The Importance of Quality Planning - Research Paper Example

The importance quality planning Name Institution Abstract The world is experiencing rapid technological advancements that are reducing it to a global village. This means that markets are being opened up to occasion global competition. Organizations are currently faced with stiffer competition than ever before and this means that they have to initiate plans and policies that can help them cope with the competition. Their action plans have increasingly integrated quality planning as part of their strategies of competing effectively. This is the subject of this research. The paper will examine the benefits that are associated with the integration of a quality plan as part of an organization’s management plan. The study has relied heavily on qualitative methodologies. It discusses its research problem in elaborate length and depth in the literature review acknowledging the advantages and disadvantages of quality planning. The research depended on secondary sources of research. This means that most of the methods were those used by the sources this research was based on which were majorly questionnaires and interviews. The results showed how organizations are stampeding toward the use of quality plans in their strategic planning. It indicates that those organizations that already had adopted the quality planning do better in satisfying their customers and sustaining a consumer fan base. It makes the study run into a conclusion that quality planning offers greater customer satisfaction, allows for more market share and is important in increasing sales that leads to higher profits. Introduction Quality planning is an essential part of any organization, institution or company. It deals with how the institution prepares itself to ensure that it does everything within the production process to guarantee consumer satisfaction. As a concern of a production unit or company, everything is supposed to be thought beforehand from the inputs, manufacturing or processing and to the end product and ensure that the output meets the set criteria. Quality planning in an organization is not an occasion but a process which should not be separated from the production but be made to inhere in the process of production at every stage of it. As such, quality planning ensures that nothing is left to chance. Procedures are set in a systematic way to ensure that specification of the kinds of services and products that an organization wishes to produce are well thought out, planned for and clear ways of achieving them set. An organization as the first step in achieving quality planning needs to come up with clear definitions of what it deems as quality. However, quality has different facets to it for an organization that is consumer minded. Quality is what is delineated by the consumer of the service or product. It ensures that there is conformity to standards. It is also about effectiveness and fitness of a service or product for use. Many institutions grapple so much with the problem of guaranteeing quality. They draw strategic plans, borrow best practices and invest in technologies that cost thousands of dollars to purchase just to ensure quality. One would wonder if it is really worthy it. This paper delves into the question of quality planning to find out whether it makes a difference for an organization to have a quality plan or not. Its results that will be based on a secondary research pointing to how much significant it is for an organization desiring to achieve and attract customers to delve into quality planning, assurance and control. Research Aim and Objectives The aim of this research is to determine the importance of integrating quality planning as part of an organization’s management practice. The objectives will be: To develop an understanding of the benefits associated with quality plans as a useful part of an organization’s management planning. To determine the interaction and interplay between the content of quality plans and organization’s strategic planning actions. The rationale for this study emanated from the fact that many organizations are recording poor performance due to inability to establish a strong consumer base. They are easily outdone by competitors some who come up new on the market. This research proposes to such organizations that it could be a quality plan that they need to solve their management and competition issues they grapple with. Identification of the Research Problem There are numerous corporations that have been run bankrupt due to production of less than quality products. Lee (2007) identified one of such companies, the Chrysler Corporation which dealt in automobiles. In 1980, this company stopped short of running bankrupt due to the cars it was producing that were not quality. However, this organization is an example of how changing management practices can help heal wounds of a bankruptcy-bound organization. It changed its strategies from the goals, restated the mission and reviewed its planning strategies. This helped them to establish that the problem came from a lack of measures to ensure quality. It therefore, went in to make quality planning an integral part of the strategic planning which turned the company around its own hinge for the better. By adopting quality planning Lee observed that the company would later be rated among the top ten automotive manufacturers. This was the same situation with Toyota in 2002 as Gale (2006) observed. However, the quality planning bit of its strategic management drove it to levels of excellence in quality and has maintained itself the most popular automotive corporation world over (Gale 2006). The literature above elaborates on how organizations could be doing everything else but lacking in one thing as part of their strategies and planning, and ending up failing. An organization has to recognize that planning is just as vital as dong and implementing. One lacking thing in planning and in implementation may as well mean a failure of the entire system. This study is meant to demonstrate how detrimental it can be for an organization to lack quality planning. Conversely it will demonstrate the benefits that