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This study provides an analysis of the quality of service provided by a university health‐care center. Statistical process control charts are used to investigate the time spent by students at the various stages of the health‐care process. The mean, upper and lower control limits for the mean, and the variation of the waiting‐times at different stages of the health‐care process were determined. Based on the results of this study, specific recommendations are made to improve the performance of the center, and to reduce the waiting‐times at different stages of the health‐care delivery process. The implementation of these recommendations should also reflect a change in students’ perceptions about the quality of service provided by the center, as well as an increase in the efficiency of the health‐care delivery process.

The global manufacturing research group (GMRG) is a multi‐national group of researchers who are dedicated to the study and improvement of manufacturing practices worldwide. The GMRG developed a survey that has been administered to companies in the machine tools and non‐fashion textile industries. In this study we utilize the GMRG data collected during 1993‐1995 and we focus on improvement programs and their impact on performance outcomes. Specifically, the improvement programs of interest are cellular manufacturing, factory automation, just‐in‐time (JIT) systems, and total quality management (TQM); the performance measures used were the percentage change in manufacturing cost, product quality, delivery speed, and on‐time deliveries. The relationships among the programs and outcomes were modelled and analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modelling (SEM).

This paper reports the results of our collaborative work with Changde Telecommunication Equipment Company (CTEC) which produces digital transfer control systems for telephone networks. The manufacturing operations consist of two principle stages of module production and system assembly. Critical system components are produced in the module production stage where high inventories were a major managerial concern. We studied CTEC’s module production system and proposed three modifications to reduce inventories and improve system performance. The current system and the proposed modifications were simulated and compared in terms of various operational and financial criteria. The simulation was repeated in its entirety under a high level of demand due to CTEC’s anticipation of increased market share. The results, endorsed by CTEC’s management, demonstrate that significant operational and financial benefits can indeed be realized using the proposed modifications. This study provides motivation for the development of concepts and methodologies that will be useful in future theoretical and practical research.

In response to residents’ reports of inefficiencies in the Veterans Administration (VA) system, a temporary task force of quality control circles was implemented at a VA hospital. A total of 25 internal medicine residents, on rotation at the VA, were subdivided into four groups. Each group was presented with a different problem, given the components and constraints of the problem, and asked to identify possible solutions. Program results were submitted to the hospital administration. Efforts are now being made to improve the working environment for medical residents.