Page 270 - Industrial Power Engineering and Applications Handbook

Philosophy of quality systems and testing of electrical machines 11/249
Emphasis Guidelines to deviations
Modern management systems stress the need for conti- Sometimes a compromise in the quality of the inputs
nuous monitoring of defined systems and procedures for (perhaps due to non-availability of a particular component
enforcement and improvement of quality systems. These to the required specification) may be necessory to avoid
should minimize immediately and eliminate ultimately a production delay. Similar constraints in the design or
the recurrence of similar problems through preventive process may also make it necessary to have a deviation
measures. in design, without undermining the quality requirements.
The IS0 emphasizes that, for such deviations. written
Auditing (a monitoring tool) authorization from a competent authority, and preferably
As emphasized above. full monitoring of the proper imple- also the written consent of the customer. is essential
mentation of quality activities is essential. To achieve before implementing such a change. This will be for a
this, a periodic audit and review of the working of the specific period and for a specific number of items.
system is an essential element in any Quality Management
System. Shortcomings, if detected, must be corrected as
soon as possible and prevented in the future. Documented Accreditation by IS0
reviews help in maintaining and improving management
systems and techniques. So far the IS0 has provided the necessary guidelines for
quality systems, as noted above, and which a producer
Economics can adopt in a way that may suit best a product and
This is an extremely important aspect of the whole process line. The rest is left to the government of a country
exercise. The basic purpose of all checks and controls is to appoint their own accrediting bodies for certification
to reduce reworking, reprocessing, failures or rejections of producers. These agencies are then authorized to
during the work process with a view to produce a product monitor, perform surveillance audits and issue certificates
of the required quality and hence minimize cost for better to organizations, who wish to obtain these certificates
financial returns. A high-cost input not commensurate and conform to the predefined requirements of these
with the type of the product may defeat the basic purpose standards. However, if a product is for global sales, another
of adopting such a system. certification by a government body of that country may
also be necessary, resulting in a multiplicity of
Product performance and feedback certifications which. besides being cumbersome, may
also become time consuming. It is therefore relevant
This is essential to improve the product by upgrading that the accrediting be necessarily. carried out at one
the quality or modifying its design or other parameters point only by a central agency on behalf of ISO, and
that may make it more acceptable and competitive in the recognized by all member countries. Several of these
market. This is possiblc by creating a user-friendly bodies are now operating in various countries to
approach to obtain reactions to the product’s performance. recommend and accredit producers.

Customer quality checks
For the customer to ascertain the capability of a producer Towards Total Quality Management (TQM)
to deliver goods or services to the required standards it
is essential for the producer to have all documents that The above are broad guidelines along which producers
establish his or her competence to deliver the goods or can formulate a quality system to suit their needs. There
services. according to the prescribed Quality Standards. are no hard and fast rules for disciplines and systems -
These documents may cover these arise from experience and continuous practice. They
must, however, be made more effective so that they
Adequacy of the Quality Systems supported through inculcate respect and confidence in all, to adopt and follow
Quality Assurance Plans (QAPs). in design, process, them. No system, however good. can be imposed on
installation and servicing. anyone, unless they are willing to understand, accept
Capability to achieve the required quality, supported and respect it. This may require an appropriate training
by quality manuals programme which may also he made a part of the work
Control over procurement of raw material and com- system. The overall aim of the above exercise is to achieve
ponents that compose inputs ‘Total Customer Satisfaction’ through ‘Total Quality
In-house checks of various activities Management’ (TQM). Total Quality Management is a
In-house final inspection and testing. comprehensive term for integrated activities that are put
into practice, with care and development of human resour-
All the above documents may then be compiled and ces, to provide complete satisfaction for a customer. It is
sent to prospective customers for comments. Any a goal to be pursued with commitment and perseve-rance.
suggestions may be incorporated into the original In this era of globalization, anyone who wishes to
documents to further improve in-house working. These remain in the race and to excel must make TQM an
documents will define the quality objectives of the ultimate objective and remember that ‘the pursuit of
producing company. excellence is a never-ending journey’.