In the flurry of working for ISO 9000 registration, we can too easilylose sight of the link between ISO 9000 and total, customer‐driven,quality. However, through careful planning…
Abstract
In the flurry of working for ISO 9000 registration, we can too easily lose sight of the link between ISO 9000 and total, customer‐driven, quality. However, through careful planning, the ISO 9000 process can drive the quality process as well. This happens in two ways: first, both emphasize the importance of managing internal processes. To strengthen this link, take an approach towards implementing ISO 9000 that examines and improves all the processes within the system, as every one has an impact on the customer. Second, ISO 9000 standards do not prescribe how to accomplish its goals. Therefore, structure the ISO 9000 registration effort in a way that supports the concepts of total quality: employee empowerment and involvement, teamwork, emphasizing cross‐functional communication and, paramount among these, customer focus. Discusses these concepts using examples from the experience of Ethyl Corporation during eight completed ISO 9000 registrations, and with three more in progress.
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Nancy Kress, Darcy Del Bosque and Tom Ipri
The purpose of this paper is to understand why users at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) are unable to locate locally held items from the university libraries'…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand why users at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) are unable to locate locally held items from the university libraries' electronic and physical collections using the library web site and catalog.
Design/methodology/approach
A combination of usability testing methods and quality control methods were used. Items for the study were selected from cancelled interlibrary loan requests. A cognitive walkthrough was performed for citations representative of the top categories of cancellation because the item is owned or available electronically. Quality control methods were used to determine likely user failure points to completing this path. Data from the cognitive walkthrough were compared with actual user behavior, as observed through usability testing.
Findings
Participants in the study failed to locate known items for multiple reasons, but from the usability testing and analysis three major areas emerged: finding the correct starting‐point for the search, information not indexed for a selected search, and clicking on the call number link. The complexity of library resources was the main contributor to these failures. Participants expected library searching to behave like their other search experiences.
Research limitations/implications
The failure points identified in the study are in some cases specific to features of the UNLV Libraries' integrated library system.
Originality/value
This paper could be useful to libraries examining the ease with which users can locate items using the library web site and catalog. The research team used a quality control method to analyze usability testing, which provides valuable quantitative data concerning the relationship between user and system failure.
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Ayon Chakraborty and Kay Chuan Tan
The aim of this research is to explore the implementation of Six Sigma in service organisations. The focus of the investigation is on identifying critical success factors (CSFs)…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to explore the implementation of Six Sigma in service organisations. The focus of the investigation is on identifying critical success factors (CSFs), critical‐to quality (CTQ) characteristics, tools and techniques and key performance indicators (KPIs), and also to understand the issues emerging from the implementation process.
Design/methodology/approach
Exploratory empirical evidence is provided through four in‐depth case studies of organisations mainly in Singapore. They include a hospital, a public service organisation, a consultancy service and a hotel.
Findings
The major findings include an understanding about the suitability of Six Sigma implementation in service organisations. Management support and team member support emerged as primary success factors. The CTQs include time and cost, while use of soft tools instead of rigorous statistical tools are preferred by service organisations. At the project level, KPIs are understood more as CTQs. Additionally; various interesting practical difficulties emerged from the case studies.
Research limitations/implications
A main limitation of this study is the small number of organisations studied and that are mainly from a single geographical location. Furthermore, the exploratory nature of the study demands rigorous in‐depth studies. The practical difficulties identified will have major implications for managers. The framework including the CSFs, CTQs, KPIs, and tools and techniques, will be a useful guide for both practitioners and academicians.
Originality/value
There are limited studies about Six Sigma implementation in service organisations. This paper provides a framework and a paradigm shift from viewing its implementation through a manufacturing lens.