<p>As the philosophy of doing business shift from sell what you can produce to produce what you can sell so do the customers’ specification continuously become a vital tool during product development process, hence increasing the volatility of the business environment. The objective of this thesis is to thoroughly review literature to be supported by cases why most companies fail in sustaining improvement programs then map out a pathway that will leads to successful implementation.</p><p>A series of reasons were found which impedes the successful implementation of improvement programs which includes; management is unable to define the problem to be solve and the method of measurement, implementers choose wrong parameters for improvement, implementers sub-optimize or may not involve everyone that will be affected by the program, top management gives little or no attention to improvement programs and at times they may even loose focus, so many concurrent improvement programs are executed which will result to resource overloading, teams members most often lack data integrity, and teams members are often scared to try new ideas hence prohibiting the chances of innovation. To minimize this cankerworm, a number of steps has been mentioned. The steps were divided into two phases, the selection phase and the implementation. The selection process includes; defining the program, focus program on improving shareholders’ value and choose program base on a holistic perspective. The implementation phase includes; commitment of top management, prioritize projects, use critical chain project management to plan and execute project, lay emphasis on quality data, minimize the number of concurrent projects, encourage risk taking, and spend time and resources on value adding activities.</p>

<p>Today, firms compete with services rather than goods. Large service organizations are beginning to use Six Sigma as continuous improvement tool. An important part of the Six Sigma methodology is the calculation of number of defects in the process, i.e. points outside the specification limits. Unlike goods quality, which can be measured objectively by number of defects, in service goods the setting up of specification limits is a complicated issue because it is marked by the use and expectations among the different customers. As Six Sigma was originally created for manufacturing, this crucial fact is not contemplated in the Six-Sigma roadmap Define- Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC).</p><p>The aim of this thesis is to develop a new model to help the Service Division, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB to set the specification limits according to the customer expectations.</p><p>A review of relevant literature is used to develop a new integrated model with ideas from the Kano model, SERVQUAL, Taguchi loss function, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) and a new model, the ”Trade-Off Importance”. A survey was carried out for 18 external customers and internal stakeholders.</p><p>The model has demonstrated its robustness and credibility to set the specification limits. Additionally it is a very powerful tool to set the strategic directions and for service quality measurement. As far as we know, this thesis is the first attempt to create a roadmap to set the specification limits in services. Researchers should find a proposed model to fill the research gap. From a managerial standpoint, the practical benefits in Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB, suggest a new way of communicating to customers.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-194).

Bakgrund: Idag är kvalitet ett viktigt konkurrensmedel i många företag. Koncept som Total Quality Management har utvecklats för att förbättra produkt- eller servicekvalitet och har haft stor påverkan på hur många företag arbetar med kvalitet. Därutöver ser företag olika på kvalitet och vissa lyckas tillämpa en effektiv kvalitetsstyrning medan andra har svårigheter med det. Därmed är det intressant att studera hur dagens kvalitetsstyrning bedrivs och fungerar för att skapa förändringar och ständiga förbättringar. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att ur ett ledningsperspektiv beskriva och förklara hur kvalitetsstyrning kan leda till ständiga förbättringar. Vidare syftar studien till att jämföra kvalitetsstyrning mellan tillverknings- och tjänsteföretag och att utveckla en generell processmodell för effektivt kvalitetsarbete. Metod: Studien har genomförts med en fallstudieinriktad ansats där Posten AB och SKF Mekan AB har studerats och jämförts. Studien har en kvalitativ karaktär där den empiriska datan är hämtad från totalt fyra djupgående intervjuer med anställda på Posten AB och SKF Mekan AB. Därutöver har litteratur och forskningsartiklar inom det studerade området konsulterats. Resultat: Studien har lett fram till en processmodell för effektivt kvalitetsarbete där företagsledning, system och individ är huvudkomponenterna. För att dessa ska kunna samverka effektivt ska företagsledningen agera på ett sätt som skapar medarbetarengagemang så att ständiga förbättringar och bra kvalitet kan uppnås. Företagsledningen ska vara engagerad, stöttande samt initiativtagande. Dessutom är en viktig förutsättning att ledningen delegerar kvalitetsansvaret ut i organisationen. Kvalitetssystemet ska bestå av verktyg och metoder som är anpassade efter organisationen samt kan med fördel vara integrerat och i elektronisk form. Individerna, som bygger upp organisationen, måste vara kvalitetsmedvetna, vara utbildade, ansvara för mätning och uppföljning, organiseras i förbättringsgrupper samt forma kvalitetskulturen i företaget. Studien har visat att det inte finns någon större skillnad mellan hur kvalitetsarbetet bedrivs och ska bedrivas i ett tillverknings- och tjänsteföretag.

