MBA SEMESTER IV QM0015 ISO/QS 9000 Elements - 4 Credits (Book ID:B1348) Assignment Set- 1 (60 Marks) Note: Each

h question carries 10 Marks. Answer all the questions

1. Describe the eight quality management principles on which the quality standards of the ISO 9000 are based. ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 9000:2008 are based on eight quality management principles. Senior managements can use these principles as a framework to guide their organisations towards improved performance. Quality management is an integral part of the leadership and management methodologies of all the organisations. Followings are the Eight Principles; Principle 1: Customer focus Principle 2: Leadership Principle 3: Involvement of people Principle 4: Process approach Principle 5: System approach to management Principle 6: Continual improvement Principle 7: Factual approach to decision making Principle 8: Mutually beneficial supplier relationships Principle 1: Customer Focus - Customers are the main focus point of all organisations and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations. Key benefits: - As result of flexible and rapid responses the organisations will increase revenue and market share. - Organisations can utilise their resources effectively to enhance customer satisfaction. - Improved customer loyalty leading to repeat business. Application of this principle leads to: - Organisations to focus on customers primarily. Therefore they research, understand and communicate with customer to find out about their needs and expectations.

- Measuring customer satisfaction and acting on the results. - Effective management of customer relationships. - Balanced approach to satisfy customers and other interested parties such as owners, employees, suppliers, financiers, local communities and society as a whole. Principle 2: Leadership - Leaders establish unity in achieving organisations purpose. They are employees can become fully involved in achieving the organisation's objectives. Key benefits: - Employees can easily understand and be motivated towards the organisation's goals and objectives. - Activities are created and managed in a unified way. - Minimised miscommunication between the various levels of an organisation. Application of this principle leads to: - Taking into consideration the needs of all interested parties including customers, owners, employees, suppliers, financiers, local communities and society as a whole. - Setting challenging goals and targets to ensure a clear vision of the organisation's future. - Creating and sustaining shared values, fairness and following ethical role models at all levels of the organisation. - Providing a trusty environment and eliminating fear. Principle 3: Involvement of People - People at all levels are valuable resources of an organisation and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organisation's benefit. Key Benefits: - Inspired, committed and involved people within the organisation. - Innovative nature of employees in furthering the organisation's objectives. - Employees are motivated to participate in and contribute to continual improvement and hence increase their own performance. Application of this principle leads to: - More responsible employees who can accept the ownership of problems and can solve those. - An opportunity for employees to enhance their competence, knowledge and experience. - Sharing of knowledge and experience, openly discussing problems and issues. Principle 4: Process Approach - Good results are achieved only when activities and related resources are managed as a process towards achieving the organisation goal. Key benefits: - Effective usage of resources.

- Improved, consistent and predictable results. - Focused and prioritised improvement opportunities. Application of this principle leads to: - Systematic way of defining the activities necessary to obtain a desired result and clear responsibility and accountability for managing key activities. - Allocation of resources, methods, and materials that will improve key activities of the organisation. Principle 5: System Approach to Management - If we manage interrelated processes as a system, it will contribute to the organisation's effectiveness and efficiency in achieving objective. Key benefits: - Integration and alignment of the processes that will inspire to achieve the desired results. - Steps up the confidence level of interested parties as it brings in consistency in the products, effectiveness in managing and the efficiency of the organisation. - Application of this principle leads to: - Distribution of improvement activities at all levels to an organisation's strategic intent. Application of this principle leads to: - Following a consistent organisation-wide approach to continual improvement of the organisation's performance. - Establishing a set of goals to guide, and measures to track, continual improvement. Principle 6: Continual Improvement - Objective of every organisation is to continually improve the overall performance this indeed would be the permanent objective Key benefits: - Improved performance. - Distribution of improvement activities at all levels to an organisation's strategic intent. - Application of this principle leads to: - Following a consistent organisation-wide approach to continual improvement of the organisation's performance. - Establishing a set of goals to guide, and measures to track, continual improvement. Principle 7: Factual Approach to Decision Making - Effective decisions can be taken with a proper analysis of data and information. Key benefits: - Informed decisions. - More opportunities to demonstrate the effectiveness of past decisions through reference to factual

