Improving quality performance of manufacturing personnel through job activity analysis - a case study-based framework

摘要

Many approaches to quality improvement rely on the contribution of individual employees to ensure the improvements are made and the initiative is a success. However, much research details strategic approaches to quality improvement and describes the initiative requirements in broad terms. A few researchers have considered the specific activities adopted by companies but these tend to present overview information and generic factors that contribute to quality improvement. Research at Coventry University is establishing what activities an individual should do non a regular/daily basis in order to achieve improved quality performance and a framework and toolkit which will enable individuals to plan their job in terms of the time spent on these activities. A company, with externally recognised quality successes, was visited and the jobs of manufacturing personnel were analysed in order to determine the precise activities being performed on a day-to-day basis. This paper describes the case study research, the subsequent data analysis and a framework for reviewing manufacturing personnel's jobs. The framework provides a method for identifying opportunities for improving quality performance.