Table of Contents
Title - - - - - - - - - - -
Approval - - - - - - - - - -
Declaration- - - - - - - - - -
Acknowledgement - - - - - - - - -
Abstract - - - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study - - - - - - -
1.2 Statement of the Problems - - - - - -
1.3 Objectives of the Study - - - - - - -
1.4 Significance of the Study - - - - - -
1.5 Scope of the Study - - - - - - - -
1.6 Research Questions - - - - - - -
1.7 Definition of Terms - - - - - - -
CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review
2.1 Specification and Standardization - - - - -
2.2 Objectives of Specification and
Standardization - - -
2.3 Approaches to developing a Balanced Specification - -
2.4 Inspection - - - - - - - - -
2.5 Types of Inspections - - - - - - -
2.6 Defect Preventive Approach - - - - - -
2.7 Effects of Materials Inspection on the
Quality of Products -
CHAPTER
THREE: Research Methodology
3.1 Area of the Study - - - - - - - -
3.2 Research Design - - - - - - - -
3.3 Population of the Study - - - - - - -
3.4 Sample and Sampling Procedure - - - - -
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection - - - - - -
3.6 Administration of the Instrument - - - - -
3.7 Techniques for Analyzing Data - - - - - -
CHAPTER FOUR: Data Presentation and Analysis
4.1 Presentation of Results - - - - - - -
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary, Discussions, Conclusion and
Recommendations
5.1 Summary of Procedures - - - - - - -
5.2 Discussion of Findings - - - - - - -
5.3 Implications of Findings - - - - - - -
5.4 Conclusions - - - - - - - - -
5.5 Recommendations - - - - - - - -
5.6 Suggestions for Further Study - - - - - -
Bibliography - - - - - - - -
Appendix - - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER I: Introduction
1.1 Background
of the Study
Doug
Wallace, a Materials Management subject expert with Life Cycle Engineering
[L.C.E] Consultancy Company Charleston, South Carolina; in a paper presentation
titled “Maintenance and Reliability Inventory Management” gave an apt and
practical illustration that underscores the need for inspection. He said, have
you heard of the guys that burned up a brand new piece of rotating equipment
because it was installed with no oil in it? That little oversight cost $80,000
for a replacement. When properly lubricated, it would have cost less than
$100”. Again, he said, “How about the guys that cut a section out of their raw
materials feeder line and then find out the replacement piece was just a little
bit too short to fit into the gap? That little mistake cost thousands of
dollars in unplanned repairs and potentially hundreds of thousands in lost
production”.
This
brings to mind the two renowned cases in Nigeria of Indomie Instant Noodles
Poisoning Crisis of 2004 and Pfizer Poisoning Crisis, Kano 1996. What these organizations suffered
in terms of cost, production revenue loss and image can only be imagined.
Again,
operating in an unstable environment riffed with stiff competition; product
quality management has become in more ways than one the life-blood of the
organization. Be that as it may, and as strategic as product quality is to
success of the organization, it will be near impossible if not impossible to
achieve the goals of enhancing, maintain and sustaining product quality without
the eagle eye of inspection.
Inspection
itself is a word with many synonyms, so, whether a writer chooses the word
examination, observation, investigation or assessment, it will still be
inspection, and sometimes the word testing is adopted depending on what is
being inspected.
The
general idea and concept is to ascertain or determine quality or conformity of
materials, products and components to pre-set standards and specification.
So,
materials outsourced or insourced either as raw materials, components, spare
parts or MROs as well as the organizations output are subjected to thorough
examination to ensure that they conformed to specifications and standards
before they are certify for production or consumption.
This
brings to bear the subtle but distinct fact that inspection and quality are two
inseparable Siamese twin terms, where one can hardly be discussed without
alluding to the other. In fact, inspection is a tool often utilized by
organizations for the realization of product quality management objectives.
Thus, in other to understand the basis for inspection and its role in product
quality management drive of an organization, a concise but lucid perspective of
specification and standardization, the concept of quality management, quality control
and quality assurance will need to be understood as they are interwoven and
make it difficult to be discussed one without the other.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
The
effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the inspection exercise can mean the
successor failure of the organization. This is because the slightest oversight
of outsourced or and insourced materials and products from specification and
standards will often result to the production of defective output with multiple
and spiraling effects in multiple fronts with unimaginable consequences for
both the organization and consumers.
Consequently,
no where in the manufacturing industry are those consequences more truer, acute
and immediate as in the food and drugs industry.