records. - Increased opportunities to review, challenge and change opinions and decisions. Application of this principle leads to: - Reliable, accurate data and information. This makes this data accessible to those who need it. - Analysing data and making decisions based on factual analysis, balanced with experience and intuition. Principle 8: Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationships - An organisation and its suppliers are interrelated and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value. Key benefits: - Creating value for both parties. - Immediate responses to changing market or customer needs and expectations. Application of this principle leads to: - Establishing balanced relationships between short-term and long-term considerations. - Establishing joint development and improvement activities. - Structuring of system to achieve the organisation's objectives in the most effective and efficient way and structuring of approaches that harmonise and integrate processes. - Continually evaluating and measuring the system against improvement. 2. What is QS 9000? Discuss the background of QS 9000. QS 9000, the abbreviate of Quality System Requirements followed in the automotive industry, develops quality systems that provide continuous improvement by preventing defects, reducing the variation and waste in the supply chain. ISO/ QS-9000 will help organisations to stay ahead of their competition. It can concentrate on this by filling gaps in the business and quality systems that can cause problems. ISO/QS-9000 eliminates redundant and unnecessary work practices. It helps to identify problem areas and address them quickly. ISO/QS-9000 tells current and potential customers that the product has consistent quality and is manufactured under controlled conditions. Companies can identify customer needs accurately. Background of QS 9000 - Automotive industry pioneers such as Frederick Winslow Taylor and Henry Ford identified the limitations of the methods being used in mass production at the time and the subsequent varying quality of output. Birland established Quality Department to manage the quality of production and rectifying of errors, and Ford emphasised standardisation of design and component standards to ensure a standard product was produced. Quality management helped in inspecting of product output and specifically to detect defects.

QS 9000 is the name given to the quality system standards of the automotive industry which were developed by Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and major truck manufacturers and issued in late 1994. QS-9000 replaces all quality system requirements such as Ford Q-101, Chrysler's Supplier Quality Assurance Manual, GM's NAO Targets for Excellence and the Truck Manufacturer's quality system manuals. The influence of QS-9000 can be seen throughout the automotive industry as it has virtually eliminated varying demands and waste associated with redundant systems. Proof of conformance to QS-9000 is certification/registration by a recognised third party such as Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) or the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The companies which obtain certification/registration under QS-9000 are considered to have higher standards and better quality products. 3. Describe the importance of Quality manual. The purpose of preparing the Quality manual is to ensure that the Quality Management System (QMS) manual is established and maintained by the management as per the requirement of the standard. The Quality Manual defines your companys quality policy which is stated to meet the requirements of certification bodies and clients. The Quality Manual should describe, in broad terms, the overall adaptation of working environment of the company. It needs to describe how each applicable section of the standard has to be implemented. It should also establish the structure, authority and responsibility for the maintenance of the companys quality management system. The organisation should establish and maintain a quality manual that include the following: - The scope of the quality management system, along with the details and justification for any exclusion - Documented procedures for the quality management system, or as reference to them - A description of the interaction between the various processes of the quality management system The quality manual is the directory of the QMS. Preparing a quality manual starts with predicting all activities performed to develop and deliver as defined by the procedures and applicable work instructions. It must be written such that it can be readily understood and used by those who need it. The following are the facts that have to be focused while preparing a quality manual: - Preparing a large document is not the objective, but it should be complete and clear. Keeping it simple and short will make it better for the personnel who will use it - Quality manuals are unique to organisations and it must be tailored to meet the organisations culture and commitment to quality - A quality manual can be a self-containing document. The manual could be reviewed and approved either as a separate document, or as part of other documents. In the latter case, the review team should have access to the entire quality manual - A quality manual need not be called or labelled as quality manual, but a document. It should meet the requirements as stated in ISO standards

