Quality Management at Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon - Case Study Example

Quality Management Short Report: Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon Name: Professor: Institution: Course: Date: Executive summary This paper gives a comprehensive highlight on the designing and the development of the Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon with a supplier point of view. The report on the product is described in a way of determining how the existing quality of the product has or is being communicated by the supplier in relation to its breakthrough in the global market, and this projection of the report is interpreted by following a clear process of packaging, applied materials, ways of advertising, different sales channels used, and the supplier-provided information that is available on various resources such as the Internet. The paper also gives an account on the developed rating scale for the quality of the shoe product, and the application of this scale in demonstrating how the quality of the product can be compared with at least three similar and competing products by other manufacturers within the same industry. In this case, the rating scale has adopted a one-to-five star rating scale like that one that is applied in hotel industry (Berk & Berk, 2000 p56). Introduction In the history of making shoes, Zoom Alpha Talon Cleat is the Nike athletics most sophisticated cleat ever in the making. The athletic shoe is identified and developed with the most innovative and creative technologies that have been merged in ensuring that the performance needs of every position in the athletic field are effectively met. To ensure that such quality is achieved, Nike designers have been working closely with different elite athletes when it come to identifying specific performance needs and determining ways of fulfilling such needs. This has ensured that the product delivered is of greater and improved footing, particularly at full speed. To achieve this, the designers ensured that an innovative on-demand and adaptive traction system has effectively been put in place and applied accordingly (Summers, 2009 p34). The use of Technology in Designing and Developing Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon Technology has a played a greater role in the development and improvement of Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon, in fact it is a shoe product that is full fletched with current technologies in meeting athletes performance needs in variety of sporting and fitness activities. The interior design of the shoe, particularly in the forefoot of the cleat, normally extends when bursting pressure is applied to the shoe. This has been found to be of significance especially when more grip or footing is required, and it normally retract and regains its original shape when such footing is not needed. Technology has gone to an extend of making the product more customer friendly by featuring a better Flywire upper that is designed and perfect for the lightweight lockdown, which is a low-profile padding system that enhances comfort in the foot. The cleat also features Nike Pro Deflex cushioning that is around the ankle for the purpose of offering breathable protection to the ankle and point on the foot that require such protection (Tricker, 2006 p102). Therefore, this new Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon product provides the traction and protection to athletes in sports and fitness activities in the form of when and where they are needed most. By applying new technologies when it comes to designing and producing custom products for athletes, Nike Inc. has achieved in designing and launching Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon that keeps raising the bar and in the end ensuring that athletes have the best cleats in the current sporting and fitness activities, and that can participate with satisfaction of protection and performance required. Figure 1: Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon Figure 2: Well developed studs Figure 3: Breathable Deflex fit sleeve protects the ankle. Packaging of Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon The packaging of cleat is done is a way that separates shoes designed for training and those that are supposed to be used in the actual execution of the activity. For instance, Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon men’s and women’s training shoes are normally packaged differently with Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon that is designed for actual performance of the sports and fitness activities. The packaging also puts into consideration the aspects of sizes and this has ensured that Nike Inc. distributes cleats within the required range of sizes, purpose, and quality. Figure 4: Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon men’s and women’s training shoes Figure 5: Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon (actual performance cleat) The Applied Materials in Designing Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon In the process of designing and developing cleats that gives good results by improving the performance of the athletes, a number of materials are used in achieving such performance through integrated technological measures. For instance, a Z-bar collar is inserted to offer support to the ankle and also to provide lightweight lockdown to the shoe. The following highlight (statement and pictures) shows the kind of materials that are applied in the