INDM6580 Advanced Strategic Quality and Standards

IndM 6580 Advanced Strategic Quality and Standards

Final Exam – 70 points

This final exam will be an essay-type with 2 parts: 1) position paper and 2) quality system design. Student will select only 1 question from each part, a total of 2 questions for completion with a total 70 points. Your writing should present your critical reading and thinking, argument identification and evaluation of evidence. The systematic thinking with realistic goals and practical implementation should be presented in your writing. The essay will be graded on: 1) your own position, personal insight/views, 2) statement/discussion of arguments, reasons, proofs and evidence from the factual information, 3) analytical and systematic thinking, 4) knowledge and principles based from the course textbook IndM 6580, 5) conclusion, and 6) mechanics and APA format. Your writing should be 6-8 pages in length, double-spaced for both parts with APA format including the tables, figures, and diagram (if any).  

Part 1: Position Paper

Pick only one topic, 2-3 pages in length, 30 points

Topic 1: Quality Standard and Organizational Excellence

 Different business, process, and operational excellence models have been validated as powerful tools to enable managers to understand which (and how effectively) strategies and supported approaches are being implemented, and what results they are leading to.

According to Sampaio et al. (2012), there is no best model. Plurality guarantees some competition and fosters improvement. While there are many areas where worldwide standards are helpful, or even necessary, in the area of organizational excellence, talking about standards is a contradiction. Standards are always a compromise, and by necessity they cannot follow the dynamics of progress in knowledge (Paulo Sampaio, QMF, Spring 2017, Vol. 43, No. 1). Some field experts mentioned that organizations struggle to accept quality standard or excellence framework as a way of their culture, some agreed that “one size cannot fit all”, “they are too complicated”, “cost too much”, and “too systematic”.

Note: If you could not access into your ASQ account, you can read Sampaio’s article from Unit Three/Supplement, under folder Handouts/Article from QMF. This article started on page 6. What is your position on this issue?

What could be reasons why excellence frameworks fail? And what are required for this standard/framework to be successful?

Topic 2: Leadership and Business Ethics

Everyone is responsible for their own behavior. We live in a culture where responsibility and accountability are minimized, with individuals hiding behind the label of "victim" as an excuse for their actions. There is right and wrong, black and white, but many would prefer to operate in shades of gray. As long as they do not cross the line, they feel that they are fine. As long as no one catches them, their behavior is acceptable (Bednarz, 2012, para. 2)

What is your position on this topic? If you were a quality manager, what might be long term solution on leaders and ethical behavior in your field?

 Part 2: Quality Systems Design

Pick only 1 topic, 4-5 pages in length, 40 points

Topic 1: Quality Planning and Implementation

As a Quality Director of a selected business worth $200 – 850 millions, which owns and operates fifteen franchises in ten states in the US. With the competitive market and company policies on raising awareness on sustainability, cost effectiveness, quality, and speed, you have been asked by the CEO to present a ‘model’ design for a quality system which addresses:

1. An analysis of quality characteristics and driver of quality (see course textbook chapter 11 pages 276-277).

2. Quality system effectiveness using Balanced Scorecard for evaluation (see course textbook Table 11.1, page 284).

3. Data and documentation tools and systems for improvement, with brief examples of how they will be applied.

4. Team-based problem solving for cost reduction and productivity improvement, all done electronically with multiple facilities linked, with examples of how this will work;

5. Methods for training, implementation, managing, and maintaining such a system at all facilities.

Provide appropriate references and graphical diagrams to aid in explaining and substantiating the model as needed.

Note: students will select only one business in this below list. Products Coffee and drinks Mobile phone and smart TVs Food delivery Hospital Services Sport equipment Hamburgers and fast food restaurant Furniture and home appliance Banking Hotels Real estates

Topic 2: Failure products/services

A project team has been formed to analyze a recurrent problem with a critical process parameter. As the leader of the task team, you are responsible for ensuring that an appropriate approach is taken to evaluate and confirm the root cause of the problem. Describe how you might manage this project, describe quality characteristics and driver of quality, and analyze the internal and external environmental scanning (SWOT analysis). To work on this question, you will select one of these following biggest failure products, research, analyze and draw a root cause, then think about the solution. How could you fix it? Explain methods of product quality design and delivery, error proofing, and evaluation and measurement. Select one from this list of products: Fire phone from Amazon (2014), 2007 Windows vista operating system, Nintendo’s Virtual Boy (1995), McDonald’s Arch Deluxe (1996), Wow! Chips (1998), Purple and green ketchup (2000), Microsoft Zune (2006), The Nook (2009), Google glass (2013-2014), or Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (2016) Note: students are suggested to utilize the quality and problem solving tools learned from Chapters 13 and 14 (your textbook). If you want to use the template of some quality tools (e.g. fishbone diagram, SIPOC, FMEA, Gantt chart, Pareto chart,…), you can download free template from www.asq.org, ‘use a quality tool’ column.