- The quality manual is a key document in the QMS. It is best to organise the quality manual around the clauses in the standard and if a clause is not applicable, say so with a brief explanation. - Inapplicable clauses and its procedures and work instructions could be added in the event that such clauses become applicable due to changing business conditions - If the quality manual is well written it could even be used to market the organisations commitment to quality in the interest of obtaining future contracts. - Problems of not doing the above: - If a quality manual is not prepared, the QMS will be poor and customer quality needs and expectations are likely to be affected - If the quality manual does not fully represent the organisations unique commitment to quality, it may be construed as insincere commitment to quality by the management. 4. Discuss the importance of handling of inventory. The inventories must be handled well in order to reduce damage to the parts. For Example, by installing special Electro Static Discharge (ESD) equipment in electronic assembly areas, this handling can be done well. The handling of the inventory can also be done by the boxing and packaging the finished assembles. This is to make sure that it reaches the customer without any damage. The protection of the inventory is very important as some of the parts have some special requirements that must be addressed in the inventory control procedure. Those components include: - A component with handling issues like ESD responsive component - A component that requires refrigeration or minimum temperature to prevent the product from expiry. For example, items like pump have environmental requirements as they get damaged because of freezing. There are certain items which must be labelled in a proper way to prevent the items from getting expired. Those parts must be put in shelves till they are labelled as per their special requirements. Good examples of parts that require special attention are labels, adhesives and glues. The inventories must be rotated to make sure that the old stock is used first. This is known as First-In-First-Out or FIFO. Even the customer supplied inventory must be protected and labelled to avoid damage to the products. The customer supplied inventory is the product which was returned by the customer after the delivery or those that reach the organisation for a repair. It could also involve products that are given to the organisation some-times for free- issue. Sometimes it could be even intellectual property like drawings or specification that is supplied by the customer. It has to be protected. 5. What is meant by contract review? Explain. The element Contract Review needs careful handling while implementing due to the grey areas of understanding. The contract review plays an important role in defining the relationship between the

organisation and its clients/customers. Contract review has some salient features which include: - Customer specified requirements: These include the requirements which are specified by the customer before or after the delivery of the products. - Requirements that are not stated by customers, but are necessary for the specified use of the product - Restrictive and legal requirements related to the product - Any additional requirements determined by the organisation like limitations, warranty and special requirements Contract review of an organisation includes prior planning that should focus on reviewing the customer requirements before committing to customers. It needs to check for the following: - Ability of the organisation to meet customer specified requirements - 100% completion of critical orders prior to acceptance Other requirements need to be determined by the organisation are: - Organisations have to review contract, tender to ensure that requirements are defined and documented. - Clear idea of terms and conditions by the organization. 6. What is meant by documentation? What are the main objectives of documentation? Quality documentation begins with an understanding of the quality system. Processes of the system are identified for the effective implementation of the quality management system. The interactions between these processes are understood which are then documented in order to assure their effective operation and control. The processes that are covered in the ambit of documentation include that of management planning, resource management, product realisation procedures and measurement of the processes that are relevant to the effective operation of the QMS. The foundation of ISO /QS 9000 compliance begins with proper quality documentation. The Quality documentation of ISO/ QS 9000 should demonstrate the suppliers capability in meeting the requirements. The aim of ISO / QS9000 documentation is to standardise the operating principles of the organisation. Quality documentation has the following aims: 1) Documents are prepared in line with the Quality Objectives of the organisation 2) They are approved before use. 3) They are simple, easy to understand, easy to use and are realistic. 4) They are readily available (identifiable) and are found at the right place 5) The process of documentation is flexible and should incorporate changes (modifications) if required.

