Com o aparecimento crescente de diferentes formulações cosméticas a base de dimetilaminoetanol (DMAE) e seus diferentes sais, faz-se necessário desenvolvimento e validação de métodos analíticos para serem empregados controle de qualidade, tanto dos produtos acabados quanto das matérias-primas. O objetivo principal deste trabalho de pesquisa é propor duas metodologias analíticas (ressonância magnética nuclear 1H e eletroforese capilar) como ferramentas no controle de qualidade destes produtos Discutem-se também as técnicas de caracterização de matérias-primas contendo DMAE, bem como resultados obtidos em estudo de estabilidade acelerado. O método por ressonância magnética nuclear 1H foi validado usando água deuterada (amostras contendo DMAE bitartarato e DMAE base) dimetilsulfoxido (amostras contendo DMAE acetoamidobenzoato) como solventes. Os resultados obtidos foram confiáveis para todas as características de desempenho avaliadas na validação. Entre a desvantagem do metodo pode ser destacada a limitação do uso desta técnica nas amostras em creme e gel-creme. O método eletroforético foi completamente validado. Não foram observadas interferências e todos os parâmetros avaliados foram satisfatórios. Este método é simples e não requer tratamentos trabalhosos no preparo das amostras. Entre as vantagens do método destacam-se o pouco impacto ambiental e economia. O estudo de estabilidade acelerado não mostrou mudanças significativas em relação ao teor, porém, nas condições mais drásticas foram observadas mudanças em coloração e viscosidade aparente. / With the increasing amount of different cosmetic formulations containing dimetilaminoetanol (DMAE) and its salts, it is necessary to develop and validate analytical methods to be employed in the quality control of the active substances and commercial products. The primary purpose of this research to propose two analytical methodologies (nuclear magnetic resonance 1H and capillary electrophoresis) as tools to be used in the quality control of these products. It were also performed analysis for characterization of raw materials and stability studies of too cosmetic preparations. The nuclear magnetic resonance 1H method has been validated using deuterium oxide (for samples containing DMAE bitartrate and DMAE base) and DMSQ-d6 (for samples containing DMAE acetamidobenzoate) as solvents. The results were reliable for all the characteristics of performance evaluated in the validation. Nevertheless, the disadvantage of this method is the limited use this technique in the analysis of creams and gel-creams. The electrophoretic method has been fully validated. No interference was observed and all validation parameters evaluated were satisfactory. This method is simple and does not require laborious treatment for sample preparation. Among the advantages of this method is the little environmental impact and economics. The accelerated stability study showed no significant changes with regard to the content; the more drastic changes were observed in color and apparent viscosity.

Geometric quality variables of wafers, such as BOW and WARP, are critical in their applications. A large variation of these quality variables reduces the number of conforming products in the downstream production. Therefore, it is important to reduce the variation by variation modeling, analysis and control for multistage wafer manufacturing processes (MWMPs). First, an intermediate feedforward control strategy is developed to adjust and update the control actions based on the online measurements of intermediate wafer quality measurements. The control performance is evaluated in a MWMP to transform ingots into polished wafers. However, in a complex multistage manufacturing process, the quality variables may have nonlinear relationship with the parameters of the predictors. In this case, piecewise linear regression tree (PLRT) models are used to address nonlinear relationships in MWMP to improve the model prediction performance. The obtained PLRT model is further reconfigured to be complied with the physical layout of the MWMP for feedforward control purposes. The procedure and effectiveness of the proposed method is shown in a case study of a MWMP. Furthermore, as the geometric profiles and quality variables are important quality features for a wafer, fast and accurate measurements of those features are crucial for variation reduction and feedforward control. A sequential measurement strategy is proposed to reduce the number of samples measured in a wafer, yet provide adequate accuracy for the quality feature estimation. A Gaussian process model is used to estimate the true profile of a wafer with improved sensing efficiency. Finally, we study the multistage multimode process monitoring problem. We propose to use PLRTs to inter-relate the variables in a multistage multimode process. A unified charting system is developed. We further study the run length distribution, and optimize the control chart system by considering the modeling uncertainties. Finally, we compare the proposed method with the risk adjustment type of control chart systems based on global regression models, for both simulation study and a wafer manufacturing process.

M. Tech. Business Administration / The purpose of this study was to identify and understand customer perceptions about service quality (SQ) at a telecommunications retail outlet. The theory of Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (PZB) known as SERVQUAL was used to give theoretical grounding to the study.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 99-101).

