Scenario:

A medium sized engineering company has, until recently, supplied components to the agricultural and other general engineering industries. Minimising cost to the business has always taken priority over their ability to produce Right First Time. Parts have often been reworked and customer requirements easy to satisfy with little demand for on time deliveries and a casual attitude to cost. The management team have recently made a decision to significantly broaden their manufacturing base by diversifying into more lucrative sectors with lower volumes, tighter tolerances and higher specifications. However, they still intend to continue supplying their existing customers. They appreciate that with this strategic change, they urgently need to review their current approach to quality, cost and delivery as they know new customers will be far more demanding with many requiring adherence to UK and international legislation some safety related.

Question:

Develop a new process for the company

• The scope is to design a structured and analytical assessment process of all quality techniques which could be used in the company.
• This process is to be used to select the most appropriate means of quality control for all products they currently manufacture and for it to be used in accurate quoting of future work with more demanding customers.

Propose subjects which should be included in the process so that the business can effectively control costs whilst meeting the varying demands of its different and more demanding customers.