6) Documentation should provide suitable data that are needed to express conformance. Data collection should be inbuilt to system 7) Documents and data should be verifiable for adequacy and its compliance to ISO in practice A Document is an information carrier and is the primary source of information. Examples of the media formats used for documentation are paper, film or computer disks. The Documentation activity carried by an organisation depends on the size of the organisation, the different processes and the skills and competence of the employees performing it. Some of the main objectives of an organisations documentation are: Communication of Information Organisations need to plan, operate and control the processes to efficiently handle operations. The type and scope of the documentation explains the criterion, the degree of formality of communication systems and the level of communication skills within the organisation, and the organisational culture. Evidence of conformity Documentation (or Record) provides evidence on what was planned and what has actually been done. Knowledge reservoir and sharing It is essential to preserve and disseminate the organisations experiences; business and technical know how and documentation is the best way to communicate. A good example would be a specification in terms of technology, which can be used as a base for design and development of a new product Training tool Documentation enables to train personnel in performing their responsibilities. Consistency of performance Documentation enables personnel to perform processes in the same method, practice or procedure. Promote best practice documentation is the best way of performing activity using internal and external knowledge. The documentation requirement as specified in clause 4.2 Documentation and Data control presents that data could be in any form or medium and the following are examples of the medium used for documentation. - Paper - Magnetic - Electronic or optical computer disc - Photograph - Master sample or Reference Sample - Display Boards

MBA SEMESTER IV QM0015 ISO/QS 9000 Elements - 4 Credits (Book ID:B1348) Assignment Set- 2 (60 Marks) Note: Each question carries 10 Marks. Answer all the questions
1. Write a note on purchasing in QS 9000. Explain the importance of purchasing. Purchasing in QS 9000 - QS-9000 is much more specific on Purchasing than ISO 9000. It states that you have to ensure that you purchase only from an approved suppliers, which is facilitated with an approved supplier list. Also, you have to check materials against local regulations for safety, engineering, and environmental conformance. This requirement brings about uniformity in expectations and validations and is applicable for all countries, notwithstanding where your purchasing department operates. In QS 9000, the requirement states that while evaluating your own suppliers, they should be chosen based on the capabilities and the terms of your purchasing contracts. QS 9000 makes automotive makers to see a uniform quality model used throughout the hierarchy of suppliers. You should plan on auditing your suppliers against QS-9000, or requiring third-party registration as an alternative. ISO/ QS 9000 further states that you can have varying levels of control over suppliers based on their historic performance by bringing up a list of preferred suppliers. The question then is what system of preferred suppliers conforms to the requirements. The standard also states that your suppliers should have 100% on-time deliveries. That implies a justin-time system with accompanying posted schedules of ordering, advanced warnings of low stock. ISO/ QS 9000 require that the purchasing department to produce well documented lists of requirements on their purchasing agreements. This includes the contractual requirements, such as type, grade, quantity, and so on. It would also include the assumed characteristics of the product, such as quality expected, standards used, and services to be rendered. In addition, you have to identify how the material will be approved on delivery and the way it will be identified. Finally, QS 9000 in the verification of purchased goods, there needs to be a procedure for confirming that the goods you order meet all of your requirements. Specifically, it talks about verification at the supplier's site. Either you or your customer can do this. However, the process and its limitations have to be spelled out as part of the purchasing agreement. This process is triggered with a dialogue with the purchasing people and understanding how they work to approve their suppliers and verify their work. The in-house purchasing department then conducts review of such practices using their background information and approves them based on their

credentials. In organisations, generally the purchasing manager is responsible for assuring that products purchased by the company comply with stated requirements. All terms, conditions of sale, and qualification of goods will be clearly stated on the purchase order. Another procedure that needs to be developed should be the verification of your stated requirements. Purchasing Departments typically get a wish list from Engineering, Quality Assurance, Finance, and other such departments. This information should be brought down into a comprehensive summary as a single document according to the nature of the industry. Sometimes, the terms, needs, specifications, referred standards, and the like are listed right on a purchase order. Other times, a separate contract or specification list is attached to a contract. The intention of ISO/ QS 9000 is to require your company to clearly and completely communicate the needs to your suppliers. The idea is that the more clearly you communicate your needs and then check for accuracy of response, the more the likelihood of smooth, uninterrupted purchasing transactions. Importance of Purchasing - According to the ISO/QS 9000 standard, quality assurance is of paramount importance at all stages of product realisation to avoid non-conformance. This makes ISO/QS 9000 different from other standards. The requirements specified by ISO/QS 9000 begin from the preliminary stage of purchasing it from subcontractors. It standardises the requirements through evaluation procedures followed in development of products. It is important to understand the scope of the purchased products under the scanner of ISO/ QS 9000. The purchasing requirements of the standard can be applied to designing the product, manufacturing it, installing it, maintaining it or operating the products and services. There are other supplementary activities like furniture, stationary, catering supplies which could be a part of the design, manufacture and installation operations but cannot be clubbed under the standard needs the organisations to ensure that purchased product confirms to specified purchase requirements. ISO/QS 9000 define a supplier as an organisation or person that provides a product or services. For example it could be hardware, software or processed materials. A supplier may therefore be a producer, distributor, retailer, vendor, contractor, subcontractor or service provider. The organisation which adhere and supply products based on requirements that are specified by the organisation, the customer, or by status and regulations that apply to purchase product are known as subcontractors. The organisation which supplies product based on their own delimiting conditions, rules and regulations are called Suppliers. For the ISO/QS 9000, the context of subcontractors and suppliers are considered one and the same. The expectations from a Subcontractor and Supplier are processed Purchasing requirements. Purchasing refers to the process of buying an item at the right price. Purchasing is an activity which goes beyond the act of buying and includes planning and drafting a policy that covers a wide range of related and complementary activities.

