Control by quality: proposition of a typology

Area of Science:

• Industrial Management
• Quality Control
• Operations Research

Background:

• Industrial management relies on quality tools for production control, particularly in less automated sectors.
• Existing quality approaches significantly influence production control systems.
• A duality exists between production control (productivity focus) and quality management (customer satisfaction focus).

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a typology of quality approaches influencing production control.
• To analyze the hierarchical structure and feedback loops in production control and quality management.
• To describe quality control methods and tools at operational, tactical, and strategic levels.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of quality approaches (Statistical Process Control, Quality Assurance, Continuous Improvement).
• Analysis of production control and quality organizational structures.
• Description of quality tools at operational (e.g., Six Sigma), tactical (e.g., Quality Assurance), and strategic levels.

Main Results:

• Quality tools and methods are structured across operational, tactical, and strategic levels of production control.
• Formalized procedures enhance the reliability of control operators' decisions.
• Continuous improvement, a component of Total Quality, is crucial at all management levels.

Conclusions:

• The recursive utilization of the Deming cycle is identified as a best practice for control by quality.
• Integrating quality management enhances production control by addressing human variability.
• Quality approaches provide formalization and structure essential for effective industrial management.