Elżbieta Skrzypek
The Strategy of Complex Quality
Management in the Conditions of the
Competitive Market
Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska. Sectio H, Oeconomia 28, 209-226
U N I V E R S I T A T I S M A R I A E C U R I E - S K L O D O W S K A L U B L I N — P O L O N I A
VOL. X X V III, 17 SECTIO H 1994
Z a k ł a d F u n k c j o n o w a n i a G o s p o d a r k i W y d z i a łu E k o n o m ic z n e g o U M C S
E l ż b i e t a S K R Z Y P E K
The Strategy of Complex Quality Management in the Conditions of the Competitive Market
S trategia k o m p lek so w eg o zarządzania jak ością w w aru n k ach k on k u ren cy jn eg o rynku
ST R A T EG IE S OF Q U A LITY M A N A G EM EN T
The lite ra tu re concerning m an ag em en t divides p roblem s into strategic, tactical and o p eratio n al ones, w hile in practice, one u su ally distinguishes tactical-operation al actions, w hich are connected w ith th e functioning of th e system , and strateg ic ones connected w ith th e system developm ent. A stra te g y co n stitu tes a d efin ite concepts of a c tiv ity in a longer period of tim e, considering th e an ticip ated changes in th e environ m ent. The insti tu tio n al en v iro n m en t of a firm is composed of th e following: g ov ern m ental and n o n-go vern m ental organizations, capital institutions, deliverers, economic courts, local self-go v ern m en t, custom ers and com petitors. The stra te g y includes th e choice of goals, m ethods and m eans aim ing at th e ir realization, it striv es at th e m ost com plete u tilizatio n of th e com pany’s chances w ith n eu tralized th re a ts; it has a creativ e and dynam ic character.
M. I. Ansoff sta te s th a t m ore and m ore o ften th e e n te rp rises w ill have to face th e fast ra te of new ly ap p earing phenom ena, w hich he described as a strateg ic su rp rise connected w ith th e phenom en of tu rb u le n ce (chan geability, rotation) of th e com pany’s enviro nm ent, w hich does not m ake it easier to ru n th e a c tiv ity .1
In th e conditions of th e form ation of m a rk e t econom y th e strateg y of the e n te rp rise can have a p a rtia l or global ch aracter, it can be offensive or defensive.
1 H. I. A n s o f f : Z a rzą d z a n ie s tra teg iczn e, PW E, W arsaw 1985, p. 236.
210 E lżbieta S k rzyp ek
The stra te g y of q u ality is an elem en t of a p ro d u ct-m a rk e t strateg y , th e products on th e a ttrac tiv e n e ss of w hich q u a lity has a significant in fluence are, according to P. F. D ru cker, ’’feeders of th e e n te rp rise ” .2
The experiences of m any com panies show th a t th e g reatest effects are achieved by those firm s w hich d ire c t th e ir a c tiv ity to q u a lity and fu ll satisfaction of th e a n ticip ated needs of th e custom er. The stra te g y of q u ality should com prise th e w hole life cycle of products, i.e. p re -p ro duction, p ro d u ctio n and p o st-p ro d u ctio n spheres. In th is respect, one can fin duseful th e pap ers by H. R. H ausen 3 and W. S ch u ler 4. They indicate th e significance, role and im portance of Q u ality F u n ctio n D eploym ent (QFD), w hich p rese n ts a so rt of a concept m ap m ark in g th e m anners of a m u lti-fu n c tio n process of plan ning and com m unicating in th e whole life cycle of a product. The application of Q u ality Function, w hich contains a d efinite n u m b e r of diagram s, includes:
— tra n sfo rm atio n of th e custom ers dem ands into tech n ical p ro p erties, — tra n sfo rm atio n of technical p ro p ertie s into com ponents,
— p lanning of th e fe a tu re s of th e process and p ro cedu re of control, — d eterm in atio n of p ro d u ctio n p a ra m e te rs jo in tly w ith th e p lann ing of assem bly and control.
This m ethod provides an o p p o rtu n ity of com bining th e cooperation of all th e d e p a rtm e n ts responsible for th e course of developm ental w ork and realizatio n activity. It is reg arded to be an im p o rta n t tool of m a naging th ro u g h qu ality, th a t is a com plex tre a tm e n t of q u ality . It is o rien tated on a d irect u se r and group w ork resu ltin g from practice.
An im p o rtan t role in d eterm in in g and explain ing th e custo m ers’ dem ands is also p layed by a m ethod called ’’Q u ality A rc h ite ctu re ”.5 It describes th e tools w hich m ake it possible to p lan and c a rry out th e projects in a controlled m an ner, eg. FM EA. This m ethod oom prises sp e cification and d efin ition of th e c u sto m ers’ req u irem e n ts and th e activities connected w ith solving th is problem .
The com pany’s s tra te g y in th e sp h e re of q u a lity is d eterm in ed by inside and outside conditions whose influence can be u n i- or m an y- d i rectional. The follow ing conditions should be d istinguished in th e stra te g y of th e e n te rp rise in th e sp h ere of q u a lity :
— progress in technique and technology, — d iffe re n tia tio n of th e cu sto m ers’ needs,
2 P. F. D r u c k e r : S k u t e c z n e za r z ą d z a n ie , PW E, W arsaw 1977, p. 93.
3 H. R. H a u s e n : T h e H ouse of Q u a l i t y U n c o n d itio n a l, A H arvard B u sin ess R ev iew P aperback 1991, pp. 65— 72.
4 W. S c h u l e r : Das g rosse W a s - W i e - S p i e l , ’’Q u alitat und Z u verlassigk eiV ’ 1992, no. 12, 1993, no. 12, 1993, no. 1.
5 H. S c h o 1 e n: Q u a lit y Function
— situ a tio n on inside and outsid e m ark e t, including in te rn atio n a li zation of q u a lity req u irem en ts,
— grow ing com petition,
— req u irem e n ts of en v iro n m en tal protection, — legislation.