The standards that are covered include Product or Service. A Product is defined as the result (output) of a process. The term defined as Product in the ISO/ QS9000 has four important categories which include materials which are processed, software, hardware and other services. A single product can have the ingredient of all the other products. For example, a car (automobile) which is the finished product consists of algorithms used to operate engine (software), wheel and tyres (hardware) and lubricants (processed materials). The term Service is used to represent an interaction process between a supplier and the customer and has the capability of taking many forms. Service could refer the support the organisation gives to his customers. For example the warranty service provided. It could take the form of an intangible provision. For instance, transporting goods or advice are examples of intangible provision. Service could also include the maintenance provided such as repairing of product. 2. What is meant by product identification with respect to QS 9000? Explain its importance. Product Identification is the process by which a company maintains the ability to provide the history of a product from inception through to delivery to the customer. Products have to be identified correctly at all times and through all stages. Documented procedures for product and part identification at all stages of design, development, delivery and installation ensure easy identification The standard expects the supplier to establish and maintain appropriate documented procedures for identifying the product by suitable means from receipts and during the stages of production, delivery, and installation. Some of the important product identifiers are: - Serial code - Date code - Batch code - Lot number Procedures for identifying product should begin at the design stage when the product is designed. The design should be given a unique identity, a name, or a number. This identity should be used on all related documents. When the product comes out into production, the product should carry the same number or name but in addition it should carry a serial number or other identification to enable product features to be recorded against specific products. Serial numbers, batch numbers, and date codes are suitable means for achieving identification of products. This identity should be carried on all quality records related to the product. Apart from the name or number given to a product you need to identify the version and the modification state so that you can relate the issues of the drawing and specifications to the product they represent. Products should either carry a label or markings with this type of information in an accessible position or bear a unique code number that is traceable to such information.

Acceptable methods of identification are: - Colour code - Tags - Labels - Physical marking - Location - Example: Identification commonly used in construction would be serialisation of materials to identify their eventual location, such as on door assemblies or hardware items - Document Serialisation The nature and intent of the marking should be well-documented in a procedure. This assures consistent performance and compliance to contract requirements and specifications. Lot identification and integrity are important when aesthetic considerations are a factor. Different lots of bricks, shingles, or wall coverings are frequently not exactly the same, so careful placement and blending may be required to accomplish the desired effect. Material identification and traceability is a very important consideration at receipt of products onto the manufacturing site and continues through final construction or installation. The final importance is the correct, legible, and complete identification on the items verified by the last inspector prior to approval or delivery. Importance of Product identification: The requirements for product identification are intended to enable products and services with one set of characteristics to be distinguishable from the other. Product identity is vital in many situations to prevent inadvertent mixing, to enable reordering, to match products with documents that describe them, and to communicate. Product identification extends to identifying manufacturing order number, process order number, lot number, and inspection order number in all stages of manufacturing. It links each component element, whether material, process, measuring gauge or personnel to any related activities for final output or traceability. Product identification also deals with applicable drawings, specifications, revisions and quality records. Identification extends to human resources also. Product Identification procedures have to be maintained to understand the history behind products. Procedures for identifying product should begin at the design stage when the product is designed. The design should be given a unique identity, a name, or a number. This identity should be used on all related documents. When the product comes out into production, the product should carry the same number or name but in addition it should carry a serial number or other identification to enable product features to be recorded against specific products.

