Quality has always been the key to business success and survivability, but it requires organisations to allocate a lot of effort and resources to achieve it. The key to providing quality services and designing top quality products lies in the strength and effectiveness of the processes used in their development; processes which must be constantly reviewed to ensure they operate as efficiently, economically and as safely as possible.

This unit introduces students to the importance of quality assurance processes in a manufacturing or service environment and the principles and theories that underpin them. Topics included in this unit are: tools and techniques used to support quality control, attributes and variables, testing processes, costing modules, the importance of qualifying the costs related to quality, international standards for management (ISO 9000, 14000, 18000), European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), principles, tools and techniques of Total Quality Management (TQM) and implementation of Six Sigma.

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to illustrate the processes and applications of statistical process, explain the quality control tools used to apply costing techniques, identify the standards expected in the engineering environment to improve efficiency and examine how the concept of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement underpins modern manufacturing and service environments.

Quality control:
The tools and techniques used to support quality control
Attributes and variables
Testing processes
Quality tools and techniques, including statistical process control (SPC)
Designing quality into new products and processes using Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

Quality costing:
Costing modules
The importance of qualifying the costs related to quality
How costs can be used to improve business performance

Standards for efficiency:
The history of standards
The role of standards and their importance in enabling and supporting trade, business and industry Standards for measurement
International Standards for management (ISO 9000, 14000, 18000)
European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) as an aid to developing strategic competitive advantage

Overview and function of quality:
The importance of quality to industry: how it underpins the ability to improve
Efficiency, meet customer requirements and improve competitiveness
Principles, tools and techniques of Total Quality Management (TQM)
Understanding and implementation of Six Sigma

A 3000-word assignment using an industry-based case study linked to the programme of study assessing all learning outcomes and weighted at 100%.

Whole group lectures will be used to deliver new material and to consolidate previous material. Small-group tutorials, with activities designed to enhance the understanding of the material delivered in the lectures, will be used to apply the skills and knowledge learned. A mixture of classroom based and practical activities will take place supported by staff.

Illustrate the applications of statistical process control when applied in an industrial environment to improve efficiency.

Analyse cost effective quality control tools.

Determine the role of standards in improving efficiency, meeting customer requirements and opening up new opportunities for trade

Analyse the importance of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement in manufacturing environments.

PCs with access to standard software e.g. Microsoft Office

OAKLAND, J.S. (2003) Total Quality Management: Text with Cases. 3rd Ed. Butterworth-Heinemann.

SLACK, N., CHAMBERS, S. and JOHNSTON, R. (2016) Operations Management. 8th Ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited

Must be registered on HNC/D Mechanical Engineering or Electrical and Electronic Engineering provision at South Staffordshire College.

Quality has always been the key to business success and survivability, but it requires organisations to allocate a lot of effort and resources to achieve it. The key to providing quality services and designing top quality products lies in the strength and effectiveness of the processes used in their development; processes which must be constantly reviewed to ensure they operate as efficiently, economically and as safely as possible.

This unit introduces you to the importance of quality assurance processes in a manufacturing or service environment and the principles and theories that underpin them. Topics included in this unit are: tools and techniques used to support quality control, attributes and variables, testing processes, costing modules, the importance of qualifying the costs related to quality, international standards for management (ISO 9000, 14000, 18000), European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), principles, tools and techniques of Total Quality Management (TQM) and implementation of Six Sigma.

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to illustrate the processes and applications of statistical process, explain the quality control tools used to apply costing techniques, identify the standards expected in the engineering environment to improve efficiency and examine how the concept of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement underpins modern manufacturing and service environments.