Managing Activities to Achieve Results - Essay Example

? Managing Activities to Achieve Results Managing Activities to Achieve Results Quality management systems are required in every organization in order to coordinate activities in order to have continuous improvement in performance efficiency. An organization achieves quality when the customer and supplier network produce mutual benefits. A QMS defines business processes that result in production of quality services and products. Quality is assured before producing products and services rather than identifying defective products after completing the production process (Gitlow, 2001). A quality management system requires complete documentation and covers the customer’s and organizations’ requirements. It enables an organization to achieve its objectives stated in the policy by ensuring consistent satisfaction to customers and the organization. A QMS interacts with all organizational activities at all organizational levels to ensure customer satisfaction (Schlickman, 2003). A robust management system sets out directions to meet customer expectations, lowers production costs, involves all staff, and increases market share for the organization. Information is required to support the quality management system from the supplier to the customer. Micro memory bank, Inc is a company that manufactures memory modules for different computer manufacturers (Micro memory bank Inc, 2007). Management commitment- the top management provides the vision and strategies for the establishment of business objectives and processes. The management must continuously communicate the importance of customer satisfaction and conduct management reviews. It is the duty of the top management to ensure continuous availability of resources for production. Top management ensures the quality policy is available to all employees and training is conducted about QMS. It also ensures customer requirements are met by inspecting compliance with documented orders and communication procedures (Tari and Molina, 2010). Responsibility and communication- every employee takes responsibilities established in the organizational chart. Employees should have access to the organizational chart to help them understand their responsibilities and authorities of each position. Communication in the company shall occur through department meetings, management review, memos and reports on company notice boards, circulation of minutes of review meetings, and other established communication routes. Resource management- top management provides resources necessary for implementing the QMS for ensuring customer satisfaction. Job advertisements have necessary qualifications to ensure that only competent workers are hired. Qualifications such as education, experience, and skills should be met by all employees. Hired employees undergo training to provide them with the necessary job competence. Their contribution to quality is emphasized during these training sessions (Shaoshao et al, 2007). Infrastructure- buildings, workspace, process equipment, utilities, and support services shall be provided by the management. Existing infrastructure should be serviced and maintained to ensure product conformity. New requirements shall be documented before implementation and maintenance requirements documented in maintenance logs. The work environment should be suitable for quality production and evaluations conducted using data collected from environment evaluations. Product planning- quality planning is required before implementing new processes or products. The quality requirements, processes, resources, validation, test requirements, and monitoring are determined during planning. The production team must review the customer request, delivery and post-delivery requirements and regulatory requirements before embarking on production. Product requirements are determined before accepting the order. Any changes in customer requirements are communicated to the relevant personnel and incorporated into the production process. Customer communication procedures are required for product information, enquiries, contracts, and customer feedback. Design and development- the engineering department is responsible for designing and developing products according to customer requirements. A design plan should contain development stages, required design, validation methods, responsibilities of each team, and technical interfaces required. Inputs required are documented and reviewed before starting the production process. Required outputs are also documented, and they should meet the inputs required. Purchasing and production- purchased raw materials are documented and validated to ensure they meet the requirements of each input (Bell and Omachonu, 2011). Suppliers are evaluated and selected according to their ability to supply the products as outlined in the purchasing procedure. Information regarding the product, supplier and quality requirements is documented. All products are developed within the timeframe agreed upon by the customer. Delivery and post-production services are offered to the customer as outlined in the business policy. Products that fail to meet specified requirements are not delivered to customers and are either disposed or reprocessed. Continuous monitoring and measurement is conducted through customer satisfaction reviews and internal audits (Muchemu, 2008). Customers are issued with questionnaires to provide feedback of organization procedures and services. Information regarding their satisfaction and durability of delivered products is collected during these reviews. Reviews are also collected using customer complaints and compliments. Internal audit is conducted to verify that the organization adheres to documented objectives. The audit process is used to identify facts about business and production processes. Standard checklists can be used to conduct an internal audit, or the company may contract an external auditor to carry out the process. The audit procedure follows the guidelines documented in the internal Audit manual. A review of the quality management