The changes takin g place on th e E uropean m ark e t, w hich is getting m ore and m ore in teg rated , re q u ire s from its p a rticip a n ts a fast ad ju stm e n t to th e new conditions. The rev o lu tio n of q u a lity w hich has become a fact in th e con tem p o rary w orld forces a d efin ite b eh av io u r on th e p a rt of th e economic su b je c ts w hich should h elp in rem ainin g on th e m ore and m ore dem anding m ark e t. This situ a tio n req u ires a d efinite involvem ent into p lan ning and introducing of th e sy ste m of q u a lity assurance.
One of th e phenom ena of o u r tim es is a noticeable increase of the im portance of th e q u ality function. Q u ality is considered an effective w eapon against th e th re a t of m an and enviro nm ent. It is g enerally believed th a t th is is a w ay of economic and social recovery. Q uality is an in te r discip lin ary notion created on m an y levels of h u m an a c tiv ity and in cluding th e q u a lity of a p ro d u ct, w o rk and life. Q u ality is also a state of consciousness of all th e p a rtic ip a n ts in th e process of form atio n and m ain tenan ce of th e p ro p er sta n d a rd of th e fea tu re s q u aran teein g full satisfactio n of th e custom er.
In accordance w ith th e d e fin itio n of th e E u ropean Q uality O rgani zation, q u a lity is a com plex of fe a tu re s and charcteristics of a product w hich d eterm in e th e ab ility to sa tisfy th e declared and an ticip ated needs. The concept of u n d e rsta n d in g q u a lity as the degree of satisfying the cu sto m e r’s expectations opened th e w ay to success for a lot of firm s.
Q u ality should be to ta l, w hich m ean s th a t it should com prise all the functions of th e e n te rp rise and th e relatio n s betw een this e n te rp rise and its custom ers.
Q uality in econom y m u st be a stra te g ic goal. P ro -q u a lita tiv e strateg y req u ires p roviding it w ith th e p ro p e rtie s of absolute necessity in reali zation of economic goals.
U n d ertak in g q u a lity m an ag em en t is a chance for achieving high efficiency of m anaging. Q uality m an ag em en t to g e th e r w ith th e system of steerin g q u a lity in te g rate s all th e sy stem of organization in th e e n te r prise focusing it on achieving a n o ptim u m level of q u ality . S teerin g q u a lity co nstitu tes a system of gu id in g and coordinating th e activities on p a rtic u la r stages of th e creatio n of a p ro d u ct w ith th e aim of im proving or m ain tain in g q u a lity on an econom ically ju stified level. It should view q u a lity in strateg ic, tactical and o p eratio nal aspects. S teering q u a l i t y
should consider th e fact th a t q u a lity is a system process w hich concerns th e w hole activ ity and th a t it is th e basic foundation of economic efficiency.
212 E lżb ieta Skrzyp ek
Q u ality should be enforced in th e w hole sp h ere of th e activ ity of th e e n te rp rise and it should tak e into consid eratio n the needs of the custom er and th e producer. It has to be realized th a t q u a lity im provem ent can be achieved only w h en th e need fo r q u a lity m anag em en t is g enerally felt.
In the countries w ith a high level of developm ent, q u a lity is the m ajo r p a ra m e te r of com petition, besides th e price and th e prom p tn ess it has becom e the basic fatco r decisive about th e degree of th e cu stom ers’ satisfactio n and consequently, about th e m a rk e t success of th e producer.
THE REQUIREM ENT OF Q U A LITY M A N A G EM EN T IN THE C O N D ITIO N S OF C O M PETITIO N
In the conditions of m a rk e t economy, q u a lity m anag em en t becomes a necessity, w hich follows from th e fact th a t ab ou t 80% of th e problem s associated wiith steerin g q u a lity resu lt from im p ro p er m anagem ent. This is a m eaningful exem plification of th e s u p e rio rity of organizational activities over technical-technological eq u ip m en t.6 Q u ality should be a process directed at fu lfillin g th e needs of th e custom ers, its assurance req u ires system atic, h a rd and tedious w ork, and success can only be sh ared by those who are able to focus on con stan t cooperation in th e tre n d tow ards a sy stem atic and u n in te rru p te d im pro vem ent. Q u ality im pro v em en t th ro u g h p re v e n tin g d efectiveness m eans th a t th e com pany’s p a rticip a tio n on th e m a rk e t gets g re a te r and th e produ ctio n costs get low er.7 The e n te rp rise should have at its disposal such a system of q u a lity w hich w ould convince th e cu stom er th a t his req u irem e n ts w ill be satisfied. T herefore, satisfactio n of th e c u sto m e r’s ex p ectation s is an im p o rta n t m easu rem en t of quality.
Q u ality m anagem ent is m ore and m ore o fte n perceived of as a su b s y s te m of global m anagem ent, in th is co n tex t q u a lity m eans n o t oniy satisfaction of th e cu sto m er’s req u irem e n ts and ex pectations b u t also those of th e w hole society, d eliv erers, p a rtn e rs and w ork ers of th e en terp rise. E. Dem ing sta te d th a t ’’only those firm s w ill surv ive till th e end of th e c e n tu ry w hich aim a t q u ality , p ro d u c tiv ity and efficient s e r vice of th e custo m er”. In th e conditions of grow ing com pétition th e w in n e r w ill be th e one w ho w ill find th e custo m er fo r th e p roducts, services or inform ation.
6 J. M. J u r a ą F. M. G r y n a : Jakość, p r o j e k t o w a n i e , analiza, W NT, W ar- s a w 1974.,
7 E. S k r z y p e k : S y s t e m y z a p e w n ie n i a ja k o ś c i , PTE L u blin, 1992, parts I, II, 1993, part III.
The need for realizatio n of q u a lity m an ag em ent in e n te rp rises follows from the follow ing conditions:
— th e d iffic u lty of en terin g and surv iving on th e com petitive m ark e t, — g re a te r req u irem e n ts sed for th e product,
— m ore and m ore comm on practice of dem anding th e q u a lity system s supplied w ith d o cu m en tary evidence w hich w ould g u a ra n tee th a t the pro d u cts fu lfill th e cu sto m ers’ expectations.
C om petitiveness of prod u cts is closely rela te d to th e grow ing dem ands set for th e p ro d u cts and these dem ands resu lt from th e cu sto m ers’ e xpectatio n s and also from m ore and m ore severe legal ex pectations connected w ith th e secu rity of using th e products, h e a lth and life p ro tection of th e people and th e p ro tection of n a tu ra l environm ent.