a quality plan could accord to an organization in achievement and result realization. Research Methodology The research was based on the study of secondary sources of research about the research problem to gather information both from the library and internet. This research was to a large extent qualitative and uses descriptions more than it uses empirical methods such as statistics and figures. This means that the research will highly utilize the content of other researches, subject them to scrutiny and reach to conclusions. One research that this study relies on is that of Sukdeo (2009) conducted in printing and packaging organizations. This research encompassed 40 organizations which produce print on cardboards, plastic bags, and notebooks e.t.c. As mentioned, this research also used qualitative research methods by using questionnaires. Questionnaires Questionnaires are an easier way of collecting information from respondents as they can get to more participants in their scores. Rossman and Rallis (2003) pointed out that a questionnaire is only good if it addresses the research problem and if its prompts responses that can help in gathering information to come to a meaningful conclusion on the subject matter. However, this research recognizes the advantages of relying on questionnaires while appreciating the weaknesses too. Advantages include: They are easier and less expensive when send to a wider audience at places far away. It is good at espousing quicker responses They offer the guarantee of confidentiality which encourages frankness. Any semblance, exaggeration or biases that may be influenced by the presence of an interviewer are minimized when questionnaires are used. The disadvantages include; Questionnaires have no allowance for the respondent to seek clarifications and may lack probing and prompting. When they are sent to places far away, no one is ever sure if the right respondent is the one who filled the questionnaire. Questionnaires, due to lack of guidance or invigilation, may be filled partially. In the research by Sukdeo, questionnaires were designed to gather information on whether the organizations in the research integrate quality planning in their strategic management practices. Literature has pointed to the fact while some organizations may be integrating quality planning in their strategic management practices; they are unable to determine quality indicators of improvement. The results that came through by using questionnaires in this research had a high reliability of 0,838 based on Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient. Interviews In the research by Sukdeo, interviews were also conducted. Interviews help in going beyond the facial impressions of the questionnaire and digs deeper into the driving factor that would make a person or an organization do a one thing and not the other. They entail asking questions about a certain thing that the interviewee relates with and the latter gives appropriate responses. This research used the unstructured form of an interview. This was the relaxed one that ensures that the interviewer and interviewee can exchange ideas, beliefs and knowledge for the purpose of prompting more results. This was done on at least one member of the senior management in the participant organizations. These interviews were recorded by note taking and audio recording although in the latter case, permission was sought from the authorities of the respective organizations. Other methods that were used in related researches were; Observation This is when, without having to communicate or ask questions a person observes certain visible elements of an organization to ascertain the presence or absence of indicators of quality planning. Focus Group This is when in a research, a group of people is gathered, and questions posed to them on the issue or research issue in an interactive manner in that, the participants are free to support one another in elaborating an idea(s) or to share and consult each other. Findings of Sukdo’s research In the research by Sudko, the participant organizations appreciated that quality planning is important. Those organizations that indicated the use of quality plans stood at 90% but only 50% percent are the ones who expressed a witnessed continued improvement in the achievement due to the quality practices they had initiated. The improvement indicators were in form of reduced wastages and refuse, more efficient machines and less breakdowns, mass production, customer tailored production and consumer satisfaction. As low as 40% of the organizations underscored than they did not undertake a SWOT analysis as regular is it is ideally required of them. This could lead to making an inference that a great percentage of organizations do not take regular SWOT analysis. They however indicated that they had regular audits instead which helped them in evaluating their quality plans. It is to be noted that even when they did not conduct regular SWOT analysis, 60% admitted it important to have it as a part of quality planning (Sudko 2009). As to the cooperation or interplay between quality planning and strategic management, 60% of the responses pointed out that quality planning gave strategic planning double power as an impetus to achievement. However, 3 officials of different organizations expressed the difficulties that quality plans bring to them when it comes to implementation. They claim that integrating quality management into strategic management posed many challenges even when the challenges need to be surmounted in order to realize progress. This is because of the need to overturn organizational cultures and the complacence of employees to adjust to change. However, the synergy between a quality plan that is integrated blended well with strategic management saw a betterment of communication within the organization and without, a reduction in the time of production and improved quality of products. Literature Review Practices of organizations keep evolving from one age to another. The markets are expanding rapidly and becoming increasingly competitive. On the changing conditions of different times, Juran (1989) underscored that “while the twentieth