Quality Management of Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 Product - Case Study Example

Heading: Quality Management Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date Executive summary Recently, people are embracing technological advancements more and more. With the fast changing technological developments, people need to use the best quality items in order achieve their goals and objectives. Consequently, there is a stiff competition among technological manufacturing companies as they try to achieve as many clients as possible for their products. This report focuses on the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272, which is one of the latest Toshiba laptops launched this year. With the high competition offered by other companies like Apple, HP, Acer, and Dell, Toshiba is working towards the creation of a competitive advantage to maximize their sales and profits. As per the purpose of this report, there are certain factors that determine the product’s quality, which include branding, pricing, performance, materials, and the producer’s online information. These factors are vital in guiding the consumer into the proper identification of the product with the highest quality. With quality rating scale, the report compares the Toshiba product Qosmio X775-Q7272 with other three laptops from different companies including Acer’s Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6651, Pavilion DV6-6140us by HP, and Apple’s MacBook Air. Explicitly, customers are the ones that rate the quality of the available laptop computers and decide on what is appropriate for them. According to this report, it is clear that the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 has the best quality in terms of various factors like manufacturer’s information, branding, specifications, and pricing. Table of contents Executive summary 2 Introduction 4 Background 4 Aims 5 Scope 5 Evaluation of the product’s quality 5 Introduction of the product 6 Materials 6 Performance 7 Advertising 9 Producer’s information 10 Pricing 11 Branding 12 Quality rating scale 12 Introduction of the competitors 12 Pavilion DV6-6140us by HP 13 Apple’s MacBook Air 13 Comparison within Rating Scale 14 Conclusion 15 References 16 List of figures and Tables Figures 1. Figure 1: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 2. Figure 2: Frontal and behind views of the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 3. Figure 3: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 screen 4. Figure 4: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 cooling fan 5. Figure 5: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 speakers 6. Figure 6: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 keyboard 7. Figure 7: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 keypad 8. Figure 8: Rugby Premiership Champion; Saracens 9. Figure 9: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 features 10. Figure 10: Acer’s Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6651 11. Figure 11: Pavilion DV6-6140us by HP 12. Figure 12: Apple’s MacBook Air Tables 1. Table 1: Quality Rating Scale 2. Table 2: Quality Rating Scale of the brands Introduction Background In the present society, numerous technological advances are instrumental in the making life easy for people. People are also getting more excited about the latest technological devices like laptops, tablets, televisions, and mobile phones. In this case, focus is on the analysis of certain models of laptop computers manufactured by different computers. The consumer’s choice for a specific laptop brand largely depends on the quality of the product determined by certain factors like specifications, branding, pricing, and the manufacturer’s information regarding the product. To widen their market share, manufacturers of technological products try to develop a strong competitive advantage. Quality is one of the most considered factors that form a firm’s competitive advantage over its rivals. In order to determine a product’s profitability, it is essential that consumers analyze its quality. Aims The aim of this report is to demonstrate how manufactures of technological products, specifically laptop computers by use of Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 product of launched in 2012. It emphasizes on how the sellers provide for quality in the production, presentation, as well as in the delivery of their products. Scope This report assesses the product’s quality by use of the internet sources, which include the devices’ specifications from authoritative journals and websites. It examines the product’s quality in terms of such factors as branding, manufacturer’s information, and pricing. To enhance its analysis, the report compares the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 with other three products, namely Acer’s Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6651, Pavilion DV6-6140us by HP, and Apple’s MacBook Air. The report will not focus on the consumers needs in relation to the product, as well as the way in which the