In today’s society we are surrounded by large amounts of information, quick decisions and high expectations to perform successfully in everything we do. As a statistical agency, Statistics Sweden is responsible for producing some of the information that is used for decision-making in society and is therefore under constant internal and external pressure to perform well. The responsibility to produce high-quality statistics to all customers and users is not simple. What is the quality of the statistics produced? How do we assure and control the quality of the statistics? Do we use our resources efficiently? These are important questions, which need to be addressed. One way of addressing these and other issues is to work with quality in a systematic fashion. Thus there is a need for a Quality Management System, i.e., a systematic way to handle quality issues of all kinds in all parts of the organization, and to continue the journey towards the vision of being a “world class statistical agency”. This Masters thesis is a description and discussion of the efforts to find a suitable Quality Management System. The thesis starts with a discussion about the vague quality concept, continues with a description of numerous frameworks, methods and systems related to quality management as well as their pros and cons and ends with a recommendation for Statistics Sweden. The recommendation is to use the EFQM Excellence Model as a quality framework, Six Sigma as a tool-box for improvement projects and modern internal auditing methods for evaluation and follow-up. Finally, issues related to the implementation of the system are discussed.

The evolving roadmaps of TQM (i.e. Six Sigma and Lean Production) have reached a consensus that creating value to customers is the aim of quality management. However, it is not uncommon that suppliers do not have a thorough understanding of customer value, do not know the methods and tools to enable value creation, or not knowing how to demonstrate suppliers’ competence in creating customer value. Although quality management has provided the fundamentals for creating value, further development is required in order to reduce or close the gap between the strategic and the tactical implications of customer value. This dissertation describes the development of quality management toward customer value creation in order to reduce the “gap” between value creation as the aim of quality management and the value as perceived by customers. The development of quality management requires a Profound Knowledge of Customer Value (PKCV), guiding principles that enable organisations to gain customer-related knowledge and to take necessary actions in order to create, deliver, and optimise customer value through quality management. The principles of PKCV are: appreciation for a value-creating system, knowledge about customer value modes, theory of improvements, and perceptions. A central point in the PKCV is Value Modes Effect &amp; Analysis (ValMEA), a concept which connects the higher and the lower level of customer value abstraction by describing that customer value appears in different “modes” in different contexts. This interconnection indicates that customer value is not just a concept that is goals/needs-related (fulfilment of goals or needs) or product-related (linked with a product), but also is competence-related (implying suppliers’ value creation potential). Hence, customer value is both the input and the output of a value-creating system, which “reveals” the bi-directional relationship between quality improvements and customer value. This means that customer value measurements may lead to the identification of improvement opportunities, and suppliers’ efforts in improving quality may influence customers’ perceptions regarding the value of the product. Through a re-interpretation of the principles of Six Sigma and Lean Production and the adaption of tools to capture customer value, quality management can be further developed toward customer value creation.

~ 3 ~ Abstract Master Program in Business process and Supply Chain Management Degree Project in Logistics 15 hp, Course 4FE06E Authors: Alexandra Dagberg, Alexander Thorén, Giovanni Tozzi, Kalin Velichkov Tutor: Roger Stokkedal Examiner: Helena Forslund Title: “Minimizing the risk of material shortage and waiting times via an improved order to delivery process – A study conducted within IV Produkt in Växjö” Background: Inventory Management activities have gained a relevant importance over the time in reducing uncertainties at both upstream as well as downstream levels of the supply chain, allowing a smooth material flow between chain members while responsively meeting customer demand. Control activities over the inventory represent a challenged and controversial aspect for most of today’s companies, including IV Produkt. Problem discussion: IV Produkt has, due to the rapid growth during the last ten years, fallen behind the area of inventory management as well as internal material handling process. The reason is that the company has not been able to develop these functions with the same pace as the economic growth. Consequently, the firm is facing difficulties to efficiently supply assembly lines, causing material shortage and waiting times. Research questions: RQ1: - How is the order to delivery process, from material supply functions to the Assembly line 2, at IV Produkt built up today? RQ2: - How can the order to delivery process of raw material and semi-finished products, between material supply functions and the Assembly line 2, be improved in order to minimize the risk of material shortage and waiting times? RQ3: - How can the physical storage of raw material and semi-finished products be structured within the studied area in order to support RQ2? Method: This thesis represents a descriptive case study conducted via a positivistic perspective and a deductive approach. Data was collected by interviews, observations and questionnaires, as well as via academic literature procured via a research in Linnaeus University’s library and via the use of approved web databases. Results are based on quantitative data collected from the studied company, guaranteeing the scientific credibility of the thesis. The respect of ethical principles were ensured by a discussion with company to mutually agree on the confidentiality of the presented information. Conclusion: The conclusion shows how the studied order to delivery process is built up today, highlighting several kind of waste in the current material and information flows. As a result, several actions, such as an extended use of the data system, the application of Kanban and the implementation of the ABC logic, in combination with a new proposed storage layout, were identified and proposed in order to minimize the risk of material shortage and waiting times.

