International Journal for Quality Research

6

Authors: Katarina Pavlovic, Vojislav Bozanic

LEAN thinking and Six Sigma have been utilized by manufacturing industries to decrease cost and improve quality and productivity by reducing variation and production defects [1]. Because of the dramatic successes in manufacturing, there is rising interest among companies in the pharmaceutical industry, which chooses to implement LEAN in order to accomplish such goals as decreased wait time to release product to the market, reduce production waste, and improve communication with end users and raize quality level both in the production and in testing laboratories. In this article, basics of LEAN and Six Sigma are presented and suggestion was given for application of their concepts in pharmaceutical industry together with harmonization with legal regulation represented by requirements Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), in order to work "smarter", more cost-effectively and avoid was ting time and other resources.

7

Authors: M.T. Sawant , J.S. Bag

This paper focuses on the use of CAE for improving some of the quality dimensions of the business process, such as reliability and quick response to market. To establish this, a software based approach is developed coupled with interface with CAD environment by using RAD technology. This system would help enable the rapid design and generation of model of a critical component like the rotor of a submersible pump. The parametric design of the critical component i.e. mo tor is established and software solution for the same is developed. The dimensions of the rotor are critical and interdependent. The flexibility thus obtained using the software will facilitate fast design of a submersible pump. This case study has been carried at M/s. Vira Pumps, Kolhapur, India. The company manufactures and exports different types of submersible pumps and motors to many countries. The company is working in this area from last 35 years. Being an ISO 9001 certified company there is an on going continual improvement process in all its areas of operation. ISO 9001:2008 specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer requirements, and aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the quick reply and improved reliability of the product with CAE.

7

Authors: Alireza Rajabipoor Meybodi

Purpose: Many organizations especially service organizations to suit their ideals and mission specific approach to the topic that have quality and management. This paper is intended to subject the importance of quality serve the brokerage offices, the gap analysis using the model and analysis techniques to Servqual quality service brokerage offices presented a case study (Stock Brokerage office's regional provinces Yazd) pay. Design/methodology/approach: Application of statistical non-parametric test for the qualitative analysis of significant gaps in services, suggestions for improving the quality of brokerage services at a low-level case study is presented. Statistic's tests in five areas, including service quality conceptual donor tangible form, reply to, guarantee, credit, and charity have been. For this purpose, based on service quality gaps five branches, a questionnaire measure designed level perception and expectations of investors and broker's service brokerage offices, and the navigation. Findings: Results show that donor expectations and perceptions between investor's quality service brokerage offices in all areas, there are significant differences. Brokerage Managers, the models analyze d using the service quality, will be able to create gaps between the way the service provided, i.e., investors and agents known to the agency planned to strengthen and reform pay problems. Originality/value: Servqual technique used for the first time in Iran and in particular, in Yazd province, for the assessment the service quality of brokerage offices. It certainly results in improving the quality of services these offices will be effective.

12

Authors: Petnji Yaya Luc Honore, Marimon Frederic, Casadesus Marti

This paper seeks to investigate from customers ? perspective, if the implementation of ISO 9001 with the scope directly related to customers (offices, claims, etc.), spawn any discrepancies on service quality, customer perceived value, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer service recovery; in the backdrop of e-services in Catalonia (Spain). Design/methodology/approach The main research target consists of e-banks operating in the region of Catalonia (Spain), besides customers who regularly use internet to do their banking. Self completed questionnaire was designed from a blend of existing constructs. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was per formed to a convenience sample of 428 customers of e-banking services (123 of them reported a complained about the service) and 16 banks. Findings The results reveal that e-banking customers in Catalonia were not sensitive to the usage of ISO 9001. However, customers from banks that do not implement ISO 9001 perceived that the prices of the service available on their bank site were more economical. Research limitations and implication this study was done only in Catalonia expandability might be restricted. Further investigation may be done in Spain as a whole or in different countries and settings. Originality/value based on literature reviews, this study will be on e of the first to carry out such research from customers' perspective and more specifically in Catalonia. The results of the study were useful in validating previous findings.

17

Authors: Mekonnen Liben Nekere, Ajit Pal Singh

In this paper, aluminium blank green sand (green) casting process was optimized by using Taguchi's robust design approach. An attempt was made to obtain optimal settings of two groups of aluminium blank sand casting processes. Single aluminium blank sand casting and double aluminium blanks sand casting for process robustness comparison. The casting process involves a number of parameters affecting various casting quality features of the product. In order to optimize the process seven control factors viz., grain size, clay content, moisture content, ramming, sprue size, riser size, and diameter to thickness (D/t) ratio of the blank were selected. Each factor was considered at three levels. For this study three uncontrollable (or noise) factors viz. metal flow rate, pouring temperature and humidity were identified. To capture the effect of noise factors casting yield, surface defects, and casting density for single and double castings were measured. An orthogonal array was constructed for the seven factors undertaken, and performing eighteen sets of experiments with their replicates generated the data. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio s were calculated based on the design of experiments. The average values of S/N ratios for each factor at three levels were calculated and were plotted on the graph. Considering the maximum S/N ratios from the graph, the optimum levels of process factors for both single and double castings were obtained. A statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to see which process parameters are statistically significant. A verification experiment was performed using the identified optimum conditions. The results have shown that single aluminium blanks and casting process is more robust than double aluminium blank sand casting process. This proved that single aluminium blank sand casting process had shown better insensitivity to noise factors. The experimental results confirmed the validity of used Taguchi robust design method for enhancing sand casting process and optimizing the sand casting parameters in aluminium blank casting process.