The so-called Industry 4.0 is by its agitators commonly denoted as the fourth industrial revolution and promises to turn the manufacturing sector on its head. However, everything that glimmers is not gold and in the backwash of hefty consultant fees questions arises: What are the drivers behind Industry 4.0? Which barriers exists? How does one prepare its manufacturing procedures in anticipation of the (if ever) coming era? What is the internet of things and what file sizes’ is characterised as big data? To answer these questions, this thesis aims to resolve the ambiguity surrounding the definitions of Industry 4.0, as well as clarify the fuzziness of a data-driven manufacturing approach. Ergo, the comprehensive usage of data, including collection and storage, quality control, and analysis. In order to do so, this thesis was carried out as a case study at GKN Aerospace Sweden (GAS). Through interviews and observations, as well as a literature review of the subject, the thesis examined different process’ data-driven needs from a quality management perspective. The findings of this thesis show that the collection of quality data at GAS is mainly concerned with explicitly stated customer requirements. As such, the data available for the examined processes is proven inadequate for multivariate analytics. The transition towards a data-driven state of manufacturing involves a five-stage process wherein data collection through sensors is seen as a key enabler for multivariate analytics and a deepened process knowledge. Together, these efforts form the prerequisites for Industry 4.0. In order to effectively start transition towards Industry 4.0, near-time recommendations for GAS includes: capture all data, with emphasize on process data; improve the accessibility of data; and ultimately taking advantage of advanced analytics. Collectively, these undertakings pave the way for the actual improvements of Industry 4.0, such as digital twins, machine cognition, and process self-optimization. Finally, due to the delimitations of the case study, the findings are but generalized for companies with similar characteristics, i.e. complex processes with low volumes.

O turismo é um dos setores que mais cresce, gerando emprego e renda em todo mundo, tornando-se um fator importante para o desenvolvimento econômico. Dentro do turismo, o setor hoteleiro destaca-se na economia do país em razão da capacidade de atender a demanda causada pelo deslocamento de pessoas. O objetivo da presente pesquisa é analisar, com base no modelo SERVQUAL, a qualidade do serviço hoteleiro oferecido pela cidade de Gramado – RS. Este estudo tem caráter exploratório, de natureza qualitativa. Para isso, utilizou-se de um levantamento bibliográfico (em banco de dados e nos principais periódicos do turismo). O objeto de estudo foram os 13 hotéis de categoria luxo e conforto localizado na cidade de Gramado – RS. Os resultados foram alcançados através das análises feitas nos sites e das avaliações destes hotéis feitas pelos clientes nas Online Travel Review. As visões foram estudadas separadamente e na sequência feitas um comparativo entre elas com respaldo da literatura. As análises foram realizadas através do modelo SERVQUAL de acordo com as seguintes variáveis: tangibilidade, confiabilidade, presteza, segurança e empatia. Os resultados apresentados mostraram que o capital humano é o elemento que mais carece de investimento por parte dos hotéis. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2017-05-05T19:05:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Leticia Carvalho Vivian.pdf: 1860255 bytes, checksum: 14235251dc6f30a8cd08c43e441bbe62 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-05T19:05:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Leticia Carvalho Vivian.pdf: 1860255 bytes, checksum: 14235251dc6f30a8cd08c43e441bbe62 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-05 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, CAPES. / Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors, generating employment and income worldwide, making it an important factor for economic development. Within tourism, the hotel sector stands out in the economy of the country because of the capacity to meet the demand caused by the displacement of people. The objective of this research is to analyze, based on the SERVQUAL model, the quality of the hotel service offered by the city of Gramado - RS. This study has an exploratory character, of a qualitative nature. For this, a bibliographical survey was used (in databases and in the main journals of tourism). The object of study were the 13 hotels of category luxury and comfort located in the city of Gramado - RS. The results were achieved through the analyzes made on the websites and the evaluations of these hotels made by the customers in the Online Travel Review. The visions were studied separately and in the sequence made a comparative between them with support of the literature. The analyzes were performed through the SERVQUAL model according to the following variables: tangibility, reliability, readiness, safety and empathy. The results presented showed that human capital is the element that most requires investment by hotels.

