CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

According to Crosby (1979) “quality is conformance to requirement and those requirements must be defined in measurable and clearly stated terms.” Quality is one of the goals or objectives organization seek to achieve. But often times this gal is not achieved due to some problems in the firms. The quality of any firms products or services, determines its position in the market. Its success to a larger extent depends. This is quality of goods or services it produces and sells to consumers. “this is because consumers desire to get the best value for their money. The quality of product or service can only be defined by the customers.” (Deming, 1986.) This means that for a firm to be satisfied with the quality of its goods or services, it customers must first be satisfied with it.

Quality is a complex concept that has become one of the most appealing in al of management theory. This is to say that every business today wants to produce quality products or services that are acceptable to consumers, which are also affordable. Quality control is a functional management discipline, which is responsible for defining quality purpose. The prerequisite for effective quality control are freedom  from deficiency and minimum or reduced cost. Non – conformance is therefore not acceptable in reducing running costs. Some of these costs include, waste,re-work, replacement and inspection costs.  All these are manufacturing problems that should not only be detected and corrected at the earliest time but prevented if possible. Quality control can therefore be achieve by establishing a standard for effective and efficient quality in the following areas:

1.   In the factory building, machinery and equipment design and installation, manufacturing system and process as well as product identification system.

2.   In product design.

3.   In the market by way of intensive consumers response program which gives the needed feedback.

In addition to the established standards tolerance limits are set for every important quality. These tolerance limits are limits of variations beyond which the variations will not be accepted. The firms must determine what quality’s are needed by their customers and must try as much as possible to satisfy these needs.

Meeting these quality needs of consumers, should be a collective responsibility of everybody in an organization. The market research division will find out what these needs are, products development division will create a design to equate with the needs. Planning division will devise a process for executing the product desire and the production units will regulate the process to achieve the desired product quality.

1.2   STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The Nigerian business environment dynamic with ever changing work processes, practices and employee’s configuration. As a result of these changes, firms that are resistant to change or that cannot respond quickly and adequately to change are prone to having problems which will in the long-run affect their productivity level and profit margins adversely.  

Although, the success of every manufacturing firm to a larger extent depends on the degree of its reputation for supplying quality products to consumers, yet the realization of quality standards has been a problem to many manufacturing firms to be successful, they must place great emphasis on the establishment and maintenance of quality control policies of their firms. The personal responsible for effective quality control functions must be conversant with required activities in all quality control systems. It is required that quality procedures for each section be strictly followed in order to achieve good quality.

However, it is a common knowledge that the Nigerian market is being flooded with many sub-standard products. What immediately comes to the mind is the existence of problems in the quality control system or process of manufacturing firms. These problems have constituted hindrance to many firms towards the achievement of their goals and objectives like good corporate image and profit maximization.

In the looking into these problems, which this study seeks to find out, two important questions come to mind. What factors are responsible for these problems? What actions) must be taken in order to reduce or eliminate these problems and their effects on the firms?

In this study, we will be looking into the problems and prospect of quality control in manufacturing firms using Nigeria breweries plc Enugu as a case study.

1.3   Objectives of the Study

This study is being carried out in order to achieve the following objectives:

a.   To find out the problems facing quality control, their causes and possible solutions. To identity the different technique of quality control in the manufacturing firm.

b.   To determine if efficient quality control can increase profitability in manufacturing firms.

1.4   Research question

In order to achieve the objective mentioned above, the researchers drafted the following research questions:

a.   What are the problems facing quality control their causes and possible solution?

b.   What are the different techniques of quality control in the manufacturing firms?

c.    Can efficient quality control increase profitability in manufacturing firms?

1.5   Hypotheses

The following are the research hypotheses of this study in alternative format.

Ha: There are problems facing quality control in the manufacturing firms.

Ha: There are techniques of quality control in the manufacturing firms.

Ha: There is relationship between quality control and increase in profitability of manufacturing firms.

1.6   SIGNIFICANCE

This study is significant because it will or reveals the problems of quality control and how to solve or manage the problems.

The beneficiaries of the study include:

1.      Students of marketing, production management, management and other related fields of study.

2.      practicing managers at all levels of management especially quality control managers.

3.      Owners of business (manufacturing) firms.

1.7   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is focused on the problems and prospects of quality control in manufacturing firms. Due to certain limitations, the study will be narrowed down to Nigerian plc Enugu.

1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms are defined in relation to the above topic

1     management

2     quality

3     control

4     planning

1      management; is the process of during things using the effort of others to achieve an objective.

2      Quality; means those features of products or services which meet customers need and thereby provide customer satisfaction. Quality in this sense is oriented to income. the purpose of such higher quality is to provide greater customer satisfaction and to increase income.

3      Control; this is the act of checking  current performance, over the determined targets contains in the plans with the view  to ensuring adequate process and satisfactory performance whether physical or financial.

4      Planning; this is the act of determining out the operations ,preparing the appropriate methods of effective action and determining the targets or expected performance cost and output (profitability).

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