Quality Improvement Strategy for Engineering Tooling Company

Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated:

K1 Description and discussion of the appropriate underpinning theories and concepts of quality management and organisational excellence.

K2 Explanation and description of the importance of developing and applying good practices as a route to achieving sustainable business performance.

S1 Appropriate application of various assessment approaches to measure organisation status, while developing and prioritising recommendations for organisation improvement based on an “Excellence” assessment. 

S2 The ability to critically assess any organisation using the “Excellence” framework and identify areas for improvement.

Subject: Individual analysis of the included case study material.

Your work will be assessed against the following criteria:

1. Knowledge – Your work should show knowledge of the module content.
2. Understanding – Your report should demonstrate an understanding of
3. Insight – Your report should show an ability to analyse the ‘case study’ in the light of the module content and your own reading.
4. Clarity – Your report should be well structured and clearly presented.

The Engineering Tooling Company (ETC) was set up in the North East of England by a young graduate Engineer, in the early 1960’s.

The main items of manufacture comprised engineers’ rules, engineering callipers, scribes (the initial product range, which supplied the local engineering industry) and then expanding to include micrometres and a limited range of specialist items which required high quality materials and skills to produce accurate and long-lasting items.

Due to the decline of engineering in the North East of England and increased competition from globalisation, ETC realised that, although the product range commanded great respect throughout the industry – from both customers and competitors, this course of business activity was untenable in the long term. An alternative, radical strategy had to be developed to ensure the survival of the business.

The ETC production plant was well equipped with a strong financial base, the workforce was loyal, and many of whom had begun their employment from school or university and worked their way up the corporate ladder.

The commitment and loyalty of the workforce is recognised and rewarded by the company in various ways, due to the owner’s philanthropic and moral beliefs and a willingness to embrace modern management principles. 

The son and daughter of the owner had also followed the ETC career path and were keen to give the business a 21st Century philosophy.

The business had to evolve into a new, engineering-based entity.

In 2010, an approach was made to ETC by the North-East Hospital Management Board, for the design and manufacture of handheld precision medical equipment, initially for research work. The Board had acquired funding to develop keyhole surgery and other pioneering treatment techniques. In 2012, the Board signed a two-year contract with ETC to manufacture these cuttingedge products on a larger scale.

This new market has expanded rapidly over the last three years and ETC is receiving worldwide recognition for its product range and company image. ETC now realises that the business must project itself to customers, suppliers and investors as a world class, 21st Century organisation with vision, energy and conscience.

As the newly appointed Quality Manager for the Engineering Tooling Company, you have been asked by the Senior Management Team to prepare a 3000-word report to explain how you would introduce a companywide quality improvement strategy. This improvement strategy must include the Total Quality Management, Quality Assurance and Quality Control implications for ETC. You are also to explain how the improvement strategy would help to sustain the Culture of Quality in the organisation. 

An introduction which explains the focus of the assignment.

The main body of the text where you develop and explain how you would introduce a companywide quality improvement strategy in the Engineering Tooling Company in line with the stipulations above which must include, Total Quality Management, Quality Assurance, Quality Control and the sustainability of the Culture of Quality.

A conclusion briefly reiterating the focus of the assignment and summarising the improvements you have identified.