Human Resource Utilization
This category is next in importance. It deals with how a company manages its human resources to reach full potential. Also, it pertains to the involvement of everyone in quality efforts.
Major factors concern:
- human resource planning to support quality goals.
- involvement of employees in improvement using teams with members from different functional areas and suppliers. Also, providing a suggestion system or other means of making input to management.
- education and training in quality knowledge and skills. Important is training in problem identification and improvement skills.
- performance measurements for the identification of teams and individuals making quality improvements.
- recognition for contributions of teams and individuals by both management and peers.
- health and safety considerations in quality improvements.
Quality Assurance of Products
This category concerns the existence of a quality system within the company for design and control of products.
Factors within this category include:
- customer needs converted to product and process requirements
- control of business and manufacturing processes so that products meet design plans or specifications.
- continuous improvement of products and processes.
- activity in assessing the quality of products and processes.This concerns both manufacturing and business processes.
- documentation existing to support the quality system
- control and improvement of the quality of the material provided by suppliers.
- a focus on preventing mistakes, not merely correcting them.
