A study of ASQ and SME members on the effects of continuous improvement practices and certifications on quality cost for small-to-midsized United States manufacturing companies.

摘要

United States manufacturing companies chose Continuous Process Improvement, 5S, and Lean Manufacturing as the top three continuous improvement practices. The top three primary continuous improvement practices in an identified project included Six Sigma, Continuous Process Improvement, and Lean Manufacturing. Ninety out of 235 respondents provided Quality of Service Repercussions, listing cultural problems as the primary result of continuous improvement practice implementation. Neither Quality Cost Improvement nor Waste-Cost Reductions experienced significant differences between small and midsized companies, or between companies with or without certified employees. Howbeit small and midsized companies did experience statistically significant lower part-per-million values due to continuous improvement practice usage for both Quality Cost Improvement and Waste-Cost Reductions. Statistical significance was present for the relationship research questions, resulting in the rejection of the null hypotheses for both Quality Cost Improvement and Waste-Cost Reductions in relation to several predictors. The predictors of Six Sigma, Small Company Size and Employee Education in Years affect Quality Cost Improvement in Dollar results. The predictors of Toyota Production System and Company Sales in Dollars affect Waste-Cost Reductions in Dollar results.