Virtual Tours - Chapter 3 (Quality Management)
Steinway Pianos (http://www.steinway.com/factory/tour.shtml)
The factory tour for Steinway & Sons in Manhattan includes text and photos. The process for making pianos is described in detail and the 14 thumbnail photos can be enlarged in a separate window by clicking on them.
1. Approximately how many pianos does Steinway produce each year in its factories around the world? How many does it produce in its New York factory?
2. How long does it take to make a Steinway piano?
3. How has Steinway’s production methods changed in the last 150 years to incorporate technology advances in the industry?
4. Are any operations performed with the use of a machine? Why?
5. Describe the rim construction process. When are mirrors used in the assembly process?
6. What are relevant measures of quality for a piano? In what way are the steps taken to manufacture a piano designed so that a high quality product will result?
7. How does Steinway insure the beauty and quality of the wood finish of its pianos?
8. What percentage of the world’s performing artists are estimated to use Steinway pianos?
Ping Golf Equipment (http://www.pinggolf.com/innovation_factory_tour.html)
This plant tour encompasses the four phases for manufacturing Ping golf clubs – design and engineering, molding and investment casting, heat treating and finishing, and component matching and personalization. Each phase has a page with a verbal description and a 15 second video. There is no sound or narration. There is also some interesting information and a separate page about Ping’s ISO 9001 certification.
1. What company characteristic does Ping share with Stickley Furniture that might affect their approach to quality?
2. How many U.S. golf equipment manufacturing firms have IS0-9001 certification? Why do you think Ping chose to obtain ISO certification?
3. What technologies and testing procedures does Ping use in the design phase of its golf clubs to insure quality?
4. How does Ping use the Internet to interact with its customers and to ultimately improve quality?
C&R Manufacturing (http://forecast.umkc.edu/vtours/compback.htm)
C&R is a small, highly automated manufacturing company (i.e., job shop) near Kansas City. The tour is broken down into 12 specific topic or functional areas, for example, “What is a Job Shop?,” “Marketing,” “Human Resources,” and “ISO 9000 and Quality.” Each topic (page) includes a detailed written description with examples of how this topic or function relates to C&R. Each topic page includes several photos. There are no videos, sound or animations.
1. Why is ISO 9000 certification important to C&R?
2. What does ISO certification tell C&R’s customers about its work?
3. How many employees does C&R have? Describe their training policy? How does the low-turnover rate of its employees improve quality?
4. To what extent does C&R rely on computer technology in its work?
5. What basic tenets of quality management does C&R employ in its approach to quality management?
6. It is stated in the tour that C&R produces 80,000 shafts per year for one customer. In a nine-year period how many defective shafts did C&R produce? How does this performance rate relative to six sigma quality?
Stickley Furniture (http://www.stickley.com/)
Stickley Furniture manufactures fine wood furniture in its New York factory near Syracuse. This home page for Stickley contains links to two tours – a text and photo factory tour, and an 11-minute narrated video tour. The text and photo factory tour includes 5 pages that describe the furniture making process while the narrated video tour provides a detailed look at Stickley products, its employees and the furniture making process. Quality is particularly emphasized.
1. What are snme of the key factors that enables Stickley Furniture’s manufacturing process that enables it to achieve high quality?
2. What is Stickley’s motto on its original trademark developed by it’s founder and how does it relate to quality?
3. Give some examples of the design innovations that Stickley has developed over the years that have contributed to its reputation for quality?
4. Discuss how Stickley mixes old processes with new in making furniture and the benefits of this mix.
5. How many employees does Stickley have and how are they involved in making top quality products?
6. How much of a factor do you think Stickley’s private ownership by a original company founder is in it’s ability to make top quality furniture?
7. What kind of quality tools do you think Stickley could use to help monitor product quality?
8. What do you think W. E. Deming would say was the reason for Stickley’s success in producing quality products?