Page 234 - Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies

Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies Section 4 Operations management

EXPLORE!

Read the following article.

Tea testing goes hi-tech with electronic tongue
Kenyan tea producers will no longer need to rely on The ‘electronic tongue’lec fi lled with sensors
the human tongue to test the quality of its tea leaves. which are able to analyse fl avour compounds
A new electronic instrument has been developed present in tea – known as theafl avins – which con-
tribute to the taste and brightness of tea.
which is said to be better than the human tongue.

Source: Adapted from http://in2eastafrica.net/tea-testing-goes-hi-tech-with-electronic-tongue
Using this article, or through your own research of newspaper/magazine articles and internet websites, explain how and why
technology is being used in the quality control process.

Problems of quality control by inspection
Apart from the cost of inspecting for quality, there are other problems with this
method of quality control.
■ The work can be repetitive and boring and this may demotivate the inspectors,
resulting in them not performing their tasks eff iciently.
■ If inspection only takes place at the end of the process, then problems with
quality that occur at the beginning are not found soon enough. Resources are
232 wasted completing a product that should have been rejected much earlier in the
production process.
■ The use of quality inspectors takes any responsibility for quality away from the
workers. Workers do not see quality as their responsibility and may not try to
ensure quality is maintained throughout the production process.

Quality assurance
Problems with quality control have led many businesses to move away from quality

KEY TERM control to quality assurance. This method focuses on preventing poor quality. It
makes sure that:
Quality assurance: a system of ■ raw materials, components and other resources are of the required standard before
setting agreed standards for every
they enter the production process
stage of production.
■ quality standards are agreed for every stage of the production process
■ products are designed to minimise quality issues – many businesses use computer-
aided design (CAD), which is more accurate than hand-drawn designs and can be
used to improve the quality of products by using computer software to ‘test’ the

product without the need to produce a physical model, so any changes that need to
TOP TIP
be made to the design following testing can be made quickly and easily
Quality is just as important
to small and medium-sized ■ workers know they have a responsibility for ensuring the quality of their work.
businesses as it is for large
businesses. They must select Benefits of quality assurance

a level of quality which they Businesses benefit from quality assurance.
are able to meet within their
limited resources. ■ It encourages teamwork and this can act as a motivator for workers.
■ It reduces the cost of wastage and faulty products.