The co ncen tration of th e e n te rp rise on fu lfillin g th e changing expec tatio n s of th e custom ers m eans d irectin g th e activities on q u ality. It is necessary to realize th a t q u ality cannot be controlled. It is w rong to expect th a t satisfying th e cu sto m ers’ req u irem e n ts is possible th ro u g h tra d itio n a l tech niq ues of steerin g q u ality . T h at is th e reason w hy th e re is a necessity of hav ing a com plex, to ta l look at q uality. The en terp rise should w ork out its own m odel of q u a lity m an agem ent providing q u ality w ith a defin ite dim ension. In th is respect, one can find useful th e indi cations contained in th e p ap ers by J. S. O akland 8 and F. Jen sen 9. From th e po in t of view of q u a lita tiv e success of a firm , th e answ ers to th e follow ing questions are crucial:
— who is or is to be our custom er, — w hat are th e cu sto m er’s dem ands, — w hat is th e object of tu rn o v e r, — who is our com petitor,
— how are we going to cope w ith th e dem ands.
The Polish en te rp rises function in a d efin ite en v iro n m en t w hich is not alw ays frien d ly so th ey m u st w ork o u t th e ir own style of q u a lity m an ag em en t rela te d to th e environm ent. One cannot u n critically follow th e A m erican, Jap anese or E uropean styles possessing th e ir ow n specific fe a u tre s w hich cannot be alw ays ad ap ted to th e com pletely d iffe re n t P olish conditions.10
The A m erican m odel is characterized by the fact th a t th e firm acts on th e princip le ’’em ploy and dism iss” , w hich is connected w ith the
8 I. J e n s e n : M a t e r ia ł y s z k o le n io w e ; D anish T ech n ological In stitu te, C o p en h a g en 1992.
* J. S. O a k l a n d : T o ta l Q u a lit y M a n a g e m e n t, B u tterw o rth -H ein em a n n Ltd., O xford 1992.
10 L. W a w i l e w s k i : M odele str a te g ii ja k o ś c i f i r m p r z e m y s ł o w y c h , IOiZ ’’O R G M A SZ ”, W arsaw 1994, pp. 37— 51.
214 E lżb ieta Skrzyp ek
m obility of th e lab o u r m ark et, th e d om inating position of th e owner, developed b u re a u c ra y w ith its ow n h iera rc h y and links. The s t a t e , of balance is established in th e firm w ith a high level of tensions; new ch an ges are rela tiv e ly easy, sta ff flu ctu atio n is considered to be a dynam ic factor. J. J u ra n as a classical rep re sen ta tiv e of th e A m erican approach to q u ality claim ed alread y in th e 1960’s th a t 20% of th e causes of defects can be ascribed to th e w o rk ers and 80% to th e m anaging a p p aratu s. E. Dem ning in his w ork ’’Q uality, Effectiveness, C om petitive P o sitiq n '’ of 1982 stated th a t an A m erican m anag er has no chance for c o n stru c t ing a system of q u a lity assurance in his firm .
The E uropean m odel has a tra d itio n al and a little b u rea u c ratic c h a r acter, it is characterized by a stro ng position of th e staff in regu ltion s concerning th e rig h ts of tra d e unions, th e s ta te ’s in te rv en tio n into th e processes of lab o u r m a rk e t regulations, th e staff p a rticip a te s in m anaging the firm , the em p loy er has a stro ng position. The balance is fairly stable. The e n tre p re n e u r in th is m odel enjoys th e position w hich is appreciated by the o w n er and th e m anag em en t ap p aratu s. The ow n er has a less active role as com pared w ith th e A m erican m odel, the sta ff flu c tu atio n is not tre a te d as a facto r dynam ic for th e firm . The E uropean approach is focused on securing technological discpline in th e p rod u ction process; it often happens th a t bad q u a lity is a ttrib u te d to th e d irect producers.
The Japan ese m odel is characterized by life tim e em ploym ent. The ow ner gives up th e prin cip al a ttrib u te s of his p ow er such as sovereign decisions re fe rrin g to th e division of p ro fits and exchange of the w orkers. The p rinciple of stim u lu s and pu n ish m en t to w ard s th e w orkers w as given up and replaced w ith a m o tiv atio nal system based on th e criterio n of the length of em ploym ent w hich d eterm ines th e salaries. The Jap an ese firm is balanced and flexible. Its philosophy is th a t of in n er h arm o n y and tru s t betw een th e p a rtn e rs; changes in organization are co n stan tly in troduced, th e firm invests into skills and know ledge of th e w o rk ers con sidering it an im p o rta n t facto r of progress and developm ent. The Japanese stra te g y consists in th e accum ulation of a new form of w ealth w hich is knowledge, and in in tro d ucin g it in the products. K now ledge is regarded as an organized q u a lity of thinking, w hich is u tilized in th e process of designing th e p ro d u ct and its p ro d uctio n and w hich provides th e u se r w ith a new v alue increasing th e fu n ctio n ality and u tility of the product. In this m odel, the sta ff flu c tu atio n is tre a te d as a d e stru c tiv e agent.
D ifferences in view ing q u a lity in the discussed m odels of m anagem ent are grounded in d iffe re n t conditions (in fra stru c tu re , organization) of introducing th e m ethods. The m odel of economic o rganization can be presen ted in th e form of a q u adran g le of its m ajo r com ponents, i.e. p a r t
ners, e n tre p re n e u rs, em ployers and em ployees), w hile th e differences existing in th e relation s b etw een th em and the activ ities conducted or given up by th e firm m akes it possible to u n d e rsta n d d iffe re n t approaches to q u a lity in those th re e basic schools, i.e. A m erican, Japanese and E uro pean ones. In th e whole w orld, o rien tatio n s get changed, new opportu nities app èar of obtaining new m ark e ts and new possibilities of profits.
