Pergamon

Computers ind. Engng, VoL 31, No. 3/4, pp. 747 -751,1996 Copyright O 1995 China Machine Pro,

Published by Elsevier Szizace Ltd. Pdmed in Great Britain S0360.8352(96)00236-7 0360-8352/96 $15.00 + 0.00

A SYSTEMATIC PLANNING APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTING TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT THROUGH

QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT TECHNIQUE °

Liu Hongen Zhengehou Aeronautics Institute

Zhengshou, Hensn, 450052, P. R. China

Zhou Xianwei Anticraft Technology Institute of the PLA

Zbengahou, Henan, 450052, P. R. China

Abstract :On the basis of reinvestigating into the philosophy of TQM and its management practice, this pa- per puts forward a systematic planning approach to implementing TQM during the product design/develop- ment process through quality function deployment (QFD) technique. Key words : T Q M , Voice of Customer, QFD, Continuous Quality Improvement

1 INTRODUCTION Total quality Management (TQM) has been considered an effective management practice and even a necessi- ty for corporate survival, as described by such quality strategists as Juran ill , Crosby rz3 and Denting [s], Feigenbeum tel,however,i t still can be regarded as a somewhat abstract concept. Currently, the elements of a TQM policy and its difference from good management practice is unclear. This has led, throughout a- cademia and industry, to a range of perceptions of what TQM is and, as a result, a large number of differ- ent methods of implementation. Methods of implementation can vary from established methods such as Ju- ran~s, crosbyts and Demingts to an organlzationts individual approach. It is no surprise that many compa- nies experience problems when deciding on which approach will abest fit" their organization. This problem of deciding where to begin is so common that the termatotal quality paralysis" is used to describe it (Smith [4], Atkinson [s] and Kanji[']). It is likely that the confusion over what TQM is and which implemen- tation method to use, and the lack of sufficient guidelines to assist in this process, have contributed to a number of unsuccessful TQM implementations. As Atkinson rs] has described as follows :

.The road to Total Quality is littered with failures. Hundreds o f organizations have tried to i m p l e m ~ TO~I, bat f ~ have reaped its fu l l benefits.

On the basis of reinvestigating into the philosophy of T Q M , the purpose of this paper is to put forward a systematic planning approach to implementing TQM during the product design/development process through QFD technique.

I. 1 The philosophy of TQM The philosophy of TQM stresses a systematic, integrated, consistent organization-wide perspective involv- ing everyone and everything. It focuses primarily on total satsifaction for both internal and external cus- tomers within a management environment that seeks continuous improvement of all systems and processes. The philosophy emphasises the role of people, usually in multifunctiona] teams to bring about improvement from within the organization. It stresses optimal life-cycle cost and uses measurement within a disciplined methodology to target improvements. The heart of the philosophy are the prevention of problem and an em- phu i s on quality in design/development of product and process. Finally, the philosophy is based on an in- tense desire to achieve success and victory.

1.2 Definitions of Quality There are a number of well-known quality definitions. Crosby ca3 defines quality for use. ISO 8402 (1986) defines quality as "the totality o f features and characteristics o f a product or seevpice that bears on its ability to meet a stated or implied need n. Japanese companies find that the old definition of quality, "the degree o f con- fmmauce to a standard ~, is too narrow and have consequently started to use a new definition of quality-- "user satisfaction". It is interesting to notice that satisfying customer needs and expectations is the main factor in all these defi- nitions. Therefore it is important for a manufacturer to identify such needs early in the product development cycle. The ability accurately to define the needs, which include design requirements, performance require- ments, price, safety, delivery and so on, will place a manufacturer ahead of his competitors in a complex competitive market.

• This r~earch is I~,tislly supported by the Nstioas] Natural Science Foundation of China sad the Aemeautlcs Science Fouadafiou of Chim.

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748 I Sth lnlernational Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering

1. 3 Definitions of TQM There are many definitions of TQM. Atkinson csJ described it as "a strategic approach to prodding the best product and service possible through constant inno~tion n. Pfau [~J gives probably the most common definition of TQM:"an approach for coatinaoasly improving the quality of goods and services delivered throngh the participation of all levels and functions of the organization". The Deming Prim Committee describes TQM as "a system of activities to ensure products and services of the quality required by the customer are produced

- _ [ ' s J Ives and delivered economically n. Feigenbaum g" a more complete definition..aA total quality system is de- fined as one which embraces the whole cycle of customer satisfaction from the interpretation of his requiremtqff.s prior to the ordering stage, through to the supply of a product or service of an economical price and on to his perception of the product after he has used it over an appropriate period of time". A further exploration of the literature enabled TQM to be divided into its prime elements, as defined by a number of quality practitioners (Fig. 1). A study of the literature provided a greater understanding of TQM and its philosophy, but offered limited infomration on TQM implementation. Few quality practitioners have provided a detailed plan for implemen- tation or a comprehensive deployment of which quality activities to implement. Recently, it is arguable whether taking ISO 9000 series standards as a road to TQM or not.

