Reducing time-to-market through lean quality managementstrategies

摘要

There are many approaches to time-to-market reduction through the appropriaternapplication of process, quality, design and systems thinking.rnWith the ongoing development of quality management standards (e.g.rnISO9001:2000), frameworks (e.g. Baldridge Award, National Quality Institutern"roadmap to excellence", European Federation of Quality Management) and thernongoing development of strategic management approaches (such as six sigma andrnlean manufacturing) organizations are now in a situation whereby significant time-tomarketrnreductions can be achieved in conjunction with making business processesrnmore robust.rnQuality strategies such as those associated with quality standards (e.g. ISO9001) havernfor a long time been synonymous with additional work, unnecessary "red tape" andrnadding unwarranted cost for minimal return.rnTaking the best practice from the new "lean approaches to quality management" werncan optimize business processes as well as adding the security of robust managementrnsystems.rnLean quality and process management ensures that technologies in the developmentrnand implementation phase of commercialization are driven from customerrnrequirements. This in combination with process optimization leads to a significantrnreduction in time-to-market and a more robust system for manufacturing orrnsubcontracting new technologies.rnThis paper is aimed at both start-ups who have not yet developed a quality strategy forrntheir potential customers and organizations that already have robust quality systems.rnThe paper ties together the concepts of process management, lean thinking, reductionrnof variability and robust systems to make your "customer-satisfying money-makingrnpractices" more repeatable. The paper gives examples of proven tools, methodologiesrnand appropriate case studies.