Xerox also uses leadership teams as a way of implementing TQM. These groups consists of individuals with different specialties. These groups each have an aim of producing a product with the lowest possible cost, yet has the highest quality.
Xerox corporation will benefit greatly from TQM. The reduction of defects will take place as TQM promotes quality awareness and participation of all members of the organization.
Xerox will also benefit from easy problem solving as they have a reduced supplier base, and so have to deal with fewer suppliers.
Xerox would have also started a continuous improvement of the processes and products. In addition, TQM should also improve the efficiency of the machines and staff.
Xerox will also benefit from customer satisfaction as they have acquired quality products. Furthermore, with the reduction of defects and improving efficiency, TQM has lead Xerox to a more profitable improvement.
However, TQM may have a negative impact on the employees, as they may feel that their positions at the firm are at risk. This may result in resistance to change. Xerox can overcome this by assuring the employees that their positions will be improved and they will become more flexible.
Also, the implementation of TQM, it time consuming and costly. The process may take several years for it to be in full functionality, and for results to be seen. This therefore makes TQM a long term investment.
Sony using Kaizen
Kaizen involves the continuous search for improvement of an activity to create more value with less waste. This process involves everyone in the plant, both workers and managers. Below is a diagram showing all the aspects that lead to Kaizen.
A business that has implemented the Kaizen approach is Sony. Sony are the inventors of the play station and therefore manufacture their own game CD’s. In this case, Sony’s huge plant in Indiana has used the kaizen approach to slash costs and boost production as well as to establish zero defects, quality circles and suggestion system. These objectives were tackled using the 8 wasteful elements listed below:
-Time Delays
-Waste of motion
-Making defects
-Unnecessary transporting and material handling
-Over processing
-Over producing
Storing inventory
-Missed opportunity.
Firstly Sony has increased its productivity by drastically speeding up the production process. In Addition, it has reduced the employees in the production process from 1500, to 1000. Sony also focused on the aspect that Kaizen is meant to improve the morale of employees, by eliminating hard labor and developing pride in seeing individual ideas implemented. The use of automatic guided vehicles, are now being used to carry the supplies and discs from one station to another, as this is faster and simpler.
Furthermore, an improvement of the video game CD line was improved. To do this, the operation managers put a halt to the production process and began noting down changes that could speed up the production process. With this, they discovered small problems in the production line that could speed up the process drastically and cut down on employees. They added extra rollers to the line in order to prevent any jams. The redesigning of some stations took place to make them more efficient. Furthermore, sensors that detect improper roundness of a CD were implemented, which also speeds up the process.
Implementing these element reduced the station operators for that line from 13 to 7, while also raising the output from 4,800 to 8,679 CD’s.
The effect of Kaizen on Sony is that is has made the production process more efficient and the job easier for the operators as fast as possible without investing a lot of money. Kaizen has benefited Sony as it has given the employees a sense of purpose, and acted as a motivator for building into the product. Furthermore it has aided Sony in reducing waste and improved the flow of the production line. This has created a product for Sony that is full of quality, which has satisfied customers and improved their brand image. However, Kaizen has proved difficult to implement as changing the staffs attitude into accepting something different might be a problem as the employees might be resistant to change. Furthermore, this the implementation of Kaizen is costly, as Sony has had to purchase new parts to speed up its process. Kaizen is also hard to achieve as there are so many different roles that have to come together to create a fast and smooth production process, which is time consuming, and is a long term improvement.
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