The Polish m odel of m anagem ent m u st consider th e environ m en t in w hich the e n te rp rises function. This en v iro n m en t is composed of th e real subjects, i.e. custom ers, cap ital suppliers, com petitors, d eliv erers of goods and services, g overnm ent and c o u rt ad m in istratio n , economic unions and associations and fin a lly local self-g ov ernm en t. The en terp rise keeps d efinite relatio n s w ith these su b jects. The problem of q u ality m anagem ent p aradig m is an ex tre m e ly im p o rta n t m a tte r. In Poland this problem is still o ften view ed in th e categories of technical control, w hile in th e w hole w orld it m eans control o ver th e scale of random ness of events in th e processes, w hich is closely c o rrelated w ith the m anaging abilities of th e bosses and th e m an agem ent system s in firm s.
The policy ru n by th e e n te rp rises in th e dom ain of q u a lity is related to th e w hole of outside factors and th e com pany’s in n er possibilities. This policy d eterm in es the choice of an o ptim um stra te g y w hich can take the following form s 11 :
— su p rem acy , w hich m eans enforcing one’s ow n q u a lity p a tte rn s and rejectin g th e stran g e ones,
— m ain tain in g eq u ality, w hich m eans th e form ation of one’s own com petitive q u a lity p a tte rn s,
— a chase, th a t is concen tratio n on the achievem ent of q u ality p a tte rn s corresponding to the leading foreign ones,
— convergence, w hich m eans u n d e rta k in g th e pro d u ctio n of goods of considerable convergence w ith one’s own program of p rod u ction and one’s own stru c tu re ,
— searching for so-called w eak and stro n g points and confronting them w ith one’s own stro n g p o ten tial,
— a critical factor, w hich m eans considering w h at d eterm in es success of a p ro d uct on th e m ark et.
The choice of q u a lity policy is closely rela te d to th e position of goods of a given firm on th e m ark et. The elem ents of th e policy of q u ality m anagem ent include th e following: m ark e t, legislative system , m aterial and technical base, c u ltu ra l p a tte rn s, technical and w o rk e r’s staff, stru c tures, p rocedures and techn iqu es of m anagem ent.
216 E lżbieta S k rzyp ek
The system of q u a lity creation in an e n te rp rise co n stitu tes a set of activities in th e sp h ere of pro gram m in g and coordinating all th e technical, economic, organizational and legislative facto rs d ete rm in in g th e q u a lity of a p ro d u ct and aim ing a t th e q u a lity level of goods w hich w ould satisfy the cu sto m ers’ dem ands in th e best possible w ay. The firm ’s success is also determ in ed by its position on th e m ark e t, com petition, th e situ a tio n of p ro du ctio n and costs, w hich are jo in tly re fe rre d to as th e critical factors of th e firm ’s success.
A. V. Feigenbaum , w ho created the concept of com plex con tro l over q u a lity indicates th a t m odern q u a lity m anag em en t enables to achieve effects in five p rin cip al sp h eres of a c tiv ity w hich re fe r to th e follow ing:
— th e decision of m aking q u a lity the basic strateg ic goal,
— tran sfo rm in g the firm ’s q u a lity s tra te g y onto th e c u sto m e r’s dem ands,
— introducing th e necessary activities in th e sp here of q u a lity in th e whole en terp rise,
— m anagem ent activities in th e field of organizational and technical m atters,
— m o tiv atio n in th e w hole firm , its in tro d u ctio n and m easu rem en t. Q uality m anagem ent is a dynam ic and innovative process including th e following:
— th e c u ltu re of u n iv ersal q u a lity (involvem ent of th e h igh est adm i n istratio n, the cu sto m er’s satisfaction, co nstant im provem ent, search ing for n e w w ays of low ering th e aosts),
— hum an ization of th e pro du ctio n process, — prom otion of q u a lity consciousness, — m otivation,
— pro g ram s of q u a lity im provem ent, — g en eral p articip a tio n of th e em ployed.
THE SY STEM OF Q U A LITY A SSU R A N C E A S THE TOOL OF THE STR A TEG IC P L A N IN THE E N T E R PR ISE
In th e a c tiv ity of each firm , h u m an , technical and organizational factors have a card in al role to play. The sy stem of q u a lity assurance con stitu tes a specific m eans of supervision over th ese facto rs and th is supervision m u st be supplied w ith d o c u m e n tary evidence if it is to p r e v en t defectiveness. This is a set of activities d irected at th e satisfactio n of th e cu sto m ers’ req u irem e n ts and fo rm u la ted in th e form of docum en ta r y procedures, in stru ctio n s, q u a lity books w hich in a com pact form
in te g rate all these activities. The system of q u a lity assurance is c h a ra c te r ized by the follow ing:
— it co n stitu tes a tool of dividing and ordering the w o rk ers’ duties and rights,
— it provides th e ru les of w ork and the dem ands set before the processes,
— it serves the im provem ent of th e in n er atm o sph ere of w ork, — it p ro tects th e w orkers against stress,
— it m akes it possible to reach th e assum ed level of qu ality, — it g u a ra n tee s sta b ility of th e featu res,
— it p ro te c ts against defectiveness and its results.
The system of q u a lity assurance con stitutes th e found atio n of the firm ’s strateg ic plan. The m ost significant elem ent of th is system is going aw ay from th e w ay of view ing q u a lity so fa r as it o ften m eant th a t th e section of q u a lity control was responsible fo r q u a lity and th a t q u a lity could be controlled, w hile th e point is th a t it cannot if it is not produced. Q u ality should be ta k e n care of in th e w hole life cycle of p roducts, in all the phases of th e ir creation, i.e. in pre-p ro d u ctiv e, pro d u ctiv e and p o st-p ro d u ctiv e spheres. A t each stage, q u a lity should be checked and th e resu lts provided in a d o cu m en tary form . This is an im o p rta n t p roblem because th e studies conducted o n th e b eh av io u r of e n te rp rises p ro ve th a t th e firm ’s stra te g ic situ atio n is to a big e x te n t re la te d to th e life cycle of p ro du cts w hich presen ts th e phenom enon of how th e p ro d u ct g rad u ally acqu ires and loses th e ab ility to satisfy th e c u sto m ers’ needs. This cycle consiisits of:
— th e phase of pro d u ct form ation: ideas, varian ts, research, p re p a ratio n for production,
— th e phase of offering th e p ro d u ct on th e m ark e t, th e so-called m a rk e t phase of th e p rod u ct: intro d u ctio n on th e m ark e t, grow th, satisfaction, grow ing older.
