A study on the integration of quality and safety management systems in small to medium-size companies in the USA.

摘要

The purpose of this research was to propose an integrated quality and safety management system and to include a case study of a small to medium-size company. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to establish the degree to which integrated models, as described in published articles from various peer reviewed journals, are quality dominant versus safety dominant. A cluster of safety dominant integrated model articles was identified and statistically validated as being distinct from other models. An optimal integrated model was developed from the final cluster analysis and substantiated by a one-way analysis of variance. It was determined that characteristics of an optimal integrated model include the key words "risk", "safety", "incident", "injury", "hazards", as well as "preventive action", "corrective action", "rework", "repair" and "scrap". It also combines elements of quality function deployment as well as hazard and operability analysis meshed into a plan-do-check-act type work-flow. The optimized model is a hybrid that consists of a quality management system as the superordinate strategic element. A safety management system is deployed as a supporting tactical element. The optimized model was field tested by experts from the industry. It was determined that the recommended model lead to a 13% reduction in labor-hours compared to a non-structured integrated model and other processes used in previous engagements. The combined effect of using three synergistic approaches, quality function deployment, hazard and operability analysis, and a plan-do-check-act process-based model not only each serve in their own way to create process improvements, but additionally all three approaches contribute to organizational knowledge which is considered a quintessential contributor to achieving a competitive advantage in the modern market place.