cqen.list Weekly Digest

      Subject: experiences with quality measurement support process, summary of reactions
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Date: Tue, 26 Mar 96 16:29:48 +0100
From: p.bootsma@icce.rug.nl
Subject: experiences with quality measurement support process,  summary of reactions
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We would like to thank all of you who have responded to our question 
about quality measurements. Especially thanks to Giselle Brands and 
David Kerridge. We will give a short summary about the reactions we 
have received:

- *You cannot measure quality*.
- Process improvement teams can be installed with *two key roles*; 
process experts and measurement experts. Improvement teams learn the 
skills through the two key members in a more rapid pace because the 
skill necessary to fully understand a process from the client's 
perspective is already within the team.
- For improving a process you need measurements close to the process 
itself. For changing the product, innovation is the key to success. 
*Read "Out of the crisis" and "The New Economics"* by W. Edwards 
Deming.
- Hire an outside firm to do the major level customer satisfaction 
surveys once every two years. In the meantime, *do a monthly version 
yourselve as a predictor of the bi-annual one.*
- *Observing the product in use by customers* is the best way to learn 
about likes, dislikes and unmet needs. Concerning the decisions what 
to measure you can identify the process measures by first making a 
fish-bone diagram, to identify what it takes to achieve what you think 
you ought to achieve.
- Use a recently published book *"Werken in kwaliteitsprojecten"*, 
Total Quality Management by Solvay Duphar.

Karen Smit en Manolie Straatman.

Original message:
<<In our graduaton project we run into questions about organising 
quality measurements. In many organisations, process teams carry out 
improvement actions, next to their regular tasks in the process. 
Measuring quality and results of these improvement actions also is a 
logical task for process teams. However, not all teams have the skills, 
means or opportunity do customer satisfaction measurement for their 
process themselves. For instance,  writing a satisfaction survey form 
or doing a telephone survey requires time and skills and management may 
argue that this can be done better or cheaper by professionals. This 
leads us to the following questions:
1. What are pro's and con's of having one central professional support 
team doing quality measurements (especially customer satisfaction 
survey)?
2. How should such a team present itself in the organisation without 
being interpreted as a supervisor from management?
3. Are there organisations with relevant experiences?

We post these questions to several lists and apologise to recipients of 
multiple copies.

Karen Smit and Manolie Straatman
Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden
(e-mail address p.bootsma@icce.rug.nl used with permission of Peter 
Bootsma, our supervisor)>>


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