system is conducted annually. It covers audit results, customer feedback, production processes conformity, and recommended improvements. A management review is also required to review the services provided by the organization. This reviews activities by all employees and how the company has met its goals and objectives. The company purchases memory old memory modules in for refurbishment in bulk. These purchases come from dealers who have access to bulk memories. The organization requires a platform for small scale purchases that will enable individuals to sell their modules directly. Dealers increase their charges to maximize their profits, which can be avoided by direct purchase from individuals. This activity requires collection centers in several parts of the country. These centers provide proximity to residential places and eliminate the need for long distance travel by individual sellers. An online portal is required to conduct business with individual customers and institutions. Currently, only individuals can purchase memory modules via the internet. Institutions have to submit orders and wait for processing before the products can be delivered. Conducting these purchases online reduces the time taken to process customer requests. Customers from all parts of the world can purchase memory modules from the company via the internet. In most cases, worldwide customers purchase these modules from third party dealers. Direct purchase from the company will increase the market share of the organization. Employees require leadership development seminars to develop the skill of authentic and strategic leadership. Quality management requires strategies for maintaining and improving production processes. Top managers have to develop strategies for purchasing raw materials, improving the work environment, and dealing with customers. Every employee has to be involved when making and implementing these strategies and they require specific skills. Making these changes will cause an increase in operation costs and employment of more personnel. Collection centers require employees to conduct the purchases, and the company has to build or hire these centers. Decentralized purchases create the need for transport means to deliver these modules to assembling plants. An online marketing and sales portal creates the need for more IT staff to monitor and conduct the sales. Improved security measures are required in the existing network to protect online business transactions. Online purchases have to be delivered to customers through global shipping industries. This requires a partnership with a shipping company for reliance and timely delivery. The customer can be required to pay shipment fee for purchased orders. Introduction of leadership centers enables employees to take up responsibility for different processes within the organization. This helps streamline organizational processes for quality products. Teamwork is necessary during product design and production, which requires efficient leadership. This will help the company produce high quality products and reduce the number of nonconforming modules. Health and Safety risk assessment Risk assessment forms an integral part of the legislation governing reputable occupational safety and health plan. A risk assessment is conducted to identify hazards, evaluate risks associated with that hazard, and develop efficient ways to eliminate the hazard or control its effects. A health and safety assessment identifies processes, situations, and equipment that might cause harm within the workplace. A risk assessment identifies the employees who might be at risk due to a particular process and creates an awareness of existing risks (Boyle, 2008). Control measures are documented to prevent injuries from identified risks. An identified hazard can be eliminated by changing the process or controlled if the process cannot be eliminated. These measures create a safer workplace by eliminating potential risks. Assessment is conducted by individuals who have a firm knowledge of the work place. Employees, managers, and supervisors are involved in the risk assessment process due to their familiarity with the operations (Cox and Hough, 2000). Risk assessment begins identifying each risk within the workplace (HSE). Manufacturing memory modules involve handling tiny components, which might have sharp edges. Several instruments such as soldering guns have sharp edges and soldering guns produce smoke. The organization has network servers located in server rooms with unusually low temperatures. Manufacturing plants require electrical installations and have several electrical appliances. These installations and appliances might be faulty. The second step is identifying employees who might be harmed by these risks. Engineers working in fabrication plants assemble tiny memory components to produce the memory modules. These components can easily get into their eyes and are easily ingested. Soldering process produces smoke that can harm them when inhaled. Network administrators are affected by extreme low temperatures in the server rooms. This predisposes them to diseases caused by extreme cold conditions. Engineers face the risk of electric shock from faulty electrical installations in the fabrication rooms. The third step is an evaluation of the risks and proposing recommendations. Network administrators require heavy clothing before accessing server rooms. This will protect them against extreme cold conditions and health complications associated with cold. Engineers require gloves, overcoats, and air masks. Gloves and overcoats will protect them from injuries caused by handling small components. Air masks protect them against smoke produced by soldering guns. Continuous inspection of electrical wiring and maintenance of equipment protects them against electrical shocks. The fourth and fifth steps are documentation and improvement of identified risks and control measures. They are documented as part of the law, and are reviewed continuously to improve control measures and identify other risks (United States Department of Labor, 