1.1 discuss definitions of quality in terms of business and services provision

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1.1 discuss definitions of quality in terms of business and services provision

Quality Management in Business

Learning Outcomes Content Assessment Criteria for Pass

LO1 Understand the different approaches to quality management appropriate to commercial operations

Define quality: identifying customer needs and providing systems to meet/exceed expectations, notion of selfassessment to establish the current position of an organisation

Inspection and assurance: mass production and mass inspection, the early years of quality control, quality systems and accreditation, the race for awards

Charter, Investors in People, the middle years of quality assurance

Approaches: the works of Deming, Juran, Feigenbaum, Crosby, Ishikawa, etc, quality planning, quality control and continuous quality improvement through teams and facilitators, measurements as an aid to rational decision making, self-assessment, costs and benefits of quality, communication channels, macro issues of theory and

1.1 discuss definitions of quality in terms of business and services provision

1.2 illustrate the processes of inspection and assurance

1.3 discuss a range of approaches to quality management

1.4 explain the similarities and differences between the different methods prescription

Similarities and differences: structure of schemes, applications, costs, implementation periods, use of documentation, application of standards, identification of actions required, assessment methodology, orientation towards customer/staff or organisation, effectiveness as a means to improve service quality

LO2 Understand the benefits of quality management in a business and services context

Customer satisfaction: the voice of the customer, customer needs and expectations, understanding the customer, responding to customer demand, meeting or exceeding expectations, value for money, added value and repeat custom

Continuous improvement: from customer needs to customer needs and expectations, quality gaps, internal and external customers, moving quality into the service sector and its associated problems, the mature years of continuous quality improvement.

Added values: lower costs, reduced waste, saving time, reducing need for support activities, customer loyalty Improved customer information: opening times, location, price lists, promotional material, raising awareness, creating true image, targeting all groups, value for money?

2.1 discuss what is meant by customer satisfaction

2.2 explain the meaning of continuous improvement

2.3 illustrate the type of added values to be gained.

2.4 describe the types of information made available to customers and the importance given to effective marketing

LO3 Understand a range of quality controls and how service to the customer can be improved

Measurement of quality: systems documentation, procedures for all operations, evaluating own procedures, comparisons with past performance/future plans (business aims and objectives), competitors, industry standards, priorities for action, benchmarking, emphasis of approach eg statistical quality control, quality circles, TQM, Six-sigma

User and non-user surveys: profile of users and non-users, visit regularity, facilities used, likes, dislikes, preferences, suggestions, expectations/perceptions of service, barriers to access, action required, encouraging and converting nonusers

Consultation: questionnaires (distributed internally/externally), suggestion schemes, complaints procedures, focus groups, open meetings, direct approach to group leaders and groups

Complaints: distribution of forms (send out/collect), internal/external, framing questions, customer friendly/IT friendly, easy to analyse, areas for improvement, response time, period for remedial action, communication with complainants, measurement of customer satisfaction

3.1 explain how quality management can be measured

3.2 evaluate the benefit of user and non-user surveys in determining customer needs

3.3 list the methods of consultation employed in one quality scheme to encourage participation by underrepresented groups

3.4 identify the value of complaints procedures and analyse how they may be used to improve quality

LO4 Be able to apply the principles of quality management to improve the performance of an organisation.

Self-assessment: validity of self-assessment, eg subjective, bias, one dimensional; judgement based on current practice, comparison, eg with past performance of organisation, against competition, against benchmarks for future; comparisons with similar organisations/industry standards

Communication and record keeping: importance of communication across whole organisation (vertical/horizontal), establishing agreement through consultation, notifying actions required, currency, accuracy and relevance of records kept, comparison with historical data, similar organisations elsewhere, industry standards, record keeping

Staff consultation: setting the scene, explaining rationale (objective of quality scheme), processes involved, requirements and commitment from staff, communication and reporting mechanisms, keeping team updated and engaged, implementation, feedback and review

4.1 report on the role of self assessment in order to determine an organisation’s current ‘state of health’

4.2 evaluate the importance of communication and record keeping

4.3 follow guidelines on the stages of staff consultation necessary for effective implementation of a quality scheme

4.3 propose new systems or modifications to existing systems that could improve service quality.