3. Write a note on in-process inspection and testing. In-process inspection and testing1 are performed to validate the features and characteristics during the assembly or processing of products. The objective hence is to verify and document specifications and requirements that pertain to final product and that it is stable and can continue to meet the specifications and requirements throughout the product run. The product is put into inspection and test as per the quality plan or the other procedures of documentation. The main objective behind this is to identify the changes at various levels of production, especially the context where the characteristics of the products are exposed to measurement. This also makes sure that non-conforming products are not released before it gets conformed. Among various levels of production (in-process), the inspection of the product takes place by collecting samples from the line without disrupting the line production. You will also require a product release procedure when the results indicate the acceptance of the product. In-process inspection concludes with an approval to continue manufacturing parts. The report will indicate that all contract requirements are met and are satisfied. Failure in in-process inspection might enable us to find the flaws at that stage, and they are sent for re-starting the manufacturing process after repair or are rejected. (Also called as disposition). If such defects are detected at the last stage, the operating costs of expenses of removing the product are very high. Once the manufacturing process is approved and the production sample is collected, the inspection takes place. If the product is conformed as per the product requirements, it is accepted and the manufacturing process continues. It the product is rejected because of non-conformance it is either disposed or corrected as per the requirements. The disposed product is returned for additional processing. During inspection, you must verify the measurements which are made and the exactness required to express the conformance of the product to the specifications. You should choose the suitable inspection, measuring and test equipment, which is accurate and precise enough to reveal the conformance of products to the requirements. They must perform some important steps, which are essential in testing. - The organisation has to create, calibrate and regulate all the inspection, testing and measuring equipments, which can make an impact on product quality. - The organisation has to calibrate all tools at specified intervals and against specified equipment that possesses more recognised standards at the national and international level. - The organisation has to define the procedures employed for calibration of inspection, measurement and test equipment. - The organisation has to define the type of equipment and the unique identification - The organisation has to define the location of equipment, frequency checks and the actions which should be taken when the results are not satisfactory.

In-process inspection is essential only when the characteristics of the products changes and is not available for authentication in the succeeding stages. It is the responsibility of the auditor to establish that product characteristics are verified in the final inspection stages when in-process inspection is not performed 4. Write a note on traceability and its importance. Product Traceability maintains records of all products and parts from purchasing to finished goods. Traceability ensures product tracking thereby satisfying customer that they get the right product in time. Traceability improves product control since it has the capability to identify and track a product or a component to its roots. The point of origin may be a particular lot or batch of products, production line and time frame, field, or supplier. Traceability provides a means of identifying the units for recall. Some products (e.g. aircraft components, fresh product, meat) require complete traceability. The application of ISO/QS 9000 standard is based on the circumstances and the extent of the requirement of traceability. The supplier establishes and maintains documented procedures for unique identification of each and individual product or batches and records the identification made. Traceability is basic for establishing and eliminating the root cause of nonconforming product. Hence traceability should be mandatory in view of the requirements for Corrective Action. Providing traceability can be a difficult task. In some applications or situations, products need to be traced back to the original ingot from which they were produced. For example, safety or national security is a situation where it is necessary to identify product in such a manner that if a product is used in a critical application and consequently found defective, it becomes a must to track down all other products of the same batch and eliminate them before there is a disaster. Such situation is called as product recall situations. It is also very important in the automobile and food industries. When mission critical satellite systems are built traceability should be of the highest order. Continuous product identification and traceability is a must in any industry where human life may be at risk (Example: Medicines and medical equipment) due to a defective product being in circulation. Traceability2 is also important to control processes. You may need to know which products have been through which processes and on what date, if a problem is found some time later. The same is true of test and measuring equipment. If on being calibrated a piece of test equipment is found to be out of calibration, it is important to track down all the equipment that has been validated using that piece of measuring equipment. This in fact is a requirement of ISO. It may not be practical to document separate procedures to meet this requirement. The conventions you use to identify product and batches need to be specified in the product specifications. Details of the stage of the product are marked and are specified in the relevant procedures or plans. Often such markings are automatically applied during processing, as is the case with printed circuits, mouldings, ceramics, castings, etc. Process setting up procedures should specify how the marking equipment or tools are to be set up. 5. How do you evaluate and deal with non-conforming products?

