Intro to Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Whether you produce a physical product or something less tangible, like software, you still want to deliver a quality product to your clients. But how do you make sure that happens? That's where quality management comes in. Two key aspects of the overall quality management of a product are quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC). While these terms are sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably, we'll teach you about what they each specifically are and why both are important for your products. We'll go over the PDCA cycle, as well as some different quality control standards that businesses rely on.
Can you think of an organization that always provides great products, fast responses, and friendly service? They're providing high performance to their customers and they're reaping the financial rewards. That's what we'll cover in this course - working for an organization that's focused on performance excellence. Here, we'll look at the word "quality" in a different way. We'll go over the true definition of the word, discuss how one knows when something is high-quality, and how that standard of excellence is determined in the first place.
Throughout the years, there have been lots of different programs and names regarding quality. In this course, we'll cover some of the history of quality, sort through common terms associated with quality, and explain what organizations are doing today to provide performance excellence.
"If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll get the same results." You've probably heard this statement before. Guess what? It's inaccurate. In today's world, if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll get less and less, as the world continues to demand more and more. This is why performance excellence and continuous improvement are essential for businesses. In this course, we'll dig into why that is. We'll talk about how change is constant, along with the fluidity of customer demands. We'll discuss factors that businesses need to consider as they explore the quality of their products and services. We'll also talk about the chain reaction that occurs when businesses strive for performance excellence.
We've discussed the benefits of performance excellence, but what about the other side? What is the cost of poor performance? Poorly performing organizations incur a lot of unnecessary costs, which come in four categories: prevention, appraisal, internal failure, and external failure costs. In this course, we'll go through these losses and talk about what they are and how they occur. We'll also look at a cost of defects chart, discuss the hidden factory, and explain the performance excellence broken chain reaction.
The Baldrige Criteria of Performance Excellence has identified factors that are beliefs and behaviors in high performing organizations. In other words, the best practices, core values, and concepts that great organizations share. In this program, we're going to talk about the criteria of performance excellence. We'll discuss having visionary leadership, keeping an engaged workforce, innovation, generating customer loyalty, and more.
When it comes to understanding the mistakes that organizations make in their performance excellence initiatives there are some common mistakes to look out for. In this course, we'll walk through some of the more common roadblocks to performance excellence. We'll cover obstacles regarding leadership, culture, training, and more.
The 5 Whys is a tool that can be used to determine the root cause of a problem. This tool can be used as a stand-alone, but it is also often used during the Analyze phase of a larger Six Sigma project. The tool is easy to administer because it does not require statistical analysis or data collection like other root cause tools. It does not require a large budget and does not keep employees away from their other responsibilities. It relies simply on asking "why" questions until a root cause is discovered. So, in summary, we are literally asking "why" five times to determine what process is broken.
Qualitative Data Collection
Quantitative data is represented by numbers. It can easily be counted and measured. But what if you need data on things that can't be quantified? For instance, data on how your customers FEEL about your products? This is where you need qualitative data, which is represented by things other than just numbers. In this program, we'll discuss the different types of qualitative data and various methods for collecting it, including using surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, and case studies.
We know what it means to be agile and flexible on the football field or in gymnastics, but what does it look like in an organization? We're going to explore agility and flexibility as they apply in the business world. We'll talk about why organizations should seek to embody both attributes, and how they should be practiced company-wide.
Product Management and Development
Have you ever wondered how Apple comes out with new iPhones as often as they do, with all their new features, and they still manage to meet such high demand? It's a very successful product because it's been properly managed from the early development stages all the way through to delivery. So how does that work? It's called product management, and it starts with ideation and ends with getting the product into the hands of the consumer. For different companies and industries, this process can look very different. So, in this course, we'll give learners an overview of what product management and development typically look like.
Imagine your company is looking to grow and create a better product with better service, but you're not sure where to start. You need a way to expand your workflow, while keeping everything running smoothly, without compromising on quality. How can you make that happen? ISO 9000 might have the answers you need. ISO 9000 is a group of quality management systems that set standards for organizations to ensure they meet customer and stakeholder needs, within statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or service. In this course, we'll talk about the history of ISO 9000, the family of standards that businesses can become certified with, and the seven quality management principles these standards on based on.