2012). Health, safety regulations and legislations are enacted differently in different organizations. Chemical handling companies install signs within the premises to warn employees of corrosive chemicals. Smoking signs are placed in areas which handle inflammable substances to prevent ignition of fumes by cigarettes. Workers in such areas are provided with gas masks, overalls, and rubber boots. Signs are also erected to warn employees against eating and drinking to eliminate the risk of ingesting chemicals. Workers handling machines are provided with ear muffs to protect them against ear damage due to noise. Helmets are provided to workers in construction companies and assembly industries. Companies dealing with cranes and overhead lifts erect signs to warn workers of overhead danger. Every organization has a risk priority checklist to determine which risks are more likely to occur, and measures to be taken in case of occurrence (Yen et al, 2003). Medical services are available in organizations to attend to employees injured within the company premises. Insurance companies provide cover to employees against several risks within the workplace. Health and safety policies are reviewed to determine their effectiveness and compliance to occupational health and safety guidelines. Reviews are conducted to improve the safety and health performance of an organization (Alexander,2000). The policy should have aims of the organization regarding employee safety and health. Departmental duties towards ensuring employee safety are stated within the organizational aims. This includes providing a safe working environment, equipment, and first aid facilities. The department also ensures safe access to the workplace and adequate information regarding equipment and safe working conditions. Agencies and participants that provide employee safety are stated after departmental aims. These agencies monitor working conditions and ensure compliance of safety measures to legal requirements. The safety department is delegated the duty of devising and approving safety measures and recommendations. Managers of different departments ensure relevant procedures are followed and organize for employee training on safety and health. They ensure particular attention is given to employees who require special safety needs. Employee responsibility is also stated in the safety policy. Employees are required to handle all equipments according to manufacturer instructions and observe all safety measures put in place by the organization. Health and safety arrangements are then stated in the policy. These include safety precautions required in every department and response required in case of any emergency. The policy spells out dressing codes, employee conduct, and safety tools required in every workplace. Fire and emergency handling procedures are stated in this section. First aid and accident reporting procedures are outlined within this section. The last section outlined the frequency and procedure for reviewing the health and safety policy. Most organizations conduct annual reviews. A practical application of health and safety policy can be conducted in a construction company. An inspection is conducted to check the conditions of the workplaces. This requires inspecting the design of offices, use of machines and maintenance, environmental hazards, and emergency response procedures. This inspection identifies any obstructions during access to buildings, safe parking areas, adequate space in offices, storage of tools, and waste disposal. Floors should not be slippery, and adequate space is required around them. Machine controls should be easily accessible and defective parts on any machines should be replaced. Workplaces require emergency doors, fire extinguishers, emergency alarms, and first aid kits. Chemical containers should be labeled correctly and stored in lockable closets. Notices within the company should be displayed on boards accessible by all employees. Flammable substances are disposed of safely, and smoking is banned within the workshops to avoid fire incidents. Employees require special gear when operating drills, welding machines, and cutting tools. References Alexander, G. 2000. Health risk appraisal. The international electronic journal of health education, 3, PP. 133-137. Bell, M., and Omachonu, V. 2011. Quality system implementation process for business success. International journal of quality and reliability management, 28 (7), PP. 723-734. Boyle, T. (2008). Health and safety: risk management. Leicestershire: IOSH Services Ltd. Cox, C., and Hough, G. (2000). Health and safety risk assessment: a CPD study pack. Reading, Eng, College of Estate Management. Gitlow, H. S. 2001. Quality management systems: a practical guide. Boca Raton: St. Lucie Press. HSE. Five steps to risk assessment. From http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/fivesteps.htm. [Accessed on 18 June 2012]. Micro memory bank inc. 2007. Quality systems manual. From http://www.memorybank.com/news-iso.pdf. [Accessed on 18 June 2012]. Muchemu, D. N. 2008. Designing a world-class quality management system for FDA regulated industries: a handbook for quality professionals, quality system requirements (QSR) for cGMP. Bloomington: AuthorHouse. Schlickman, J. J. 2003. ISO 9001:2000 quality management system design. Boston: Artech House. Shaoshao, X. Y., Wu, J., Deng, C., and Li, P. G. 2007. A web-enabled collaborative quality management system. Journal of manufacturing systems, 25 (2), PP. 95-107. Tari, J., and Molina, J. F. 2010. Integration of quality management and environmental management systems: similarities and the role of the EFQM model. The TQM journal, 22(6), PP.687-701. United States Department of Labor. 2012. Occupational safety and health administration. From http://www.osha.gov/law-regs.html. [Accessed on 18 June, 2012]. Yen, L., McDonald, T., Hirschland, D., and Edington, D. W. 2003. Association between wellness score from a health risk appraisal and prospective medical claims cost. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 45 (10), PP. 1049-1057. Read More