Denting (14 points) Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and service. Adopt the new philosophy. Cease dependence on mass inspection. End the practice of awarding business on price tag alone. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service. Institute training and retraining. Institute leadership. Drive out fear. Break down harriers between staff areas. Elminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce. Elminate numerical quotas. Remove barriers to pride of workmanship. Institute a vigorous programme of education and retraining. Take action to accomplish the transformation.

Crosby (14 steps) Management commitment. Quality improvement teams. Measurement. Cost of quality. Quality awareness. Corrective action. Zero defects plan. Quality education. Zero Defects Day.

Goal-setting. Error cause removal. Recognition. Quality councils. Repeat.

Baldrige (core values ~ concepts) Customer-driven quality. Leadership. Continuous improvement. Full participation. Fast response. Design quality ~ prevention. Long-range outlook. Management by fact. Partnership development. Public responsibility.

Juran Identifying customers ~ their needs. Establishing optimal quality goals. Creating measurements of quality. Planning processes of meeting goals. Producing continuing results in improved mar- ket share, premium prices ~. reduction of er- rors.

Feigenbaum Quality leadership. Company-side introduction. Continuous motivation. Education. Measurement.

Fig. 1 The prime elements of TQM

It was decided that, to obtain the necessary systematic plan of implementing TQM, the quality practice of leading TQM companies would need to be studied.

2 WHAT IS QFD? 2. 1 The methodology of QFD Quality Function Deployment (QFD) E°'l°'jl'p'~] is a potent multifunctional planning tool that integrates the

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voice of the customer into a product from design research right to the production process. QFD is used to encourage bre-bthrough thinking of new concepts and tachnolog/es. Its use facilitates the process of concur- rent product msgineering, encouraging teamwork, to work toward a common goal of insuring customer sat- isfaction. QFD is defined by the Amarican Supplier Instituta as s 'a syscam far ¢raas/au'nE ¢sscam~ nupdr~-

iw~ app~p~tt company vwqui~seonts at ~ s~, f~ ~t~v~h, ~lh pn~l~.t desi~ and de- vdopment, co m a u l , crate, distritnaion, installation and marbzting, sales and service'. QFD stands for the change from traditional manufacturing process control to product design/development quality control. The QFD methodology was developed in Japan by Dr. Shigaru Misuno in the 196(fs. The method initially were refered to as "Quality Table m and later evolved into todayts QFD. It has been successfully used by Toyota is the 1970ts in a rust prevention study. QFD has been subsequently been adopted for use in the west by the American Supplier Institute of Dearborn, Michigan and GOAL/QPC of Methuen, Massachusetts. QFD has become one of the most important technologies of modern quality engineering along with Tnguchi method ti'~ , design of experiment (DOE), statisitical process control (SPC) end the new seven tools.

2.2 Overview of the QFD process Basically, The QFD process can be described with five major areas in the product development process which keep the voice of the customer in focus. Those major areas are as follows, (1) Product planning-design requirements (2) Part deployment--pert characteristics (3) Process planning--manufacturing operations (4) Production planning--production requirements (5) Continuous improvement of product and process Hence, there are five stages to the QFD process. The process is a connective concurrent process that can be accomplished through a series of structured matrices and tables. What follows is a brief summary of how

WHATS

J I_MPORTAI~E

the technique works.

I-lOWS

~ T I C I ~ S H I P

MATRIX

T ~ E r VALLES

TI~CH. BI~qCHMARK

WTI~ IMP(~TA/~E

ADJ~ ' I ]~ I M F O R T A ~

Fig. 2 The House of (~ality--product planning nmu~x

Stage I PRODUCT PLANNING • All of the stage activities are summarised on Fig 2. product planning matrix (often refered to as the

House of Quality) . Here the customer requirements (Whats) are identified and their "Importance" is as- sessed. This is accomplished through market research, warranty, and complaint summaries. How we compare with our competitors on these requirements is also summarized on a "Customer Bench, hark v, the information of customer benchmark is used to adjust customer's importance.

• Basic design requirements (Hows) are laid out and represent the basic system functions of product in cor- porate language that are used to test well satisfy the Whats. "Target Valuesnfor the Hows are then as- signed through the use of robust design proposed by Taguchi t1'J. As well, "Technical Banchmark~of how well our product stacks up against our competitors is needed that is used to adjust design requirement im- portance.

• Strong,medium, and weak relationships are estabisbed by a product development team for the Whats and Hows in the "Relationship Matrix".

750 18th International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering

• Weights are assigned to each of the three relationship levels, multiplied by "Importenee=(or "Adjusted Importance ~) value for the corresponding Whate, and added up for the aWeighted Importance S'values of each How. These indicate the degree to which the Whate are being satisfied by the Hows. There may be correlations between two or more Hows and this situation is summarized in the "Correlation Matrix ~. This early identification of correlation among the Hows enables early planning to overcome inherent con- fliers, much better than rework.

