The quality-related decision making process

The work described in this paper is part of a research study into the various ways in which United Kingdom manufacturing companies manage their product quality and, in particular, how quality-related decisions are made. This paper presents the results of in-depth investigations of six companies, with particular emphasis on formulation of quality policy, organisation for quality assurance, implementation of the quality policy, feedback from the market-place, and the use of the quality cost information. The investigation has highlighted the area of quality-related decision making and examples are examined to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses in the cases studied. Reference is made to the importance of a written quality policy statement, and the procedures for identifying various individual’s involvement and responsibilities in such decisions is pointed out.