A l'image des grands groupes, les PME souhaitent, elles aussi, profiter des méthodes modernes de management pour améliorer leurs processus, leurs performances et leur compétitivité. L'intérêt du secteur des PME se porte sur les éléments du concept Lean Six Sigma qui leur semblent appropriés pour réaliser ces objectifs. Après avoir constaté une lacune dans les recherches sur ce sujet et une lacune méthodologique concernant l'implémentation du LSS dans les PME, nous proposons une méthodologie de conception, d'application et de contrôle du LSS pour ces PME, que nous avons appelée LSS Plutus. Elle est dédiée aux PME de la production et elle prend en compte leur spécificité. Dans ce but, nous avons restreint la boîte à outils traditionnelle du LSS utilisée dans les grands groupes. Nous avons également créé deux variantes pour mettre en œuvre notre méthodologie qui correspondent aux besoins, capacités et maturités différents des PME. Nous avons élaboré des indicateurs, des outils, ainsi qu'un guide d'application de la méthode LSS pour les PME de la production et sa version informatique en TIBCO. Nous avons décidé de renforcer l'efficience des améliorations, en déployant les actions de planification, de standardisation et de pérennisation des changements. Dans ce but, nous proposons de modifier les critères du Modèle d'Excellence E.F.Q.M. pour qu'elles puissent prendre en compte les conditions de fonctionnement de la méthode LSS dans les PME. La méthodologie proposée a été vérifiée dans deux PME de la production en Pologne et en France, ce qui a confirmé son utilité et son efficacité en termes d'amélioration des performances et de développement des organisations

Denna undersökning syftar till att undersöka om de som är involverade i WISH på Metall-precision AB uppfattar WISH som en förbättrad och effektivare kommunikationsstrategi. Vi syftar på förbättrad i relation till hur det var innan WISH infördes, det vill säga innan år 2009. Kommunikationen inom WISH studeras främst ur ett manager perspektiv, tio av tolv inter-vjupersoner i denna undersökning har ett personalansvar. Undersökningen ägde rum på Metallprecision AB i Västersund. Sedan år 2009 pågår ett nytt förbättringsarbete, en förändringsprocess, som leder till effektiviseringar och förbättringar för Metallprecision AB. Detta förbättringsarbete kallas WISH. Vi genomförde tolv semistruk-turerade intervjuer. Resultatet visar att det finns flera olika uppfattningar om vad WISH syfte, mål och vision är för något. Alla involverade har dock en god förstålse för WISH och hur WISH praktiskt hjälper dem i deras dagliga arbete. Angående personalens olika uppfattningar av WISH syfte, mål och vision, så behöver det inte vara negativt att det råder viss variation inom rimliga gränser. Eftersom viss mångtydighet och flexibilitet främjar lärande och utveckling inom organisationen. För hård styrning via symboler och beteenden kan till och med begränsa kommunikation, därför kan det finnas styrkor med personalens olika uppfattningar enligt ovan, anser vi. Däremot kom vi fram till att det skulle finnas fördelar med att utbilda personalen mer då det gäller intranätet men även inom kommunikation eftersom vi upptäckte en del kommunikations-brister inom WISH utifrån vårt resultat. Det som idag främjar kommunikation inom WISH är delaktighet och diskussion som före-kommer på de regelbundna team och auditmötena.

Today, firms compete with services rather than goods. Large service organizations are beginning to use Six Sigma as continuous improvement tool. An important part of the Six Sigma methodology is the calculation of number of defects in the process, i.e. points outside the specification limits. Unlike goods quality, which can be measured objectively by number of defects, in service goods the setting up of specification limits is a complicated issue because it is marked by the use and expectations among the different customers. As Six Sigma was originally created for manufacturing, this crucial fact is not contemplated in the Six-Sigma roadmap Define- Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC). The aim of this thesis is to develop a new model to help the Service Division, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB to set the specification limits according to the customer expectations. A review of relevant literature is used to develop a new integrated model with ideas from the Kano model, SERVQUAL, Taguchi loss function, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) and a new model, the ”Trade-Off Importance”. A survey was carried out for 18 external customers and internal stakeholders. The model has demonstrated its robustness and credibility to set the specification limits. Additionally it is a very powerful tool to set the strategic directions and for service quality measurement. As far as we know, this thesis is the first attempt to create a roadmap to set the specification limits in services. Researchers should find a proposed model to fill the research gap. From a managerial standpoint, the practical benefits in Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB, suggest a new way of communicating to customers.