Quality Assurance for Service Industries

Srinivasan Nenmeli-K

What is Quality Assurance?

Q A is defect prevention.

Quality Control [QC] is testing and inspection.

What is Quality ?" Achieving Customer satisfaction!."

Service Industries QA?❑ Service industries are increasingly

applying QA techniques!❑ Service industries--> health

care,hotels,tourism,education,elder homes

❑ Service industries deal with humans at every step or their pets...difficult to achieve customer satisfaction --that is, QUALITY !

❑ You cannot easily test or measure the outputs/results.

❑Service industries of great value:

Develop a Quality Plan

❑ Set quality goals--> say faster service,reduce mishaps,reduce rework

❑measure the present levels--say time for waiting in clinics, time for delivery of services, no of accidents in a year

❑ Set goals for the next month or two!❑Explore the means to do that❑Fix the tasks to specific persons--

process owners

Process Flow Chart

❑Develop a process flow chart--go into major processes

❑Avoid wasteful,waiting process steps❑Combine two or more process steps❑Measure time,effort for each process

step❑ receiving clients->enquiry-->assign

attendant -->further enquires-->selection of treatment methods..........

❑can you reduce the steps.!

Analyze Process Steps

❑Fro each process step, measure 2 or 3 critical parameters--write them down

❑Measure the parameters in real situations

❑Find the mean and sigma for these parameters

❑can you reduce the sigma value? Achieve this!

❑Can you reduce /increase the mean?❑You always reduce sigma first and then

shift the mean!

Defect Analysis

➢ identify defects ➢Classify them-->Critical,

Major,MinorCount them--use Checksheets--see any trend

➢Critical and Major defects--> find their "Root Causes"

➢Eliminate the causes in a time frame

How to find the root causes?

■The root causes are from■time factors (delayed response to a

patient)■Space factors (inadequate space, poor

storage of medicines)■Materials (non availability of wheel

chairs,equipment)■Humans (delay, inattention,lack of

skills)■environment (unhygienic,slippery floor)

Eliminate the root causes

❑ Timing--written schedules,planning❑Space ---desing properply,plan❑materials--planning, inventory

control,database❑humans--more

training,training,training❑environment--proper

inspection,use of technology

Process Control for services

❑Since service industry involves lot of human work,process control is tough.

❑For each process,identify critical parameters❑If you are running a restaurant,you may take the

service time [time from ordering to placing the food on the table] as critical parameter.

❑Fix a lower and upper limit for this: say 10 to 20 mins.

❑Take measurements--about 30 measurements for a sample

❑Find the mean and standard deviation or sigma❑try to keep the sigma 1/6 th of the range of 10

mins,say 2 mins.

Customer Feedback

❖This is a major resource for you❖Analyse the feedback regularly,say

once a month❖Share the analysis with the staff❖Find means of improving the

customer satisfaction❖Some measure the "satisfaction

level'❖This level should be greater than

95%

Achieving Customer Satisfaction❑Try using simple means to achieve this!

❑ Often try to give physical comfort to the customers

❑You must study the age group of your customers--this is the single most factor.

❑Young customers in a restaurant tolerate or even welcome noise but not elderly group

❑Study the educational level/professional groups for customer satisfaction -->next slidea

Achieving Customer Satisfaction

❑This is giving Quality❑Learn to study customer

profile;this is the first stepAge group,edu levels,professional identity,family factors,income level,cultural groups, --------

❑Set parameters based on these!❑Train your employees in learning

these

Training for Quality

❑Train your staff on the basics---❑Train them in SPC Magnificent Seven

quality tools❑train them for using Check lists❑train them for using and writing internal

standards---review the standards❑train them for process control--to

reduce sigma!!❑train them for defect counting and

analysis

Quality Circles/Discussion

❑Discuss quality matters with all the staff in a non-threatening way

❑Except for safety violations, dont reprimand anyone for lapses

❑Point out lapses and see how things can be improved

❑create fail-safe design features❑Reward staff for good to great

performance--every body needs this!!

References

Dale Besterfield--Total Quality Measurement

Contact Me: nksrinivasan@hotmail.com