The grow ing globalization of p ro d u cts and m a rk e t causes th a t this phenom enon should not be view ed only on th e nativ e scale b u t also on th e in te rn atio n a l scale.
The te rm q u a lity assurance app eared in USA in th e m iddle of the 20th c. It w as connected w ith th e in tro d u ctio n of larg e in d u stria l p ro g ram s in m ilita ry , oosmic, a ir and n u c le a r sectors. A t th a t tim e, th e aim w as set to organize sy stem atic and based on defin ite m ethods w ays of p rev e n tin g th e causes of defects. The aim w as plausible on condition of ap p ly in g e x tre m e ly rigorous and s tric t procedures. In tro d u c tio n of th e system s of q u a lity assurance is necessary in th e c o n tem p o rary w orld, besides, a n u m b e r of conditions show th a t th is process w ill undergo
218 E lżbieta S krzypek
system atic acceleration. This is proved by six prin ciples w orked o u t by H. S eriey 12:
— w orld scale of events,
— reversed relatio n b etw een supply and dem and, — acceleration of technological events,
— info rm ativ e revolution, — changing living conditions, — com plexity,
— necessity of searching for th e se cu rity of people and goods by m eans of en v iro n m en tal protection.
The q u ality system w hich is w ell plan n ed, elab orate, supplied w ith do cum en tary evidence and intro du ced serves g re a te r cred ibility of the firm and it should resu lt in low ered costs w hich are an im p o rtan t problem facing a lot of firm s. This system gu aran tees th e p ro p e r p erform ance of each o p eration for th e first tim e, on tim e and p ro p erly each tim e.13 Such a system gives c e rta in ty of obtaining a pro d u ct coming up to expectations. Besides, it creates a c e rtain c h a ra c te r and a d istin ct style of m an agem ent.14
According to th e definition of a norm ISO 8402 D ictionary of Q uality, th e q u ality system is a s tru c tu re of organization, d istrib u tio n of resp o n sibility, procedures, processes and resources w hich enable q u a lity m an a- gem ent. T herefore, one can say th a t it is a specific, ord ered set of rules, principles and procedures, reg u lation s and in stru ctio n s of organizational, ad m in istrativ e, technical and personal c h a ra c te r w h ich g u aran tees effi cient activity.
The system of q u a lity assurance is based on a constant choice of factors w hich d ete rm in e the q u a lity level of prod u cts. Its aim is to secure such conditions w hich w ould satisfy th e cu sto m er’s needs in the best possible way. It com prises a broad com plex of activities w hich are realized by th e services of m ark etin g , research and developm ent, d is tr i bution, po st-p u rch ase and g u aran tee services.
The system s of q u a lity assurance are realized in all th e countries w ith m ark e t economy, b u t th e p roblem s of q u a lity ste e rin g a re not alw ays separated. F o r exam ple in USA such notions as ste e rin g q u ality , technical control and q u a lity assurance are identified. In Ja p a n on the o ther hand, th ese problem s are tre a te d as se p ara te ones and steerin g is tre a te d as control in th e process of th e creation of a p rod uct, q u a lity assurance is regarded as p e rm a n en t estim atio n of steerin g efficiency,
12 J akość p a s z p o r t e m e k sp o r tu , C B J W , A F N O R , W arsaw 1993, p. 4.
13 E. S k r z y p e k : S y s t e m y z a p e w n ie n i a ja k o ś c i — d o ś w ia d c z e n ia p r z e d s i ę b io r stw , UM CS, L u b lin 1993.
w hile technical control is considered to be th e selection of good and bad p roducts.
The q u a lity system should be m ean t to keep th e cu stom ers and to find th e new ones, to im prove th e discipline of p rod uction by w ay of th e rig h t steerin g of th e processes and to im prove organization and m anagem ent, to reduce th e costs connected w ith a lack of q u a lity and also to im prove sy stem atically th e c u ltu re of q u a lity in the enterp rise.
The q u a lity sy stem is aim ed a t d eterm in in g the organizational c o n ditions of th e firm , responsibility, sta ff qualifications in each sphere of th e firm ’s activ ity .
The system of q u a lity assuran ce is based on a constant choice of facto rs w hich are decisive ab o u t th e q u a lity level of th e p ro du ct (articles,, services, inform ation). Its aim is to cre a te such conditions w hich m ake it possible to satisfy the needs in th e best possible w ay. This is as e x tre m ely im p o rtan t problem . P. D rucker, a classic on m anag em ent sciences, claim s th a t th e m ission and ”to be o r not to b e ” of an en terp rise in m a rk e t econom y is o rie n tatio n on th e custom er. One of th e w ays to reach th e custo m er is g u aran teein g of th e q u a lity w hich is understood as satisfaction of th e d eclared and an ticip ated needs of th e custom er. An a u th e n tic care about th e custom er is an im p o rta n t indicator of efficient functioning of th e en terp rise.
The m ode of th e w orking of th e q u a lity system w hich constitutes a constan t choice of q u a lita tiv e factors is d eterm in ed by a n ordered c lu ste r of goals including th e following:
— scientific and technical goals, — p ro d uction goals,
— economic goals, — social goals.
The q u a lity system of an e n te rp rise is rela te d to th e goals w hich are going to be realized, th e kind of th e produced goods or th e services w hich are ren d ered as w ell as to th e experience possessed by th e e n te r prise in th e sp h ere of q u ality . Each e n te rp rise has a c e rta in freedom in th e creation of its own, d istin ct sy stem of q u ality. It follows from the specific c h a ra c te r of each e n te rp rise w hich is d eterm in ed by outside and inside conditions, and especially by th e financial condition, th e technical condition, th e sta te of technology, organization, consciousness of th e staff and th e a d m in istra tio n as w ell as th e atm osphere fo r quality .
The q u a lity system provides the ru les concerning the creation of q u a lity in th e e n te rp rise and it is a specific m eans of overcom ing chaos c h aracteristic of com plex s tru c tu re s in e n te rp rises th ro u g h o rdering th eir a c tiv ity and elim in ating th e ir no n-o rd ered organization.