making of the cleat to ensure that quality of the product is enhanced. i. Applying of supplemental shark teeth that are made for traction while involving in backpedaling. ii. There are five Lightweight performance plates that are structured anatomically and comprises of thermal plastic mixture. iii. The use of phylon foam for the purpose enhancing lightweight cushioning in the shoe and overall comfort. iv. Ultra-durable Kevlar laces. v. Mid-Cut silhouette for supporting and making the ankle to be stable. vi. Z-bar collar is inserted to offer support to the ankle and also to provide lightweight lockdown to the shoe. vii. Creation of a zoom air unit that is responsible of offering responsive cushioning and also heel strike protection. viii. Flywire upper to provide lightweight lockdown when in action. ix. Abrasion-resistant Kurim inserted on the collar of the shoe to provide durable support. x. Breathable Deflex fit sleeve that are designed to offer protection to the ankle   Ways of Advertising Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon Nike Inc. has been using a wide range ways in advertizing the product, which have shown a dramatic growth in sales. One of the ways of advertizing Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon has been by the use of social networks, such as facebook, where posts and blogs are made. The use of celebrities, especially with elite athletes has been the order of the days, and this has proved to be effective especially when it comes to a addressing the global market that full of different preferences. Different individuals would like to be identified with celebrities who have been successful in life, particularly in the line of sports and fitness, and therefore, giving Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon a clear cut into a fast moving and competitive global market. Figure 7: Unveiling and advertizing of Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon by Elite athletes Channels of Distribution for Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon The distribution channel for Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon primarily consists of a full-line sporting goods stores, department athletic footwear stores, department stores, and also online or internet stores. This distribution channel was illustrated and enumerated by the use of unit sales by the existing National Sporting Goods Association in August 2007. The internet has been found handy as a distributional channel for Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon, especially with cases where the product has to be distributed to private consumers. Another distribution channels is between the manufacturing company (Nike Inc.) and the wholesalers. This ensures that the product is offered to a limited target group, which in the end makes the distribution of Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon more manageable. Comparing the Quality of Products The products that are going to be compared in this report are Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon and Adidas adiPower PREDATOR X-TRX SG Cleats. The following rating scale for the quality comparison has been applied to bring out the difference and similarities between the two products. Rating scale: 1- Dissatisfactory 2- Satisfactory 3- Good 4- Better 5- Excellent Description Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon Cleats adiPower PREDATOR X-TRX SG Cleats Ankle protection 4 3 Comfort and durable support to the leg 4 3 Reliability on Performance 5 4 Traction while involving in backpedaling 5 3 The application of new technologies in designing and developing the cleat 5 3 Conclusion NIKE, Inc. is currently considered to be the world's leading designer, marketer and supplier of genuine and reliable athletic footwear, equipment, apparel and other athletic related accessories for a broad collection of different fitness and sporting activities. The company is located near Beaverton, in Oregon, and it consists of completely-owned subsidiaries, such as Cole Haan that normally is situated for designing, marketing and finally distributing luxury handbags, shoes, coats and accessories. There is also Converse Inc. that is specialized in designing, marketing and finally distributing athletic footwear, attire and custom made accessories. Hurley International LLC is positioned in designing, marketing and finally distributing attire, youth lifestyle footwear, action sports and custom made accessories; and finally, there is Umbro Limited that is based in United Kingdom and is a leading global soccer brand. References: Berk, J. & Berk, s., 2000, Quality Management for the Technology Sector, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Brocka, M. S., & Brocka, B., 1992, Quality management: implementing the best ideas of the masters, Illinois: Business One Irwin. Dowd, S. B., Tilson, E. R., & Carlton, R. R., 2009, Quality management review, Farmington Hills, Michigan: Cengage Learning. Pfeifer, T., 2002, Quality management, Munich, Germany: Hanser Verlag. Rose, K., 2005, Project quality management: why, what and how, New York: J. Ross Publishing. Summers, D. C. S., 2009, Quality management: creating and sustaining organizational effectiveness, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education. Tricker, R., 2006, ISO 9001:2000: The Quality Management Process, Norwich, Netherlands: Van Haren Publishing. Nike Unveils Air Zoom Alpha Talon & Pro Combat Gear, 2010, retrieved on 2nd August 2011 from: http://alturl.com/tokz3     Read More