product meets these needs. Evaluation of the product’s quality Introduction of the product Toshiba is Japanese international electrical equipment, electronics, and information technology, company based in Tokyo, Japan. By 2010, the company was emerged the globe’s fifth biggest private computer seller evaluated by revenues. It is the producer of the product focused on this report, Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272. The product is one of the numerous models produced by the company, and is a unique laptop computer with many enhanced features. The product has a strong process, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and an amazing display screen. Besides being sturdy, the product is Energy Star qualified, and several software and ports (Shaw 2012). Figure 1: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 Materials Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 comprises of quality materials that offer great protection to both the user and the material. This means that the laptop’s screen comprises of a Clear Screen Protective Film Parameter. This involves a total thickness of 024±0.01mm, transparency of >95%, Viscosity of 3±1g/inch, temperature In Work of -10°C-80 °C. This material also offers high quality optical grade PET, high suppression and transparency, anti-static treatment that minimizes dust absorption, great hardness to safeguard the screen from fingerprint and scratch. It is has special silicon adsorption layer and an auto-adsorption (Toshiba 2012). This means that it lacks an adhesive residue. The size of the material is also appropriate for the screen’s size, and enhances handwriting recognition. The laptop has its components made of various quality materials that give it a great look, light weight, protection, and high performance. In addition, the materials are environmentally friendly; hence, enhancing its profitability, as consumers are getting more and more environmentally conscious. Clients also tend to associate environmentally friendly materials with their high quality, and thus a greater market for the products (Slone 2006; Jefferis & Smith 2010; Sadiwala 2007; González, Adenso-Dı́az &Torre 2003; Fynes, Voss, & de Búrca 2005). Figure 2: Frontal and behind views of the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 Performance According to Walden University (2012), Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 is one of the best laptop computers ever manufactured by Toshiba Corporation. The laptop has numerous features and specifications that depict its high performance. The laptop features a 17.3-inch widescreen that enables the viewing of photos and movies, or making presentations a breeze. The display screen comprises of a spectacular 1600 x 900 pixel resolution. This high resolution makes images look sharp as well as vivid colors. Moreover, the laptop has 1.4inches thickness, a width of 16.3 inches, and a weight of 6.6 pounds. Its fast and strong processors also add to the laptop’s high performance (Toshiba 2012). Figure 3: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 screen Figure 4: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 cooling fan It also has the Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, whose clock speed ranges from 2.0-3.4 GHz. The processor also has Intel Turbo Boost Technology that offers additional power and speed. In addition, the laptop comprises of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 video card, and a customer-friendly operating system of Windows 7 Home Premium. Besides the feature of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, the laptop computer has memory card reader, three USB 2.0 ports, and a USB 3.0 port. It also has a webcam for web conferencing and video chats, headphone input, microphone, and built-in microphone and speakers. Moreover, the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 has a large memory of Ram 6GB and hard disk memory of 500GB. These features are crucial in determining the device’s high quality performance. Clients normally believe that a product is of high quality through considering its specifications and features (Goeldner 2009; Culyer & Newhouse 2000; Griffin 2008; Evans 2011). Figure 5: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 speakers Figure 6: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 keyboard Figure 7: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 keypad Advertising Being one of the best electronic companies in the world, Toshiba has developed partnerships with other various sports clubs, companies, and social media. For instance, the in the UK, to promote its sales volume, the company signed partnership agreement with a leading Rugby Premiership Champion called Saracens. As per the contract, Toshiba would equip the Rugby club with advanced technology for the seasons between 2011 and 2012. This contract would also extend to 2012- 2013. The agreement also stated that the latest products of the Corporation would be useful in the support f the club’s staffs and coaching team. Although it