220 E lżbieta Skrzyp ek
The q u a lity system serves th e b e tte rm e n t of th e inn er c u ltu re of th e en te rp rise and th e construction of th e ’’c u ltu re of ch anges” w hich should su p p o rt th e process of re stru c tu rin g . Its aim is also to achieve th e w orld stan d ard s of q uality.
ISO NORM S A S THE B A S IS FOR THE Q U A LITY SY STEM
The norm s of ISO 9000 contain general conditions and directions for th e co n stru ction of q u a lity system s. They are of g en erativ e c h a ra c te r and th ey can be adap ted to th e needs of th e e n terp rise. They find ev er g re a te r application in th e ag reem en ts b etw een th e en te rp rises and th ey are th e g u a ra n tee for th e custom ers th a t th e d e liv e re rs are able to keep th e ag reem en ts in th e field of stab le, high q u a lity of p roducts. These norm s w ere accepted by 70 co u n tries and p rovided a n im p o rta n t basis for th e creatio n of q u a lity system s. They w ere also in trod uced in Poland m 1993.
These norm s w ere w orked out in 1987 by ISO (In te rn a tio n a l O rgani zation fo r S tandardization). The prin ciples and th e need fo r h av in g a global look at th e pro d u ctio n process in th e co n tex t of p ro p e r q u a lity of th e p ro d u ct w ere presen ted by Feigenbaum . This concept w as developed by M. J u ra n and E. M. G ryn. It is believed th a t those w orks provided an im p o rta n t basis fo r ISO norm s, series 9000. Q u ality m an agem en t w hich has its origin in th e A m erican m ilita ry in d u stry is a w ell-d efin ed w ay of m anagem ent. A t th e end of th e 1980’s as th e re su lt of th e experiences w ith the norm M IL-Q and th e B ritish and C anadian norm s, ISO w orked out a series of in te rn atio n a l norm s ISO 9000.
It should be em phasized th a t th e norm s ISO 9000 are not th e only tools of q u a lity assurance. An im p o rta n t role in th is respect is also p lay ed by th e guides ISO/IEC, norm s EN, norm s ETS, norm s ENV, norm s HD and o thers, Besides, on th e basis of w idely held discussion, for exam ple in ’’Q u a lity ”, it can be stated th a t in q u a lity assurance a big role is also played by q u a lity books, th e cu sto m ers’ acknow ledgem ent, th e firm s ’ d eclarations, GM P (Good M an u facturing Practice), ECCC (E lectronic C om ponent C ertificatio n Com m unity), M alcolm B aldridge A w ard, E d w a rd s D em ing A w ard and others.
A ccording to th e d irections of th e Council, th e norm w as defined as a tech nical specification acknow ledged by a recognized organ of n o rm a li zation for rep eated or p e rm a n e n t use whose fu lfilm e n t is not obligatory. It was stated in th e in tro d u ctio n to th e norm ISO 9000 th a t th e m ain aim of th e activ ity of an e n te rp rise is th e q u a lity of its p ro d u cts and
services. Besides, it was indicated th a t th e basic aim s of th e e n te rp rise include th e following:
— achievem ent and m ain ten an ce of th e q u a lity of th e m an u fa ctu red goods or th e services so th a t th ey should sa tify the cu sto m er’s needs,
— assurance of tr u s t to th e m an ag er about th e achiev em en t and m ain ten ance of th e q u a lity level,
— assurance of tr u s t to th e custo m er about the achievem ent of the intend ed q u a lity in a p ro d u ct or a service.
The ISO norm c o n stitu te a reliab le basis of q u ality . They possess th e follow ing ch aracteristics:
— th e m ethods recom m ended by ISO norm s and especially th e ir philosophy, a re th e essence of m an y years of experience of th e best W estern firm s, th e y are considered to be a v e ry d ifficu lt b u t safe w ay of overcom ing th e economic crisis,
— th e y have a significant role in creating th e technical b a rrie rs in tra d e and export,
— these norm s co n stitu te a real facto r of prom oting th e techn ical progress and the q u a lity of goods, th e y p erfo rm th e function of a n o n -ta riff b a rrie r of tra d e w hich m u st be seriously considered,
— th e y reflect th e fo rm atio n of new, qu ite d iffe re n t stereo ty p es and relatio n s betw een th e p a rtn e rs,
— in tro d u ctio n of these norm s is a basic condition of realizing th e a g reem en ts of Poland w ith EEC, besides, th e ir in tro d u ctio n stim u la te s th e m a rk e t p ressu re w hich is an obvious fact in m ark e t econom y and w hich is a certain kind of an alarm system ,
— th e ir constructio n allow s all th e e n te rp rises to use th em in d ep end e n tly of th e size of th e firm s and th e ir resources,
— these norm s show th e aim fo r th e a c tiv ity of th e e n te rp rise, b u t th e y do not show how to achieve it. It m eans th a t w hile in trod ucin g indications of th e norm s into practice, th e y m u st alw ays be ad ju ste d to th e specific c h a ra c te r of th e en terp rise,
— th e y contain some info rm atio n b u t th ey do not point at th e w ay of solving a problem , th ey are not a p rescriptio n, th ey are ch aracterized b y openness and g en erality ,
— th ey are a solid basis of q u ality , th ey give a g u a ra n tee fo r e n te rin g and su rv iv in g on th e m ark e t,
— th ey sanction th e new philosophy of q u ality ,
— th ey indicate th e y w ay in w hich th e p ro d u cer can design, realize and p rese n t a system of q u a lity assurance,
— th e ir aim is to ex p lain th e differences and in te rre la tio n s b etw een th e m ain concepts of q u a lity and to p rovide some indications about how
222 E lżb ieta Skrzyp ek
to choose and use th e fu rth e r norm s in th is respect w hich can be used for th e inside q u a lity m an ag em en t or the outside q u a lity assurance,
— these norm s can be found u seful in co n tract and n o n -co n tract situations and th e d e liv e re r alw ays tries to in trodu ce and m ain tain th e q u ality system w hich w ould lead to g re a te r com petition on th e m a rk e t and w hich w ould m ake it possible to achieve th e req u ired q u ality w ith efficient costs,