It is essential for an organisation to make sure that all the manufactured products are in compliance with the product specifications. The manufacturing organisation must ensure that non-compliant products are identified and controlled. The identification process determines the product units that are non-conforming and tries to estimate the risk associated. For instance, if there is non-conformity in the production unit, the production time interval where it occurs and the production lots is evaluated. The first step is preventing the unintended usage of the product. A well-documented process helps in managing the non-conformed product; the procedures include the steps to handle a non conformed product. An organisation deals with the non conforming product in the following ways: - By taking adequate action to reduce the non conformity. - By authorising its use by getting the concession from a pertinent authority or by taking necessary action to prevent the use of non conforming product Dealing with Non Conformed : 1 Identification of Non Conformed - Steps of evaluating the Non-conformed Product - The evaluation of a non conformed product involves assessing the non conformity of the product. It includes the steps to investigate and notify the persons or organisations responsible for non-conformance. There are two major types of non conformances, and it is essential to divide them into subcategories. They are - A non-conformed product which the organisation gives to its customers, which does not meet the required specifications. - A non conformed process Where it is not possible to perform as per the product specifications. 2 Bagging and Tagging the Non-Conformed Material - Once the non confirmed product is identified, it has to be kept safely in a bag or box and a defective form is attached. The form will have the part number of the non conforming parts along with a short description of the component. It should also contain details of the person who fills the form and the date in which the product was identified nonconformed. The form will also have the reason for the product being non-conforming. If the nonconforming material is transferred from a unit that is built on a work order, it must be noted. If you are aware of the source of the component, the suitable box must be marked. If the replacement portion is taken, the suitable box must also be marked. This helps in re-stocking the proper area once the material is replaced and repaired. 3 Controlling a Non-conformed Product - Each organisation establishes and maintains the processes to control the product which does not comply to the specified requirements. The procedures will address the identification, documentation, evaluation, segregation, and nature of nonconforming product. Controlling refers to the methods that is performed to prevent the non conforming products from reaching the customer and to find the root problem of non conformance. Identification is generally considered as an element of controlling though it is regarded as a separate entity. In most of the organisations, controlling is defined elaborately in a documented

4 Disposition of Nonconforming Products - The disposition of the nonconforming products is an important evaluation process as per the ISO/QS 9000 standards. The process of disposition includes the decision taken for handling the non conforming product. As per the standards of ISO 9000, there are three different ways of dispositions. One of the methods is to take adequate action to reduce the detected non conformity. In this process, the identity of the product will be maintained, but the nonconformity characteristics will be got rid of. This can happen in several ways such as - Repairing: This include the actions which make the product functional though it does not comply itself to the specifications of the product. Such a product will not have the same warranty as the original quality. - Reworking: This comprise the actions which make the product comply with the original specifications. In customers view point, the product will be as same as the first quality non conforming product. The product follows the same operations cycle, often with a drawing. Repaired and reworked products are subjected to original inspection criteria and are verified thoroughly before being accepted. - Reprocessing: The product is sent back through the process of transformation. The product could also be regarded to be used for alternative applications - By authorising its use, release or acceptance: The product is accepted with or without concession, which suggests that the product is non-conforming as per the specifications of the organisation, but acceptable as per the clients specifications, a concession can be issued by the organisation. Though nothing is done to reduce the non-conformity or to change the products quality and performance, it is still accepted by the customer. It is important to know that the concession can come only from the client. - Rejecting the non-conforming product. Such scrap products which have no other means of disposition are sent to the original supplier or customer or separated from the other products and labeled to avoid nonuse. 6. Explain the importance of training. What is training needs assessment? What are the activities performed during and after training? Importance of Training - Traditionally, the purpose of training and development is to ensure that employees can effectively complete their work. Today, organisations have intense pressure to stay have a competitive advantage through innovation and reinvention. Organisations must foster the trend of continuous learning as a social responsibility to ensure they are competitive in the global marketplace. By definition, training and development refers to the process to attain or relocate knowledge, skills and abilities needed to complete a particular task. To assemble current and future business demands, training and development encompasses an extensive scope of learning activities .It ranges from training for responsibilities and knowledge sharing to improve customer service and career

