Proper
management of the environment aspect of the business is becoming increasingly
important if industry is to meaningfully contribute towards sustainable development.
The demonstration
and actual achievement of improved environment is expected in today's "show
me" world.
One of
the major challenges facing E&P operators is to raise environmental awareness
and understanding among staff and contractors so that management of environmental
issues becomes an integral part of everyday working.
To a large
extent integration has been achieved with safety which workforce embraces
as "hearts and mind" issue.
The Integration of Visible
Improvement Technique in Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
by Sean Helena Hamzah
General Manager Malaysian Institute
of Quality Assurance Bhd., Malaysia
One of
the most powerful yet simple problem solving method through Visible Improvement
is the Cause and Effect Diagram with the Addition of Cards or CEDAC.
A modification
to the Cause and Effect Diagram or what is commonly known as the "Fishbone
Diagram", CEDAC adds flexibility to it by using cards to effect and record
improvement to a defined situation. It can do three main things simultaneously
: target the right problem, get the right people to solve them and ensure
that the improvement works simplifies the problem solving process.
Where
CEDAC promotes improvement through problem analysis and prevention, Quality
Function Deployment (QFD) aims at identifying and solving quality problems
at an early stage. It is a systematic planning technique which translates
customer requirements and needs towards process and product/services development.
QFD is often applied to innovations and problematic areas based on cross functional
teamwork in product development.
QUALITY in the Computer
industry. Where is it? Part II
by Mr. Edward P. Kolinka,
President & CEO, Quality International
Limited, USA
This presentation
is based on how to measure the computer vendors' quality by selective results
of surveys taken on Desktop PC Vendors regarding Service and Reliability from
1997 through 1999. Only five out of 30 vendors surveyed were selected for
this presentation.
They included
Compaq, Dell, Gateway, IBM and Packard Bell.
The findings
are mainly portions of the survey relating to computers requiring repair within
the 12 months of ownership. It included the number of replacement parts sent,
PC's fixed on site, PC's sent out for repair and PC's replaced.
The type
of information received gives an overview of the product's quality and is
valuable in determining what level of technology can be viewed as offering
a given degree of reliability.
The findings
of this survey was rather disturbing. From 1997 to 1999, there seems to be
little change in the industry average for new parts sent, computers fixed
on site or sent for repair. An average of 5% or 6% of the computers purchased
had to be replaced with a new PC within 12 months of ownership.
To conclude,
the author advises potential buyers of computer to be careful and check on
warranty provisions, computer configurations standard, after sales services
and to have a spare readily available when the computer bought failed.