— th ey are to d eterm in e th e basis for a d istin ct and rep eatab le sy stem of q u ality assurance whose realizatio n should be aim ed at m axim um economic efficiency and satisfactio n of th e c u sto m ers’ expectations, w hich is the condition of th e la tte r ’s tru s t,
— th ey tre a t th e principles of q u a lity assu rance in a com plex m an n e r considering th e w hole of th e functions p erfo rm ed by th e en terp rise, i.e. m ark etin g, designing, supply, planning, developm ent, control, research , dispatch, in stallatio n at th e cu sto m er’s service,
— th e y co n stitu te th e basis for designs and m odernization of p ro d u c tion processes, optim alization of th e organizational s tru c tu re , rem o vin g the factors d istra c tin g for th e p ro du ction process, in tro d u ctio n of te c h nological and m easu rem en t equ ip m ent not only in rela tio n to pro d u ctio n but also to w rapping, storing, d esignating and th e procedures concerning defective products,
— th ey are an efficient w eapon in com petitive struggle,
— although these are not vi legis norm s b u t vi contractus ones th e y become reg u la to rs of in te rn atio n a l exchange of goods and services in a v e ry sh o rt tim e,
— besides satisfying th e cu sto m er’s req u irem e n ts, the package of norm s ISO 9000 fu lfil th e req u irem e n ts of cooperation, because th e certificate creates a p lane of u n d e rsta n d in g th e re is a possibility of using th e same language w hich g u aran tees the conditions of com patibility,
— th e norm s ISO 9000 are a so rt of shock in th e en terp rise, th e re is consciousness th a t the q u a lity control used so fa r is a dead end,
— according to th e decision of th e Technical C om m ittee ISO /IEC 176, these norm s have th e follow ing stra te g ic aim s: g eneral acceptance, p rese n t com patibility, com patibility in th e fu tu re and fle x ib ility in th e fu tu re ,
— these norm s are com pletely d iffe re n t from th e in d u stria l norm s used so far, th a t is w hy th e y are called th e th ird g eneration norm s because th e y co n stitu te norm alized m ethods of m an ag erial practice.
TOTAL Q U A LITY — TQM
In the conditions of a radical change in th e a ttitu d e to q u a lity and a new approach to its essence, it is necessary to consider th e principles of TQM s tra te g y (Total Q u ality M anagem ent) in the system of m an a gem ent. This s tra te g y is defined as a w ay of the firm ’s a c tiv ity enabling to create p ro d u cts or services of a req u ired stan d ard . C om plex qu ality m anagem en t is a philosophy w hich is in tro duced on a broad scale in m an y en terp rises. The aim of global, univ ersal, to ta l and com plex qu ality m anagem en t is success th ro u g h th e satisfactio n of th e needs and re q u i re m e n ts of th e m ark e t. It includes th e follow ing stages:
— the stra te g ic level com prising: se ttle m e n t of goals, c riteria for the achievem en t of success, conditions and possibilities of in tro du cing global m an agem ent,
— se ttle m en t of tactical tasks containing q u a lity plans, q u a lity sys tem s, m eans, a c tiv ity range, planning and m anaging of th e un dertakin g s, — the o p eratio n al level including train in g , prom otion, m otivation, estim atio n and m anagem ent of p a rtic u la r section.
TQM m eans a d efin ite c u ltu re of organization defined as p e rm an en t asp iratio n to th e achievem ent of th e cu sto m ers’ satisfaction th ro u g h an in te g rate d sy stem of tools, tech niqu es and trainin g. The elem ents of TQM c u ltu re include th e following:
— the use of info rm atio n about q u a lity for th e p urposes of constant im p ro v em ent and n o t control,
— close co rre la tio n betw een a u th o rity and responsibility,
— identification and prom otion of th e effects achieved by the w orkers and a tte m p ts to ap p reciate each w o rk e r’s efforts aim ing at p e rm an en t im provem en t,
— far reaching feeling of se cu rity d u rin g w ork,
— creatin g the conditions fo r th e atm o sp here of honesty and re lia b ility ,
— care ab o ut ju st and honest salaries for th e w o rk ers em ployed on all th e levels of organization,
— creatin g th e conditions for th e w o rkers to have th e ir sh ares in the e n te rp rise.
Com plex q u a lity m anagem ent, according to m any au th o rs, is based on E. D em ing’s 15 q u a lita tiv e philosophy, and his theses are considered to be th e foundations of q u a lita tiv e revolution.
TQM m eans coordinated activity , a dynam ic process of perfectio n the aim of w hich is to o rie n tate th e firm to th e cu stom ers’ satisfaction. It
15 E. W. D e r a i n g : Q u a lity, P r o d u c t i v i t y and C o m p e t i t i v e Position, MIT C en te r A d van ced E n gin eerin g S tudy, C am bridge, M assach u setts 1982.
224 E lżb ieta Skrzyp ek
contains a stra te g y intended above all to satisfy th e custom ers. Besddes, th e aim of th is stra te g y is to do aw ay w ith final control and to su p p o rt inspection o ver th e course of th e processes, w hich m eans th a t steerin g a process does not rem ove e rro rs b u t seeks th e w ays of p re v e n tin g them . In practice, it is a lo n g -term process w hich req u ires d eterm in atio n , self-discipline and endurance. It is believed to be an endless process because in th e face of co n stan tly changing inside and ou tside conditions, im p rov em ent has no tem p o ral o r m a te ria l lim its. A rea l increase of efficiency and low ered costs should be th e real effects of such conduct
TQM is a s tra te g y w hich should re su lt in changes in th e w hole e n te rp rise w ith th e aim of achieving success w hich can be realied w hen th is aim is clearly defined w ith th e fixed stra te g y and defined c riteria of m easu rin g th e effects. T h at is w hy it is im p o rta n t to:
— m ake an accurate diagnosis of th e en terp rise,
— lead to th e discipline of th e ad m in istratio n and th e w hole personnel, — search for new w ays of q u a lity im provem ent,
— m ake a th o ro u g h control of th e resu lts, provide in form ation about them and give p ro p er m otivation to th e w orkers.
