QA 125 - Quality System Design

Credits: 3

Introduces quality assurance methods used by manufacturing and service industries. Examines the concept of a system and identifies techniques used to reduce variation and optimize the system so it produces its intended outcome. Includes quality philosophy, statistical methods for process improvement, variation reduction methods, statistical process control and problem-solving, processes capabilities and data acquisition.

Prerequisite(s): None
Corequisite(s): None
Lecture Hours: 45 Lab Hours: 0
Meets MTA Requirement: None
Pass/NoCredit: Yes

Outcomes and Objectives

Describe the principles of quality assurance when applied to manufacturing or service industries.
1. Define quality assurance.
2. Identify the basis philosophies of quality assurance.
3. Identify basic management procedures used to attain quality.
4. Relate the importance of quality assurance to reducing cost and increasing productivity.
5. Describe the need for a system approach for quality assurance.
6. Relate employee involvement and a continuous improvement approach for achieving quality assurance
7. Explain the need for performance measures in a quality assurance system.
Apply the tools and techniques of quality assurance to manufacturing or service industries.
1. Identify criteria for using various tools and techniques.
2. Relate outside standards such as ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 to the organization's systems.
  1. Auditing activities
  2. Documentation requirements
3. Identify tools used for determining customer requirements and ensuring they are met. Some of these tools are:
  1. Quality Function Deployment
  2. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
  3. Reliability models
  4. Problem Solving Tools
  5. Design of Experiments
  6. Supplier management and development
  7. Six Sigma methods
  8. Statistical Process Control
4. Relate the application of various tools and techniques to specific organizations.
Demonstrate the ability to think critically when examining a quality assurance system.
1. Interpret, analyze and make theoretical comparisons between quality assurance system elements and a specific organization’s elements.
2. Evaluate methods for continuous improvement of a specific organization.
3. Evaluate the culture of an organization in relationship to quality assurance systems.
Research, access, and apply knowledge of quality assurance systems and methods when applied to manufacturing or service industries.
1. Identify the criteria for the use of Metrology, including destructive and non-destructive testing.
2. Research process control methods, including process capability studies and statistical process control (SPC), for incorporation into a quality assurance system.
3. Identify and analyze solutions for process improvement in organizations.