The
choice of Northern Noodles Limited Kaduna, in an attempt to examine the role of
inspection in the quest for effective product quality management in the food
industry was prompted by a few negative indicators which combined to impair on
the quality of their products.
The
issue that arose for this study is asked, whose responsibility is it in the
organization to ascertain and certify the compliance of product inputs to
pre-determined standards and specifications? Again what measures are put in
place by the organization to ensure that defective materials not do enter the
production process? It is also asked, what measures are put in place to detect
defects even in the production process?
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
It
is a truism that defective materials allowed to enter the production line can
cause the failure of the organization, as quality will be impinged upon
eventually, and this will be with great consequences to the organization and
society at large. It is therefore necessary that this must not be allowed to
occur.
The
objective of this study is therefore built around the examination of the
quality management programs employed by the organization in its drive towards
ensuring quality of its outputs. The study in this light is therefore aimed at.
i)
To determine the responsibility for
inspection in the organization.
ii)
To determine the approach to materials
specification adopted by the organization.
iii)
To determine the method of inspection
adopted by the organization.
iv)
To determine the defect preventive
measures used by the organization.
v)
To determine the control tools used by the
organization to ensure quality outputs.
1.4 Significance
of the Study
The
research study is of immense importance in many facets. First, it is a requirement
in partial fulfillment for the award of Higher National Diploma (HND) in the
Department of Purchasing and Supply Management, Kaduna Polytechnic which the
researcher stands to receive, and without which he cannot graduate.
Again,
as a reservoir of knowledge, it will serve as a guide for further study to some
future researchers. Students will also benefit, because it will help expand and
expose them to the different perspectives on the subject matter. Further, and
importantly, it will be a tremendous benefits to the organization under
studied; as it will expose them to the dangers embedded in the laxity or
casualness given to the inspection exercise by the organization.
Finally,
the general public will also glean from its sublime significance, since
everyone buys in one way or another, and to property adopt the principles and
approaches of the inspection exercise in their personal acquisitions.
1.5 Scope
of the Study
This
research work is focused on the role of inspection in product quality
management drive in Northern Noodles Limited, Kaduna,
located along Kachia road, Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna. The research considered and covered
the period from 2011 and 2012. The searchlight was beamed on the Purchasing
Department, the Production Department, Quality Control and the Administrative
departments of the organization.
1.6 Research
Questions
i)
Who is responsible for inspection in the
organization?
ii)
What is the approach to materials
specification in the organization?
iii)
What method(s) of inspection does the
organization adopts?
iv)
What preventive measures are put in place
by the organization to ensure that defective materials does not enter the
production line?
v)
What control tools does the organization
used to ensure and sustain quality?
1.7 Definition
of Terms
·
Inspection:
This
describes a process of careful examination of materials, services, component or
a process or work product to determine its conformity to set standards.
·
Sourcing:
This is a purchasing procedure through which buyers seeks, survey and evaluate
suppliers, and determine policies relating to those who will most suitably meet
the requirement of the buying organization.
·
Insourcing:
This describes the process by which an organization takes responsibility for
providing services and conducting its operations in-house or in other locations
but by its own staff.
·
Outsourcing:
This gives or describes contracting out services and operations that are
usually conducted in-house to other firms that can do them better, cheaper and
faster.
·
Efficiency:
This implies the minimum used of resources to reach goals. That is, doing
things right.
·
Effectiveness:
This means pursuing and reaching the appropriate goals. In other words doing
the right thing.
·
Specification:
This is the careful, detailed and distinct description of an item, or service
to be supplied in which the supplied item must conform to.
·
Standardization:
The formulation and evaluation at national and at company levels, to define and
prescribe the specified quality and/or performance characteristics of a
material, product and/or operations and service.
·
Standards:
Are a model, or general agreement of a rule established by the authority,
consensus or customers and used by various levels of interests.
·
Quality:
Quality is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill
requirements.
·
Material:
Anything that can be offered to the market for attention, acquisition, use or
consumption for the satisfaction of needs is referred to as material.
·
Purchasing:
This term in this context denotes the act of a function in an organization that
is responsible for the procuring of materials into the organization.
·
Supplier:
This refers to an organization or a person who supply or releases goods or
service to a buying organization.
·
Defect:
This is a situation where a component, material, product or service does not
meet its requirements or specification and needs to be repaired or replaced or
rejected.
·
Productivity:
This means efficient utilization of available resource at economic cost.
·
Production:
This is the rate of units produced in terms of machines, labour, materials or
any other effective basis.
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