To be submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF TECHNOLOGIAE: In Quality In the Faculty of Engineering AT THE CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, 2012 / Over the last decades, due to the lack of safety concern and inadequate quality management in logistical process, it caused unsafe and poor quality of maize products. Thus, this study looks into the key factors that affect maize exports from South Africa in order to improve the logistical processes and reduce the risks involved in the process. The main risks associated with poor traceability and logistical chain management of maize export, as well as issues pertaining to non-conformance to the different food safety standards were explored. Data were collected a group of food business operators (FBO) (n1=127) and food business inspectors (n2=20) through a number of interviews and a self-administered questionnaire. Data were then analysed by using the SPSS-V19 programme to generate descriptive statistical results to determine the specific needs and gaps within the current system as well as providing recommendations on the specific food safety changes pertaining to the maize export industry. The results showed that there is a lack of understanding among role-players regarding FBO legislation. In the comparison of many large companies, there is only a few small role-players adhere to the legislation pertaining to food safety and traceability. This has impacted on the quality of maize products negatively. This strongly suggested that all role-players that handle maize for export must be registered for FBO codes with Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The study also recommended that the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) should inspect and confirm the legitimacy of the FBO codes that appears on the maize export documentation. Keywords: Quality, food safety, food business operator, maize export, logistical processes, and traceability.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters in Management Sciences: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. . / The increasing interest in people’s wellbeing has seen the growth of health and fitness centres (HFC) all across South Africa. It has been a decade since Virgin Active and Planet Fitness expanded their business into townships, with this endeavour resulting in the opening of HFC in Khayelitsha and Soweto. The motivation behind this study is therefore to examine the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction in the HFC industry in Ntuzuma, Umlazi, Kwa-Mashu, Clermont, and Phoenix, all townships in the greater Durban Area. Thus, the main purpose of this research is to ascertain service quality at selected HFC in townships within the greater Durban area. Interest in service quality has grown over the last decade due to increasing competition, which has led managers to finding ways of improving profitability. One area of interest is service quality and how it affects customer satisfaction and its impact on the bottom line, which is why ascertaining service quality at selected HFC in the greater Durban area’s townships is significant. The study was descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional in nature, probing the effect of service quality on clients’ customer satisfaction. From these findings the Health and Fitness Centres can identify more specifically the failures in its service quality and seek to improve upon them. Service quality dimensions that are deemed to be good predictors of service quality for members of the HFCs offering have been related to factors such as the “Tangibility”, Reliability”, “Responsiveness”, “Assurance” and “Empathy. It is hoped that the results obtained will aid to support these centres in adopting practical customer service quality measures that will assist them to succeed in the highly competitive health and fitness industry. / M

Thesis deals with the quality control of audit firms in accordance with international regulations. Defining the requirements for quality based on the Code of Ethics and the International quality standard ISQC1. Part of this work is the practical demonstration of ISQC1 in the smaller audit firm. For comparison, there is a description of quality control in the U.S.

O turismo é um dos setores que mais cresce, gerando emprego e renda em todo mundo, tornando-se um fator importante para o desenvolvimento econômico. Dentro do turismo, o setor hoteleiro destaca-se na economia do país em razão da capacidade de atender a demanda causada pelo deslocamento de pessoas. O objetivo da presente pesquisa é analisar, com base no modelo SERVQUAL, a qualidade do serviço hoteleiro oferecido pela cidade de Gramado – RS. Este estudo tem caráter exploratório, de natureza qualitativa. Para isso, utilizou-se de um levantamento bibliográfico (em banco de dados e nos principais periódicos do turismo). O objeto de estudo foram os 13 hotéis de categoria luxo e conforto localizado na cidade de Gramado – RS. Os resultados foram alcançados através das análises feitas nos sites e das avaliações destes hotéis feitas pelos clientes nas Online Travel Review. As visões foram estudadas separadamente e na sequência feitas um comparativo entre elas com respaldo da literatura. As análises foram realizadas através do modelo SERVQUAL de acordo com as seguintes variáveis: tangibilidade, confiabilidade, presteza, segurança e empatia. Os resultados apresentados mostraram que o capital humano é o elemento que mais carece de investimento por parte dos hotéis. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, CAPES. / Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors, generating employment and income worldwide, making it an important factor for economic development. Within tourism, the hotel sector stands out in the economy of the country because of the capacity to meet the demand caused by the displacement of people. The objective of this research is to analyze, based on the SERVQUAL model, the quality of the hotel service offered by the city of Gramado - RS. This study has an exploratory character, of a qualitative nature. For this, a bibliographical survey was used (in databases and in the main journals of tourism). The object of study were the 13 hotels of category luxury and comfort located in the city of Gramado - RS. The results were achieved through the analyzes made on the websites and the evaluations of these hotels made by the customers in the Online Travel Review. The visions were studied separately and in the sequence made a comparative between them with support of the literature. The analyzes were performed through the SERVQUAL model according to the following variables: tangibility, reliability, readiness, safety and empathy. The results presented showed that human capital is the element that most requires investment by hotels.