development, thus expanding individual as well as organisational efficiency. Training not only enhances productivity it also motivates and inspires workers by informing their importance in the organisation. McNamara lists the following as general benefits from employee training: - Increased job satisfaction and morale - Increased motivation - Increased efficiencies in processes that result in financial gain - Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods - Increased innovation in strategies and products - Reduced employee turnover1 Training that is suitable to the requirements of an organisation can add great value to the system. Identifying the Training Needs - Some organisational and individual training needs are not as clearly defined as others. It is necessary to choose appropriate methods regarding training assessments. Many training needs are not so necessary all the time. Why a training needs assessment? Training needs assessment helps to determine when training is needed and when it is not. Assessment ensures that training programs have significance to the people being trained. A needs assessment provides the information that is usually essential for planning training programs. It is useful to identify employees level of knowledge and skills essential to perform effectively on the job. Review methods are commonly used to assess training needs. Data collection is the basis of any needs-assessment project. The fundamental standard of needs assessment is that in order to make efficient decisions about current or future training needs, data must be collected. Commonly used methods for data collection are interviews, centre groups, surveys and questionnaires, action research and examination. Interviews with employees are one of the easiest tools for gathering information. Interviews can be conducted face-to-face or telephonic. Telephonic interviews are more effective when small pieces of information are to be gathered. Vicki S. Kaman lists the advantages of interviews: - Employees can be encouraged to share their ideas. - Interviews provide information and the process. - Interviews provide two-way communication. Interviews work quite well when the target group is small in number. Conducting surveys and preparing questionnaires require several stages including preparing, designing, developing questions, writing cover letters and pilot testing. Observation is also a method that is used for data collection during training needs assessments. Activities performed during training - Following are the activities performed during training:

- Assessment of trainee knowledge, skills and attitudes by means of written and oral tests, and practical exercises/operating tests. - Achievement of training objectives is associated with the skills that should be checked. Not accomplished objectives are identified and necessary measures are taken accordingly. - Competencies of the trainees should be continuously evaluated against prescribed criteria during training period. - Evaluation of instructor performance and continuous feedback from the trainees. - During the implementation phase evaluative information is gained through immediate verbal feedback. Generally at the end of the training program the trainees complete course critiques on the training material content and delivery. During the delivery, supervisors occasionally assess instructor performance and provide constructive criticism on instructional methods. Using the results of the end of course written exams, instructors are able to enhance the training quality in the further sessions. Activities Performed After Training Following are the activities performed after training: - Yearly confirmation of employee competence is done by assessment of individual work results conducting written, oral and operating tests/examinations as well as on-job evaluation. - Organising surveys and questionnaires to assess the effects of training. - Conducting interviews with trainees, trainees managers and customers of trainees. - Final evaluation of trainee performance by means of a computerised parameter event data logging system using data from simulator exercises. - Development of evaluation reports by the instructors or by training program coordinators, and presentation of these reports to the training managers for improving the course content and the further training techniques and methods. - Evaluation of total costs associated with the training. The program manager conducts post-training evaluation through interviews with former trainees and their supervisors. The focal point of the interviews is to decide to what extent the training programs or enhances the workers ability to perform. The evaluation program coordinator also writes an annual report summarising all training evaluation activities from the previous year. The data inputs for the annual report include all sources of training efficiency evaluation, provided both internally and externally. The report focuses on training success and areas for improvement.