Quality Management

Course Description

Product and service quality are very important as they not only determine customer and user satisfaction, but also the financial performance and even the survival of organizations. Quality can also be a differentiator in the marketplace, a key to optimized resource utilization and a factor that contributes to reducing the cost of production or service provision.

Quality Management departures from a clear strategy, requires an effective organizational structure, an HR policy that recognizes the importance of the contribution of all, use of specific tools an methods, and a managerial ‘discipline’ that must immerse throughout the whole supply chain. Professional Quality Management is today as important as effective financial management, marketing, HRM or any other area of management.

The course introduces students to the basic principles of a customer-oriented business environment where total quality and continuous improvement are central preoccupations irrespective of the kind of organization or the level within that organizations.

The course material includes the following thematic areas:

• Definitions and fundamentals of Quality and Quality Management
• Statistical Process Control SPC: Measuring quality – where and how? Origins and foundations of SPC, Quality Charts and Process Capability
• Application of Quality Tools.
• Overview of Quality Standards and Excellence Frameworks. ISO 9001 and 14000, EFQM. Quality Procedures.
• Strategy, organization and HRM in relation to Quality Management.