UGB262: You are the newly appointed Quality Manager of a company called CookWell Kitchen Appliances, whose products mainly include Refrigerators: Quality Management for Organizational Excellence Assignment, UoS, Singapore

You are the newly appointed Quality Manager of a company called CookWell Kitchen Appliances, whose products mainly include Refrigerators, Microwave ovens, Food Processors, and Coffee Making machines. The company designs and manufactures these products, with all materials and components supplied by external vendors.

You have been asked by the Senior Management Team to prepare a 3000-word report to explain how you would introduce a company-wide quality improvement strategy for Organisational Excellence.

This improvement strategy should include aspects such as Total Quality Management, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Reliability, Product Safety, Cost, and Customer focus implications for CookWell Kitchen Appliances.

Company Overview

CookWell Kitchen Appliance products mainly include. Refrigerators, Microwave ovens, Food Processors, and Coffee Making machines. The company designs and manufactures these products, with all materials and components supplied by external vendors.

There appears to be little liaison and communication between the Design division and Manufacturing on new product design and ongoing product improvements. Also, high levels of defects from suppliers are found at goods inwards inspection. There exists an attitude in the company that Quality should inspect into Products and Services, and Operators simply carry out only assembly tasks assigned to them.

As a result, there are many customer complaints being raised, with possible loss of customers. Failure costs have increased significantly. Staff turnover is high because of a lack of leadership, training opportunities, recognition of improvement ideas, and lack of clear guidelines and procedures.

Further examination reveals an inadequate assessment of suppliers, lack of instructional operational procedures, low competency levels of operators, new product designs rushed into the marketplace. There are no internal audits or management reviews of the Quality Management System (QMS) undertaken. The company is facing strong competition in the marketplace, its sales are reducing and its operating costs are increasing.