Many companies are entering the international manufacturing arena. The continued expansion of the global market suggests that international manufacturing will grow. Among other concerns, the difficulty of producing high quality in some countries suggests that it is critical that companies using international locations for manufacturing find methods to better monitor and improve quality. The purpose of this research was to develop and test a method for quality improvement in an offshore environment. This method would be specifically applicable to a third-party logistics company (3PL), where the 3PL is a United States company that brokers manufacturing in China, networks to multiple manufacturers for a variety of products within that country, and is responsible for the final quality of the products made in China. After designing a new quality method that focused on regular recording and reporting of data, it was implemented into a 3PL test-case company and tested and results reported. From the results salient points were identified that improve quality when working with a 3PL located in China with a parent company in the United States. These points include: structure for reporting quality, management involvement, employee dedication to quality, and cultural understanding and awareness. Recommendations for further research are also outlined. These include: extended time (beyond three months) to implement the method and test it, larger sample size to improve the quantitative analysis, cost benefit analysis for the implementation of the method, implementation in different nations, and implementation in a manufacturing company specific to a product.

Submitted by Livia Mello (liviacmello@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-09-30T13:59:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCGZ.pdf: 1196421 bytes, checksum: efdc2b46a97569552ed09f5648ed06e2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-20T16:17:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCGZ.pdf: 1196421 bytes, checksum: efdc2b46a97569552ed09f5648ed06e2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-20T16:17:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCGZ.pdf: 1196421 bytes, checksum: efdc2b46a97569552ed09f5648ed06e2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-20T16:17:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCGZ.pdf: 1196421 bytes, checksum: efdc2b46a97569552ed09f5648ed06e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / This study aims to understand how Six Sigma has been appropriated by companies, considering the involvement of blue collar workers in improvement teams, its composition and objectives prioritized by the method approaches in companies. Quality methods, especially those related to Japanese model, such as Total Quality Management, recommend the involvement of workers. Six Sigma, latest diffusion method, has particular regard to the organization of work, marked by studies that identify a more limited involvement than recommended by manuals Six Sigma and compared the quality methods used in the past. For its pioneering adoption of management practices, consisting of reference even for other sectors, the automotive sector was chosen to conduct the research, specifically the auto parts segment. In view of different uses of quality methods by companies, five case studies were conducted, as well as analysis of previous survey and information gathered in telephone interviews with six other companies. It was identified that the involvement of workers occurs mainly in quality control and suggestion programs, whose different formats can promote varying levels of involvement. Involvement with Six Sigma, in turn, is restricted to the collection of information for improvements. It is less likely workers were involved in the decision of the improvements to be developed and the full cycle of projects. The main reasons cited for not involve workers with Six Sigma were the complexity of statistical tools, the difficulties in giving training to workers and jobs cuts embedded in some improvements in the projects promoted. The company that promoted greater involvement has a consolidated experience in problem-solving teams, which joined the Six Sigma elements. This hybridization between methods was also observed in another participating company in relation to kaizen. A less significant involvement was observed in the company whose approach to Six Sigma is directed primarily to cost reduction. Since being acquired by a holding company, this company has restricted the participation of workers, signaling that the management of shareholders