century was an era of productivity, the twenty-first century will be a quality century.” It seems to have dawned on most managers that every aspect of success in an organization hinges on the amount of quality it can assure in its operations. Quality is the one common thing that most organizations share in being obsessed about in this century. Most of those who have written about organizational management especially in regard to the latter part of the twentieth century have pointed to the fact that planning should identify the most petty aspects of planning and as well the most sensitive. Planning should encompass all functional levels of the organization (lttner and Larcker 1997). The purpose of planning is to help in half achieving an envisaged prosperous organization. Most companies have for long been practicing strategic management and that is the one thing most companies, businesses, and institutions are most popular with. However, it matters to question what could be the problem if strategic planning is done regularly yet no benefits are showing. Quality planning encompasses aspects of quality control and quality assurance. These two guarantee that every stage of the production process is sensitive to effectiveness and contributes to the eventual end product of a quality system. As mentioned earlier, achieving quality does not entail having to fix the energies and focus of the organization on the end product. In is about quality assurance within the system first. Quality products ca never come out of a system that is degenerated, dismembered and lacks harmony. However, it entails having to focus the attention at the least level of the unit up the giant organizational level (Juran 1989). One wrong thing could spell a failure of the organization. Organizations that are doing well competitively attest to quality planning being a significant complement to the strategies a company lays out for itself. An organization that aligns its quality plan well with the strategies it has worked out, achieves more for itself, stake and shareholders. Quality planning has four fundamental which make it important for an organization: Products and services improvement in quality that is continuous. The manufacturing department’s demonstration of high responsiveness. Being flexible rather than rigid to adjust to the needs of customers. Minimizing cost through betterment of quality processing and eliminating waste. Quality planning is important for it accords the organization the advantages of Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM assists the company in being adaptive to the dynamic nature of the environment. This means that an organization averts rigidity, can easily adopt new ways of doing things and maneuver a competitive market more. TQM keeps the organization focused on betterment and hence keeps improving on their weaknesses. TQM also helps in changing the organizational culture and to motivate employees to aspire for better achievement rather that just ordinary. As part of a quality plan Total Quality Management is key for sustained improvement in strategic position which offers a competitive advantage (Mehra, Hoffman and Sirias 2001). It is also noteworthy about quality planning that it helps in building a team around a common target. Every energy and resource, especially human, within the organization is made to rise to the occasion and demonstrate their abilities by the efforts they show. Other organizations that have adopted quality planning have gone for ISO 9001:2000 certifications as their quality tool. This has ensured that organizations are kept on toes to maintain their standards of quality in order to keep the certification. Those who do not meet the levels of ISO fall to a competitive disadvantage. By quality planning such recognition and certification improves the outlook of the products and organization. This confirms the importance of the Quality plan and the synergy between it and strategic management in an organization. It would facilitate improvement that is continuous, the organization is continuously sustained in the market and enhances competitive advantage, encourages employee commitment all of which run into greater profitability (kherjee 2006). Quality planning can however, be scuttled by uncooperative employees who feel that they are disempowered and made to operate like machines. This requires that the organization develops other policies and strategies of dealing with employees dissatisfaction towards the changes that quality planning introduces. This may have to include motivational and team building workshops. Analysis This research has much to disclose about organizations in terms of their planning strategies. The results indicate that most of the organizations adopt strategic management practices to a percentage of 100%. This means that all organizations appreciate the importance of strategic planning (lttner and Larcker 1997). However, the score of those who observed quality planning as part of their strategic management was low. This made them to perform poorly competitively. The organizations that participated in the study also expressed that they endeavored to implement the plans. The fact that a smaller section of the organizations carried out SWOT analysis is an indication that quality planning is only adhered to by few organizations. However, all of them desire to adopt quality plans in their operations which imply that quality planning is a significant tool that many organizations desire to take up. Discussion and Recommendations Quality planning is a management practice that organizations are taking up with an increasing rate. Organizations that have been putting quality as part of their production practice have witnessed improvements in many aspects of the organization. On one hand, there is improved effectiveness within the organization as some of the printing organizations indicated. Effectiveness in this context means that all resources perform their assigned roles and functions satisfactorily to achieve the ends determined by the quality specifications (Mehra, Hoffman and Sirias 2001). This translates to faster processing of products in mass thereby exploiting the available