemplifying the best practices in terms of quality management. Some of the awards were invented by individuals who were mostly entrepreneurs themselves. The companies that are usually awarded these prizes greatly benefit from it in terms of recognition and competition. Somme of the awards includes the following, The Deming prize, Malcom Baldridge National Quality Award, Quality Award in China, European quality Award and the Australian Quality Award. These awards will each be discussed in details The Deming Prize The Deming prize is one of the highest and most honored prizes regarding Total Quality Management. I t was founded in 1951 in honor of the late Dr William Edwards Deming. This was because of the contributions made by him in quality control by use of statistics. The methods that he established to control quality were mainly adopted in Japan after the Second World War. This saw Japan raising from huge economic losses it had incurred during the war to a steady economy. The quality of products from Japan also gained recognition throughout the world due to the adoption of the quality control method founded by Deming. The Deming prize is divided into three categories currently. These categories include; The Deming Prize for individuals, for dissemination and promotion and the Deming Application Prize. The Deming Prize for individuals is usually awarded to individuals or groups is usually awarded to individuals or groups who have made outstanding performance in the improvement of Total Quality Management or any other statistics that involve the management practice. The Deming Prize for dissemination and promotion is mainly awarded to individuals outside Japan. These individuals must have contributed greatly towards Total Management Practices outside Japan. The Deming Application Prize on the other hand is usually awarded to Companies that have successfully implemented the TQM practices within their departments .The awards are usually determined by a committee that caries out research on the company or individual to be awarded. Before the award is given to an individual or a company, a certain procedure has to be followed. The companies that wish to receive the prize musts first fill the application form which will be submitted to a sub committee three months prior to the diagnosis. The report is then analyzed by examiners based on the presentations by the company. The findings are then compiled in a report and are communicated to the applicants. The committee will then determine the winners of the Prize. Malcom Balridge National Quality Award The award was established in 1987 by the Congress in the United States of America. This was in honor of Malcom Baldridge who was the secretary of commerce since the year 1981 until his death in a tragic road accident. He was a visionary leader who mostly emphasized on quality management. The award is for the purpose of recognizing quality achievement made by the US business organizations. The award is currently managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). According to Brown (2007), the award is usually given to profit making organizations and also nonprofit making organizations. The president of the US is charged with the responsibility of awarding the prize to the selected winners. The prize is very prestigious in the US and some analyst views it as the most influential document in the business sector. The winners of the prize are highly honored and this has helped in the growth of such organizations. The competition for the prize has also contributed to the improvement of quality standards in most companies in the US (Brown, 2007). In order for an organization to receive this prize, several procedures are usually followed in determining the winner. Certain rules are also applied in the process of selecting the winner. The organization that intends to win the prize should first apply by filing in a form and submitting in details improvements and achievements in seven main areas. These areas include; leadership, customer and market focus, planning strategies, focus on the workforce, management process, knowledge management and the results posted by the company. The independent board of examiners will then review the policies for each applicant for almost two weeks to two months depending on the application. The strengths and weaknesses are analysed. The best applicant is then selected and will be awarded the prize. European quality Award The European Quality Award was formed in 1988 by a group of fourteen Chief Executive Officers from Europe. Most of them were for the manufacturing and the service industry. Their main aim was to enhance competition among the European companies in the world market. The Award was also aimed at promoting the quality and competition among the companies in Europe. This award is the most recognized in Europe in terms of quality management and improvement. Its main mission is to sustain excellence in Europe with a vision of ensuring that the European companies excel in the world market. The group is comprised of a governing committee, an advisory committee and steering groups The award is usually based on the leadership practices, operational processes and the outcome of the business. Leadership practices are analyzed depending on how the organization manages its resources and the employees. The policies and strategies that have been put in place are also analyzed. Whether the clients are satisfied with the services offered to them is also put into consideration. This will also include the measures that have been put in place to enhance feedback and satisfaction. These processes will defiantly lead to a certain outcome. This is usually used by the judges when selecting the winners for the award. The best n the mentioned practices are usually the winner of the prize. Australian Quality Award The award is usually certified by the Australian Quality Council which is recognized by the government of Australia having been formed in 1993. It was as a result of a merger between three organizations namely; the Enterprise Australia, The Total Quality Management Institute and the Australian Quality awards foundation. Other organizations later joined in with the view of ensuring that the quality of performance and management is maintained in Australia. Quality performance is usually determined by the council using seven criteria in quality management. The Criteria includes the following; the workforce, information and analysis, business strategies, policies results and the planning processes. This quality parameter is view to have the greatest impact on the outcome of the quality processes. The award is therefore based on the strengths of the mentioned parameters. The best is awarded the prize. The prize has helped in the improvement of quality due to competition among the organizations for the recognition that comes with the prize. Comparison of the quality Awards Most of the awards have certain distinct similarities on the criteria used to determine the winner. The seven quality performance parameters are common in the Australian Award, European Award and also the Malcom Baldbridge award. These similarities however depend on the economic situation of the country where the business is located. This