T he decisions about introducing com plex q u ality m an ag em en t m u st be m ad e having in m ind th a t a n im p o rta n t role in th is resp ect is played by th e sta te of technique and technology, organization, m ark eting , know ledge of th e m arket, introduced system s of q u ality assurance w orked o u t on th e basis of th e norm s ISO 9000, th e system of com m unication and others.
The elem ents of total q u ality m anag em en t include: — agreeing th e req u irem en ts w ith th e custom ers,
— knowledge of th e bonds betw een the custom er and th e deliverer, — accurate execution of pro per actions,
— proper execution of these actions for th e firs t tim e, — aspiration to success,
— p e rm an en t im provem ent of quality, — th e leading role of th e m anagers, — train in g courses fo r the w orkers,
— form ation of a system of m u tu a l com m unication.
Q uality m anagem ent is som etim es identified w ith lo n g -term inv estm en t in people. T he en terp rise w hich intends to o rd e r its activ ity on th e basis of q u ality tre a te d in a to tal m an n er should be aw a re of th e facts th a t:
— the process of designing, w orking out and intro ducing of th e system of to tal q u ality m u st re fe r to all phases of creation and life of th e product,
— th e organizational system of the en terp rise should function in such a w ay th a t it can be subm itted to p e rm a n en t im provem ent,
— th ere is a necessity of securing th e m eans w hich g u a ra n tee the introdu ctio n of q u ality understood in a com plex w ay.
In th e conditions of increasing com petition, und erstan d in g th e essence of to ta l q u ality m anagem ent, its developm ent and introduction is an im p o rta n t facto r of m ark e t success.
E xperiences of the firm s w hich introduced com plex q u a lity m a n a gem ent show th a t th ey achieved d efinite effects in th e form of:
— favourable im age of th e firm ,
— increased flex ib ility of th e en te rp rise in satisfying th e cu stom ers’ d eclared and an ticip ated needs,
— increased efficiency of production and sales, — noticeable reduction of costs,
— b e tte r com m unication w ith in th e enterprise, — im proved organization of w ork,
— g re a te r satisfaction of th e w orkers and th e custom ers, — g rea ter cu ltu re of th e firm .
THE NORM S ISO 9000 IN R ELA TIO N TO TQM
Designing, w orking o u t and intro d ucin g th e system of q u ality assu rance on th e basis of th e norm s ISO 9000 becomes a necessity in th e conditions of grow ing m ark e t com petition. These norm s constitute an o rd ered set of req u irem en ts w hich condition introducing th e q u ality system in th e e n terp rise on th e basis of one of th e m odels of q u ality assurance (ISO 9001, 9002, 9003). The system of these norm s m akes it easier to introduce TQM because th ey a re help ful in solving m any p ro b lem s ap p earin g w hile in troducing TQM.
W hile th e norm s ISO 9000 help to w ork ou t a system of q u a lity assurance whose existen ce is acknow ledged by th e certificate, com plex q u ality m an ag em ent has a m uch w id er range. Com plex q u ality m an a g em en t is understood m uch m ore broadly th a n th e system s of q u ality assurance con stru cted on th e basis of co n tract norm s. It is believed th a t th e norm s ISO 9000 and EN 45000 are an im p o rta n t tool in realization and developm ent of TQM.
It follows from th e stu dies carried out b y th e a u th o r in e n te rp rises 16 th a t th e la tte r feel a n ecessity to u n d e rta k e w ork on th e system s of q u a lity assurance. They are also acq u ain ted w ith th e stra te g y of TQM and th ey realize th a t it req u ires th e fu lfilm e n t of m ore conditions th a n th e q u a lity system con structed on th e basis of in te rn atio n a l norm s ISO 9000 (EN 29000).
16 E. S k r z y p e k : S y s t e m y z a p e w n i e n i a ja k o ś c i — d o ś w ia d c z e n ia p r z e d s i ę b io r s tw , PTE, L ublin 1993; pp. 76—157.
226 E lżbieta S k rzypek S T R E S Z C Z E N I E
W a rty k u le p rzed staw ion o stra teg ie zarządzania jakością, ic h isto tę , rolę i z n a czen ie. W skazano na k on ieczn ość zarządzania jak ością w w aru n k ach k o n k u ren cy jn e go rynku, u zasad n ion o potrzebę rea lizo w a n ia w p rzed sięb io rstw a ch sy stem ó w zarzą dzania jak ością. P rzed sta w io n o is to tę a m eryk ań sk iego, eu rop ejsk iego i jap oń sk iego s ty lu zarządzania jakością. W skazano, że sy stem za p ew n ien ia jak ości p o w in ien być w ia ry g o d n y m narzęd ziem p lanu strategiczn ego p rzed sięb iorstw a. P ok azan o istotę, c ech y i zn aczenie sy stem u jak ości b u d ow anego n a baaie norm ISO 9000. P r z e d sta w io n o rolę, zn aczenie i przydatność ty ch norm w p rak tyczn ych p rzed sięw zięciach słu żą cy ch zap rojek tow an iu , opracow an iu i w d rożen iu sy s te m ó w za p ew n ien ia jak ości w p rzed sięb iorstw ach . P o d k reślo n o w ażn ą rolę in n ych , oprócz norm ISO 9000, n a rzędzi za p ew n ien ia jakości. P rzed sta w io n o ponadto isto tę i zn aczen ie strategii za rządzania przez jakość, ok reślan ej jako T otal Q u a lity M an agem en t (TQM). W sk a zano na etap y, ele m e n ty (części sk ład ow e) oraz zn aczen ie TQM. P rzed sta w io n o k o n k retn e korzyści, jak ie p rzed sięb io rstw a u zy sk a ły w sk u te k w p row ad zen ia k o m p lek - sw e g o zarządzania jakością. W skazano tak że p ow iązan ia w y stęp u ją ce m ięd zy sy stem a m i jak ości b u d o w a n y m i na p o d sta w ie norm ISO 9000 oraz TQM pod k reślając, że sy ste m y jak ości sta n o w ią w ażn e narzęd zie rea lizo w a n ia stra teg ii TQM.