is not the only technological devices’ supplier for the rugby club, the firm would become a formal partner on the club’s website and home match plans. The company would also enjoy a full chance of advertising its newest innovative products at all the Saracens’ games including the Saracen’s Premiership against Harlequins Rugby club, which would take place in March 2012. This partnership is beneficial in enhancing the quality of the brand, as global players like Charlie Hodgson, Steven Borthwick, and John Smith among other top players. Figure 8: Rugby Premiership Champion; Saracens Furthermore, the company uses top female celebrities, for instance, the Japanese singer BoA, and the Chinese athlete, Guo Jing Jing. These celebrities are instrumental in promoting the company’ products by offering it a sex appeal to the male consumers. Besides, the company uses TV commercials to target its clientele. It also uses a social media like Twitter, Facebook, and You Tube. Producer’s information Another determinant of the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 relates to the manufacturer’s information to the consumers, especially through the internet. There are certain websites that contain the device’s information by the Toshiba Corporation. To begin with, various Toshiba websites feature the Toshiba Qosmio X 775-Q7272 details by the producer. These details regard the specifications, features, and pricing of the product. This site is crucial in offering the prospective clients with sufficient information about the product to ensure that they make informed decisions. For instance, the website shows the images of the device, features like battery life, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and memory size. The producer also provides adequate images about the input devices like the touchpad and keyboard. Moreover, the producer offers information concerning the display, emissions like temperature, noise emissions, and speakers, as well as the overall performance of the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272. Toshiba websites also contain clear contact details that help consumers in the communication with the company. A competent producer is the one that provides the potential customers with sufficient information regarding its products (Armstrong & Robert Porter 2007; Pepall, Richards & Norman 2011). Clients associate such information with high quality products, and the information helps them to do online shopping more conveniently. Figure 9: Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 features Pricing Price is another vital determining factor of a product’s quality as per the consumers. In the present day, people are getting more price-sensitive as compared to the past, and they tend to relate price to the product’s quality. Consumers seem to believe that expensive products have a higher quality as compared to the lowly priced ones (Hoyle 2009; Griffin 2008). With respect to Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272, the standard price is $1, 549. 99. This price is appropriate to attract as many customers as possible, since it is neither too low nor too high for the target market. Branding Toshiba is one of the strongest brands in the globe. It is a popular manufacturer of technology and electrical products like laptops and PCs. Most people know that the brand has quality electronic devices as compared to other competitors. In fact, many people have Toshiba products in their households or workplaces. Strength of a brand is a great determining factor of the product’s quality, and people tend to buy the strongest brands in the market (Hayes & Miller 2011; Uysal & Perdue 2012). Quality rating scale Introduction of the competitors Just like any other brands, the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 has a stiff competition from brands like Acer’s Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6651, Pavilion DV6-6140us by HP, and Apple’s MacBook Air (Shaw 2012). Acer’s Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6651 Shaw (2012) says that this is the newest generation of Acer, which is an 11.6-inch Aspire TimelineX 1830. This is an ultra-portable powerhouse weighing more than 3 pounds, but packed in a complete-size keyboard. The laptop computer also has Intel Core i5 dual-core processing with ultra-low voltage. The price of the Acer product is $404.92. Figure 10: Acer’s Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6651 Pavilion DV6-6140us by HP This is one of the latest models of the popular HP brand. It helps in the organization of all media files appropriately. It also has the Beats audio system, and comes with more than 15 internal memory storage and over 600GB. The laptop’s RAM is 6GB; hence running the device very fast (Shaw 2012). Figure 11: Pavilion DV6-6140us by HP Apple’s MacBook Air It has less performance as compared to the aforementioned two devices. Its internal memory is quite less with 128GB, but it has a great processor, and a RAM of 4GB, which makes the device superfast. The laptop also has an excellent audio