• where necessary, use technical benchmark information to adjust weighted importance values of the Hows. • Using this information at stage I , identify critical design requirements that will be used in later stages of

QFD. Stage 2 PART DEPLOYMENT • In the part deployment stage, critical design requirements from stage I become the Whate for stage 2 with

part characteristics being the Hows. • The same evaluative procedure is used here as in stage 1, except customer/technical benchmarks are not

performed and the correlation matrix is not created. • Identify critical pan characteristics that will directly impact customer driven critical design requirements.

Stage 3 PROCESS PLANNING • Critical part characteristics from stage 2 become the Whats for this stage with manufacturing operations

being the How. • Follow basically the same analysis is used in stage 2 and identify critical manufacturing operations and pa-

rameters. In this stage, process parameters optimization can be achieved by Taguchi method and DOE. Stage 4 PRODUCTION PLANNING • In production planning, critical manufacturing operations from stage 3 become the Whats for this stages. • Identify critical production requirements through the use of the same analysis and develop special control

plans, education and training, and preventive maintenance plans. Stage 5 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ON PRODUCT AND PROCESS • Continuous improvement on product and process can be achieved by teamwork. The product development

team are encouraged to use the following problem solvling tools tPareto analysis, Cause and effect dia- gram,Histograms,DOE,SPC, and so forth.

• In this stage, the team must perform production process review and pay more attention on continuous quality improvement.

Determine a ~ project ].

I Establish a mulfifunc6onal ~arn

÷

I [ Voice of cus~mer l

I ~ process I:

i i i i i I i l i

i I

A systematic planning approach model Fig. 3

Feedback

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3 A SYSTEMATIC PLANNING APPROACH MODEL Based on sufficient understanding of TQM, we think that "I~M is a management philosophy, the purpose of TQM is to provide customer satisfied product or service through the use of modern quality engineering technologies by a muhifunctional team to perform continuous improvement of product and processes during the whole product desi~q~/development process. Planning process is the key to auceeeed in implementing TQM for organiutiorm. A systematic planning approach to practiaing the philosophy of TQM is developed in terms of the principle of QFD technique. This systematic planning approach model which is driven by voice of customer is summari~.-,d on Fig. 3. For this systematic planning approach, advanced quality engineering technologies such as Taguchi method, DOE, SPC etc. , and other analytic methods such as Value analysis, Pughes concept selection method, Fail- ure mode and effect analysis, Failure tree analysis, process ability analysis, and so forth, are encouraged to use so that a practicable implementing steps can be developed according to the model for specific TQM pro- Jecta.

4 CONCLUSION Integrating the philosophy of TQM with the principle of QFD, this paper developes a systematic planning approach model to implementing TQM during the product design/development process which are driven by voice of the customer. It is hoped that this approach should assist companies who are selecting or forming a TQM implementation strategy. Finally, it is hoped this approach can be further developped and improved through learning from the increasing number of companies implementing TQM.

REFERENCES 1. Juran, J. M. ,'Catching up. How is the West doing?", Quality Progress, Nov. 1985. 2. Crosby, P .B . , Quality is Free, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1979. 3. Deming, W. E, Out of the Crisis z Quality, Productivity and Competitive Position, Cambridge University

Press, Cambridge, 1986. 4. Smith, P.R. and Tee, M. R. , 'Tota l Quality--the issues and realities ," , The TQM Magazine, 1990,

Vol. 2, No.S, pp. 279--283. 5. Atkinson, P. E. , Creating Culture Change z The Key to Successful Total Quality Management, IFS Pub-

lications, 1990. 6. Kanji, G. R, aTotal Quality Management ~ the second Industrial Revolution v, Total Quality Management

Journal, 1990, Vol. 1, No. 1. 7. Pfau, L. D. , 'Total Quality Management gives companies a way to enhance position in global market",

Industrial Engineering, April, 1989. 8. Feigenbaum, A . V . , Total Quality Control, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York,1991. 9. Sullivan, Lawrence P. , "Quality Function Deployment", Quality Progress,1988, No. 6, pp. 39--50 10. Hauser, John R. , Don clausing, "The House of Quality,', Havard Business, 1988, No. 3,pp. 83--73. l l . William E. Eureka, Nancy E. Ragn, The Customer-Driven Compenyx A Managerial Perspective on

QFD, ASh 1988. 12. Griffin Abhie ~ Hauser John R. , "The Voice of the Customer,', Mark sci(US) 12, 1993, pp. 1--27. 13. Liu Hongen, et a i , 'The study of QFD through the AHP technique,', Proceedings of lCQR'95 Vol. 1

(Hongkong), 1995. 14. Vijayan N. Nair, "Taguchi*s Parameter Design..A Panel Discussion,', TECHNOMETRICS, May 1992,

Vo]. 34, No. 2, pp. 127--169. 15. ISO 8402, Quality Vocabulary, 1986.