resources properly and reducing wastages. Quality planning has a ripple effect on the whole organization’s environment. It influences the change of the organization’s culture by setting standards of achievement. This makes employees to be committed to achievement and to be result oriented. It also encourages customer responsiveness which boosts the appeal of the services and products of an organization to the consumers. This results to customer satisfaction as their needs are catered for and their feedback informs production. As such, when consumers start preferring the services or products of an organization, the sales go up and this leads to enhanced profitability (lttner and Larcker 1997). The stakeholders of an organization have to be satisfied for them to satisfy the shareholder and this is through quality planning, control and assurance. It therefore, is imperative for organizations that want to stave the stiff competition of this day that they adopt quality plans. This is by ensuring that they motivate their employees commit to their work and aspire to be effective. They also have to adopt practices that encourage quality such as customer feedback responsiveness and readiness to borrow fro best practices benchmarked from other organizations. Besides, organizations should employ any technologies that can help in achieving quality ad maintaining standards. Quality planning is about ensuring that an organization can offer the best of its time. Conclusion An organization that seeks longevity of competitiveness has to prioritize on achieving certain goals that are frequently reviewed. This is because of the ever stiffening competition of the market environment. Many changes have followed fast on the trails of globalization which have revolutionized the production and manufacturing industries. It has made it imperative that organizations become more quality conscious than before. Customers now have a variety of options to choose from and hence the producer that has the best standards of quality is the one who can outdo competitors and satisfy customers. This secondary research just proves it beyond any reasonable doubt that quality planning places organizations in good stead to stay on the market longer, sustain competitiveness, improve the organizational practices and ensure high levels of effectiveness. The results indicate that those organizations that do not endeavor to plan qualitatively do not stay on the market for long and realize limited sales. They also have problems building trust of consumers and hence they fall out of the market when competition takes its course. As the business environment mutates and the needs of consumers shift to quality, planning has to correspond in order to match the needs of a dynamic market. Conversely, organizations that had quality plans were better at mastering change; demonstrated high flexibility and concern to achieve quality was part of the daily practice of the organizations. The strategic management of these organizations, as the research did find out is engineered to revolve around ensuring quality and efficiency in the organization. Reference Lee, I. (2007). Strategic Management Model case. Chrysler Corporation [online], February: 7-24. Available at: http://www.chryslercorp.com[Accessed 22 May 2014]. Gale, D. (2006). Toyota delays models due to quality problems. Industry News Automotive [online], January: 1-11. Available at: http://proquest.umi.com[Accessed 22 may 2014]. Sukdeo, N.(2009)The Importance of Integrating Quality Practices into Strategic Management . Internet Source retrieved on from http://hdl.handle.net/10321/426 (Accessed 24 may 2014) Rossman, G.B. and Rallis, F.S. (2003). Learning in the field. An introduction to qualitative research.2nd ed. London: SAGE. Juran, J. (1989). Quality Control Handbook. New York: Mcgraw Hill. Mehra, S., Hoffman, JM. and Sirias, D. (2001). TQM as a management strategy for the next millennia. International Journal of Operations and Production Management [online], 21(6) 855-876. Available at: http://emeraldinsight.com[Accessed 23 may 2014]. Ittner, C.D. and Larcker, D.F. (1997). Quality strategy, strategic control systems and organisational performance. Accounting, Organisation and Society [online], 22(4) 293-314. Available at: http://emeraldinsight.com[Accessed 23 May 2014]. Mukherjee, P. N. (2006). Total quality management. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India. W.A, P. R. W. W. (2009). Research in Organizational Change and Development, Volume 17. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.[Ceb14] Ceb14: , (Cebos a division of QAD, 2014), Appendix Questionnaire Section 1: a. The place of Quality Planning in your organization is? 1 2 3 4 5 Very Important Important moderate Of little Importance Unimportant b. Your Organization integrates quality planning in its management practice. Yes No c. How do you describe the performance of the organization before adopting quality planning? 1 2 3 4 5 Very good Good Barely acceptable Poor Very poor d. There has been witnessed continuous improvement since adopting quality planning. Yes No If yes, can you describe the improvement? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Section B. a. Is your organization ISO 9000/2000 certified? Yes No Why yes/why no b. How does quality certification help the organization? c. Your organization implements principles of Total Quality Management. Yes No Why Yes/No D. What o you consider to be the benefit of quality planning for an organization. e. What can you comment about your adherence to your quality plan. Appendix B: Some Key Questionnaire results Importance of quality planning frequency percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Very Important Important Moderately Of little importance Unimportant Total 21 8 1 30 70.0 26.7 3.3 .0 .0 100.0 70.0 26.7 3.3 .0 .0 100.0 70.0 96.7 100.0 100.0 100.0 The organization Integrates quality planning in strategic management Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes No Total 30 30 100.0 .0 100.0 100.0 .0 100.0 100.0 100.0 No Improvement Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes No Total 29 1 30 96.7 3.3 100.0 96.7 3.3 100.0 96.7 100.0 Read More