system (Smith 2012; Shaw 2012). Figure 12: Apple’s MacBook Air Comparison within Rating Scale Rating Description 1 Poor performance/ strongly not recommended by clients 2 Average performance/ not recommended by customers 3 Fair performance/ no judgment by clients 4 Good performance/ recommended by customers 5 Excellent performance/ highly recommended by clients Table 1: Quality Rating Scale Quality Rating Scale Quality of element Materials Producer’s information Performance Branding Pricing Average Toshiba Qosmio X 775-Q7272 5: excellent 5: has a wide range of online information 5: high performance 5: Very strong brand 5: $1,549.99 5 Apple’s MacBook Air 4: good 5: has a wide range of online information 4: good performance 4: Strong brand 4: $949.95 4.2 Pavilion DV6-6140us by HP 4: good 5: has a wide range of online information 4: good performance 4: Strong brand 3: $739.89 4 Acer’s Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6651 4: good 5: has a wide range of online information 4: good performance 4: strong brand 2: $404.92 3.8 Table 2: Quality Rating Scale brands As per the quality rating scale, it is explicit that Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 has the highest quality as compared to the other three competitors. Toshiba ensures that its products are of quality based on factors like pricing, advertising, materials, performance, and branding. For instance, the materials used are environmentally friendly, and the price is affordable to an average consumer. The company also provides sufficient information to the consumers online. Therefore, the target clients find it convenient to access the information and even place orders of the products online. Conclusion Without doubt, Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 has the highest quality and highest brand in comparison to the other three brands. This is because of the producer’s proper consideration of certain factors like availability of information, performance, branding, pricing, materials, and advertising. These factors are the major determinants of the product’s quality level. According to the quality rating scale, it is explicit that Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272 is the best quality of the four measured products. References Armstrong, M & Robert Porter, R 2007, Handbook of industrial organization / Volume 3, Elsevier/North Holland, Amsterdam; London. Pp. 1746-1750. Culyer, AJ & Newhouse, JP 2000, Handbook of health economics, Elsevier, Amsterdam New York. Pp. 230-240 Evans, J 2011, Quality and performance excellence: management, organization, and strategy, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, OH. Pp. 1-20. Fynes, B, Voss, C, & de Búrca, S 2005, ‘The impact of supply chain relationship quality on quality performance’, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 96, No. 3, pp. 339-354 Griffin, R 2008, Fundamentals of management, Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston. Pp.1-20. Goeldner, C 2009, Tourism principles, practices, philosophies, John Wiley, Hoboken, N.J. Pp. 100-120. González, BA, Adenso-Dı́az, B, &Torre, PG 2003, ‘Ergonomic performance and quality relationship: an empirical evidence case’, International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 33-40 Hayes, DK & Miller, A 2011, Revenue Management for the Hospitality Industry, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, cop. Pp. 75-90. Hoyle, D 2009, ISO 9000 quality systems handbook using the standards as a framework for business improvement, Butterworth-Heinemann, Amsterdam Boston London. Pp. 170-200. Jefferis, A & Smith, K 2010, Commercial Drafting and Detailing, Delmar Cengage Learning, Clifton Park, N.Y. Pp. 300-350 Pepall, L, Richards, DJ, & Norman, G 2011, Contemporary industrial organization: a quantitative approach, Wiley, Hoboken, N.J. Pp. 399-450. Sadiwala, CM 2007, Materials & Financial Management, New Age International, New York. Pp. 7-20. Shaw, A 2012, Top 10 Latest Laptops of 2012, iTechcode, An Eye View of Technology. Retrieved on July 22, 2012 from http://www.itechcode.com/2012/03/20/latest-laptops-2012/ Slone, JP 2006, Information Quality Strategy: An Empirical Investigation of the Relationship Between Information Quality Improvements and Organizational Outcomes, ProQuest, pp. 34-45. Smith, M 2012, Apple announces refreshed MacBook Air: Ivy Bridge processor, USB 3.0, shipping today, retrieved on July 22, 2012 from http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/11/apple-macbook-air-refresh-2012/ Toshiba 2012, Toshiba Leading Innovation, retrieved on July 22, 2012 from http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/qosmio/X770/X775-Q7272/ Uysal, M & Perdue, RR 2012, Handbook of tourism and quality-of-life research: enhancing the lives of tourists and residents of host communities, Springer, cop., Dordrecht. Pp. 347-355. Walden University 2012, Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7272, retrieved on July 22, 2012 from http://computers.toptenreviews.com/laptops/toshiba/toshiba-qosmio-x775-q7272- review.html Read More