Abstract
This study provides economic justification for insertion of technological innovation into a total quality management (TQM) program in a remanufacturing environment. One of the core principles of TQM is continuous improvement. A preferred metric for measuring quality improvement is the cost of quality. Traditionally, comprehensive quality cost reports have regularly been issued in a fixed format to identify opportunities for improvement and provide guidelines for improvement over time. However, current research has shown that continuous improvement is enhanced by a quality cost approach that is much more flexible [1]. This approach is based upon exposure of the cost savings directly related to quality improvement. in many cases a process-level engineer, who may not be trained in quality costing techniques, will be responsible for the economic analysis to justify a quality improvement initiative. Research has shown that most engineers, simply do not have the training or experience to adequately cost justify quality improvement. The results of this study provide process-level engineers with a cost/benefit model template, which can be used to cost justify technological improvement based upon total quality costs.
Ratliff, William L (1997). A cost/benefit model for insertion of technological innovation into a total quality management program. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1997 -THESIS -R38.