Your organization's impact on the environment should be top of mind, and luckily, there are standards to help to make your operations more environmentally friendly. ISO 14000 is a family of environmental management standards that help organizations minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment, and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally-oriented requirements. In this course, we'll take a look at various environmental standards, discuss certification with ISO 14001:2015, and how to prove conformity. We'll talk about the benefits to businesses that meet these requirements and discuss the basic principles of ISO 1400, which are based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle.
The RACI Matrix: The RACI Matrix
Have you ever been a part of a project and wondered when and where you were expected to contribute? Or have you been in charge of a task and been uncertain who was to sign off on it? Or who you could go to for help? These common problems can be solved by the RACI Matrix! The RACI Matrix is a roles and responsibilities tool designed to determine process and accountability. In this course, we'll talk about how the RACI Matrix works and give you an example of how to set it up and how to fill it out.
The RACI Matrix: Tips and Rules for the RACI Matrix
In our first course, The RACI Matrix, we talked about how the RACI Matrix works and gave you an example of how to set it up and how to fill it out. We also discussed the benefits of using these matrices for any project. In this program, we'll go over some additional rules and tips that will help as you start utilizing a RACI Matrix. We'll talk about knowing when and whom to assign tasks to, go over projects that will benefit from using the matrix, and projects that won't. We'll also discuss some common variations to the matrix.
Six Sigma: Six Sigma Basics
Watching this program will not make you a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. What it will do is answer the question "what the heck IS a Six Sigma Master Black Belt?" This program will get you familiar with what Six Sigma is. We'll go over the terms, process, and tools that are used within Six Sigma. You'll get a basic understanding, so if your company starts using Six Sigma, or if you're invited to be part of Six Sigma project, you'll understand the philosophy behind it.
Six Sigma: Six Sigma and Kaizen
When you encounter Six Sigma, you might hear it used in conjunction with other terms and methodologies. As we know, Six Sigma is a very specific methodology that drives quality. Well, Kaizen is a similar philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement. Sometimes Six Sigma and Kaizen are launched together and can be part of a powerful quality model. You can also use them independently. In this course, we'll discuss what Kaizen is, how the process works, and how it's put to use. We'll also talk about how Kaizen works in conjunction with Six Sigma, how these methodologies share similarities, and how they differ.
Six Sigma: Six Sigma and Lean
When you encounter Six Sigma, you might hear it used in conjunction with other terms and methodologies. Perhaps one such term you've heard is Lean. Lean is a very complex process. Here, we won't dig into all the complexities of Lean, but instead provide a high-level overview of what Lean is to help you become familiar with some of the processes and terms you'll hear in reference to a Lean organization. We'll also discuss how it interfaces with Six Sigma methodologies.
Six Sigma: Six Sigma Belts and Certifications
Six Sigma uses a belt system to rank the certifications available. These are modeled after martial arts belts, and each subsequent rank signifies that you've gained more knowledge and experience with Six Sigma methodologies. But who certifies people to call themselves, say, a Six Sigma Yellow Belt? And what does it take to earn such a certification? That's what we'll cover here in our program on Six Sigma Belts and Certification. We'll discuss the certifying bodies and how to choose the one that's right for you. We'll go over each belt color, how to achieve it, and the benefits it brings once you've acquired it.
Six Sigma: Six Sigma Industry Applications
Six Sigma was originally developed in the manufacturing industry, and there are certainly a lot of applications for its methodologies there. Six Sigma can also be applied to other industries as well, and that's what we'll explore in this program. We'll talk about how Six Sigma methods and tools can improve quality control, not only in manufacturing, but in finance and accounting as well as in healthcare.
Six Sigma: Six Sigma Tools
Six Sigma encompasses a large number of tools and methods for improving your business practices. In fact, there are so many that it can feel overwhelming. If you do decide to become certified in Six Sigma, you'll learn a lot about these tools. But in this program, we're going to preview a few of the major tools you might encounter in the Six Sigma world. We'll also give you a taste of how Six Sigma methods work and what they could do for your business.