Week 5 – Analyzing Quality Data

For consistency in product quality, the company needs to monitor and assess systems to determine whether the products meet the standards or not. It is a continuous process that requires collaboration between various departments. Gathering data should start by identifying critical points to deduce patterns of concern and address them effectively.

Key Data Points in Assessing Quality

Customer satisfaction. One of the purposes of quality control is to improve customer satisfaction (Thompson & Clark, 2015). When the customers realize that a product’s quality is declining, they tend to feel dissatisfied, which could reflect in their reviews or ratings. Subsequently, poor customer satisfaction results to lower demand when other factors such as substitute availability and competitor’s price are constant. Therefore, if the company is experiencing a decline in sales, the first factor to consider is whether customers feel the product quality has declined or not. The best technique would involve customer feedback forms after sales and the provision of surveys and questionnaires after using the product for a while. The company could also assess the number of product returns, complaints, and problems over a certain period, for instance, a month, and compare the data to a previous period.

Production cost. The cost of producing a product can directly influence its quality and price. If the company experiences an increase in production cost, there is a high likelihood of using low-cost materials and processes, which could impair the quality of the end product. As a data analyst, I would compare the production cost changes in the latest month or year with a previous period to identify any inconsistencies.

Product price. Law of demand states that an increase in the price of a product leads to a decrease in quantity demand (Callan & Thomas, 2013). In this case, I would document the data of close substitutes to compare with the company’s prices. Additionally, I could include the question of ‘Right Price for the Value’ in the questionnaires to see how customers think the price matches the product value/quality.

Product quality consistency. It is another crucial data point that I would want to rely on the employees at the manufacturing department by obtaining feedback on a possible change in standards or quality. Where necessary, it could warrant a recalibration of the machines.

Data presentation

After gathering this data, I would visualize the data using excel-generated figures such as scatter graphs, line graphs and histograms. For customer satisfaction, I would use a scale of 1-5, with 5 representing ‘Definitely’ satisfied and 1 representing  “Not at all.” I could then present the data in a line graph for 12 months to see the changes. For production cost, product price, and quality consistency, I would use a histogram that makes a good comparison for two or three elements over a specific period.

Quality control proposal

In my proposal, I would encourage the company to consider customer satisfaction as the principal indicator of quality changes. If the data is inconclusive, the best diagnostic process would be checking on employee satisfaction. Research shows that motivated employees with the necessary resources to maintain product quality are likely to identify flaws in the production process and maintain product quality consistency (Nurun Nabi & Dip TM, 2017; Pang & Lu, 2018). The company should also upgrade and update machines and technology that helps in maintaining product quality. The marketing team should seek to understand customer complaints better and collect as much information as possible on product quality and value. The management’s focus should be on several key points, including and not limited to employee competency, skills, knowledge, and technology expertise. With a continuous and consistent commitment toward more product quality, the company could increase the number of sales with time and become competitive in the market.

In conclusion, the company should enforce quality control practices at various production stages to proactively deal with concerns that could impact the brand’s image in the market. Tracking product performance over time is needed, and this data should be comparable to close rivals and the expected standards. Quality control remains crucial in a company’s performance financially, especially in the long run, and could offer insight into other aspects such as customer satisfaction and needs. As firms commit their processes to deliver high-quality products, the quality control process remains one of the vital tools in the manufacturing sector.

References

Callan, S., & Thomas, J. M. (2013). Environmental economics & management: theory, policy, and applications. South-Western.

Nurun Nabi, I. M., & Dip TM, H. A. (2017). Impact of motivation on employee performances: a case study of Karmasangsthan bank Limited, Bangladesh. Arabian J Bus Manag Review, 7(293), 2.

Pang, K., & Lu, C.-S. (2018). Organizational motivation, employee job satisfaction and organizational performance. Maritime Business Review, 3(1), 36–52. https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-03-2018-0007

Thompson, P., & Clark, W. (2015). Fundamentals of quality control and improvement. Delve Publishing.