may be greatly influenced the organization of work, which is reinforced by the analysis of projects and implementation of Six Sigma in this company. The case studies contribute to the understanding of changes in work organization related to the spread of Six Sigma and the predominance of financial logic. / Este estudo tem por objetivo compreender como o Seis Sigma tem sido apropriado pelas empresas, considerando o envolvimento dos trabalhadores de fábrica nos grupos de melhorias, sua composição e os objetivos priorizados pelas abordagens do método nas empresas. Métodos de gestão da qualidade, principalmente aqueles relacionados ao modelo japonês, como a Qualidade Total, recomendam o envolvimento dos trabalhadores. O Seis Sigma, método de difusão mais recente, tem particularidades quanto à organização do trabalho, sinalizadas por estudos que identificam um envolvimento mais restrito que o recomendado pelos manuais de Seis Sigma e quando comparado a métodos de gestão utilizados no passado. Por seu pioneirismo na adoção de práticas de gestão, consistindo em referência inclusive para outros setores, o setor automotivo foi escolhido para realização da pesquisa, que se deu no segmento de autopeças. Tendo-se em vista os diferentes usos dos métodos de gestão pelas empresas, foram realizados cinco estudos de caso, além da análise de um survey prévio e de informações obtidas em entrevistas telefônicas com outras seis empresas. Identificou-se que o envolvimento dos trabalhadores dá-se principalmente no controle da qualidade e em programas de sugestões, cujos diferentes formatos podem promover variados níveis de envolvimento. O envolvimento com o Seis Sigma, por sua vez, está restrito à coleta de informações para as melhorias, sendo pouco frequente a participação dos trabalhadores na decisão das melhorias a serem desenvolvidas e no ciclo completo dos projetos. A complexidade das ferramentas estatísticas, as dificuldades em conceder treinamentos aos trabalhadores e os cortes de postos embutidos em algumas melhorias promovidas nos projetos foram os principais motivos apontados para não envolvê-los com o Seis Sigma. A empresa que promoveu maior envolvimento tem uma experiência consolidada em grupos de solução de problemas. Essa empresa associou a esses grupos elementos do Seis Sigma, hibridização também promovida por uma outra empresa participante em relação ao kaizen. Um envolvimento menos expressivo foi observado na empresa cuja abordagem do Seis Sigma é direcionada prioritariamente para redução de custos. Desde que foi adquirida por uma holding, essa empresa tem restringido a participação dos trabalhadores. Os estudos de caso contribuem para a compreensão de transformações na organização do trabalho relacionadas à difusão do Seis Sigma.

Der Einfluss des Raumcharakters auf die menschliche Tätigkeit ist einer der Grundsätze der „Umwelt-Mensch-Beziehung“ – und findet sich in allen Maßstabsebenen. Zur Beschreibung des Raumcharakters auf Siedlungsmaßstabsebene wird dieser Grundsatz beispielsweise mit den Thesen kognitive Karte (E. Tolman), visuelle Wahrnehmung (J. Gibson), Raumverständlichkeit (K. Lynch) und territoriale Ansprüche (H. Hertzberger) diskutiert. Es wird bisher dargelegt, dass sich das sozialpsychologische Verhalten gewissermaßen auf den Raumcharakter auf Siedlungsmaßstabsebene bezieht. Räume sind also mit ihrer sozialpsychologischen Raumqualität entsprechend zu charakterisieren. Jedoch ist nach heutigem Stand der Siedlungsraumcharakter hinsichtlich der sozialpsychologischen Raumqualität schwierig quantitativ zu bewerten, sodass es mithilfe der empirischen bzw. subjektiven Methode nötig ist, die oben genannten Thesen praktisch zu prüfen. Da diese Arbeit die Position des Apriorismus bzw. der Naturwissenschaft bezieht, wird mithilfe des Werkzeugs Space Syntax versucht, eine apriorische bzw. relativ objektive Methode zur Prüfung dieser Thesen zu entwickeln, um den Siedlungsraumcharakter in die sozialpsychologische Raumqualität umzuwandeln. Durch diese Methode können städtebauliche Maßnahmen zur Lösung der sozialen bzw. sozialpsychologischen Probleme in vorhandenen Siedlungen oder zur Vermeidung dieser Probleme bei Siedlungsneubau vorgeschlagen werden. In dieser Arbeit wird die Methode durch eine Grundtypenanalyse von Siedlungsmorphologien hinsichtlich der jeweiligen sozialpsychologischen Raumqualität musterhaft aufgebaut. Die Stadt Raunheim im Ballungsraum Frankfurt/Rhein-Main, als eine Siedlung in einer wachsenden Metropolregion, wird als Beobachtungsobjekt empirisch untersucht; das Migrationsverhalten dient als sozialpsychologischer Indikator zum Beweisen der Methode.