determines the winners of the prize in most cases. The awards are also focused in achieving one main goal which is improving the quality. According to the discussion above it has been noted that competition among various companies to achieve quality standards is on the increase. This is mainly attributed to the award since once a company receives the award; it becomes popular and recognized among its competitors which lead to more confidence by the customers. Emphasis are also seen top be placed on the feedback and customer satisfaction in all the awards. This is to ensure that only outstanding organizations with the interest of the customers are awarded. The selection process is also seen to be quite competitive in all the awards and a strict guideline which is however fair is applied to all the companies participating in the award. The only difference in the award is the presentation of the prize. This is because some awards are presented by high ranking government officials, an example being the Malcom Baldridge award which is presented by the president while the other awards are presented by various mandated institutions. Question 3 Six sigma criteria Six sigma refers to a management technique that is aimed at reducing the errors in the process of business operation. This technique was developed in the United States of America in 1986 by Motorola Company in order to reduce defects in its manufacturing industry. Currently the technique is widely adapted by many organizations all over the world. It is a useful and practical method f determining the sources of errors in an organization and in turn eliminating it before it causes damages to the organization. The six sigma management technique is used widely for the purpose of satisfying the clients and achieving the goals and objectives that a company seeks to achieve (Antony &. Banuelas, 2002). The main components involves defining the goals that the company or organization needs to achieve within a certain time in the process of operation. The goals are then measured to determine its impacts or outcome whether positive or negative that may arise. Analysis of the outcomes is then done to ascertain how best to deal with the consequences that have been predicted or noted that they may occur (Antony & Banuelas, 2002). The details of the design of how to deal with the problems is then put in place. Verification of the design details id done as a final step to ensure that the design will work appropriately without allowing any defects. Use of six sigma in the Emirates Airline In order to satisfy the clients requirements better, Emirates airline adopted the use of the six sigma method in various departments. The company identified the security department as the most critical. Schroeder (2000) notes that this is because whenever there are any minor mistakes on the part of security of passengers, the results could be very damaging. This decision was taken as a matter of precaution after a security lapse in the famous September 9/11 attacks in the United States of America. The aim of the company was thus to reduce any errors in the security section that could lead to deadly effects. The company thus adopted the use of six sigma in the security department. The result of this was very encouraging and it led the company into achieving very high standards. It was voted the best airline in aviation management by an agency called TAPA in the UAE. The company also obtained an ISO certification in security management. This improvement boosted the confidence of the clients towards the company. In order to gain more confidence in with the customers, Emirates Airline also adopted the use of six sigma in the corporate affairs department. This was mainly to boost the confidence between the company and its clients in terms of feedback. It was important for the company to handle any issues that was of concern to its customers. This could be achieved through a perfect framework to deal with complaints and customer care communication. The engineering department also employed several staff members in its ranks who are qualified in the six sigma methodologies. This was mainly for the purpose of improving the services in the department. Defects in the engineering department could lead to serious effects like plane crush as noted by the management. The six sigma method was thus used for the purpose of eliminating any defects in the maintenance of its aircrafts (Schroeder, 2000). Benefits of the six sigma methods in the Emirates Airlines Emirates Airline has greatly benefited from the use of the six sigma methods in terms of attracting more clients. This is because the method has created a safe traveling condition among its clients. This in turn has led to increased profit margin in the company for the company and has been able to maintain all its employees compared to other companies that have witnessed retrenchments and salary cut during harsh economic times (Daren, 2003). The company has also been able to firmly enable its employees work together and consult with one another regarding management issues. The corporate affairs department has also been able to serve the clients better to satisfactory standards. Fewer aircraft accidents have been reported regarding the planes belonging to Emirates Airline. This is attributed to the fact that the use of the six sigma has enabled proper aircraft maintenance (Daren, 2003). Conclusion Quality management is an important tool that aims at ensuring that the clients receive the best services from the various organizations. According to the paper, various individuals and organizations saw the need for ensuring quality standards of products is maintained. The prizes were invented in order to encourage competitiveness among various organizations to improve the quality of services and goods. The prizes are coveted and whenever a company wins the prize its profile improves and thus attracting more clients. The company is also recognized worldwide for its exemplary performance in quality management. According to the paper, quality management methods were incorporated in the Emirates Airline and it was able to emerge among the top companies in the provision of airline services. References Prajogo, D. A. (2003). The relationship between TQM practices, quality, perfomance, and innovation perfomance: an emperical xamination. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management , Vol 20 p. 901 - 918. Schroeder, R. (2000). Six Sigma Quality improvement: What is Six Sigma and what are Important Implications? In: Procedding of the fourth Annual; International POMS Conference. Seville: POMS. Timothy, L. (2007). Information Security: Design, Implemetation, Measurement and Complience. Boca Raton: Auerbach Publication. Antony, J and R. Banuelas (2002). Key ingredients for the effective implementation of six sigma program. measuring business excellence. Measuring Business Excellence, 20- 27. Daren, C. (2003). Using six sigma process . Journal of Change management, 32 - 34. United Arab Emirates (2006). United Arab Emirates yearbook. Dubai: Trident Press Ltd, 2006 Brown, M. G. (2007). Baldrige Award Winning Quality: How to Interpret the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. New York: Productivity Press. Read More