Quality Management in Green Valley Bakers Research Paper

Quality Management in Green Valley Bakers - Research Paper Example This organization was formed in 1933 and dedicates itself to making the perfect loaf. It has more than 1300 members across the USA. Membership indicates that the bakers are themselves masters at their craft and meet the quality standards set by the Guild in terms of baking prowess. The Importance of Quality We may all have heard it a hundred times or more, but it is nevertheless worth repeating that Quality is never an Accident; rather it is the result of concentrated effort directed towards achieving a certain purpose, depending on what we are doing. Quality means better than average, certainly not run of the mill or mediocre. Thus we can be sure that we have been given among the best in the world when we get a Cross pen, or a Rolex watch, or a Ferrari car. These brands are renowned for their quality and finesse. They have climbed the long hard road to the top, and their quality consciousness shows in every product they produce. One can be sure that they have the best quality contro l and improvement procedures in place, and are also on the cutting edge of technology. Once one has achieved a name and fame, it is all the more important to maintain the standard and that is done by a meticulous dedication to quality control principles and procedures. In essence, a reputation for quality ensures a dedicated and loyal group of clientele who will always choose you as their first choice (and maybe an only choice) when it comes to a certain product, e.g. DeBeers for diamond jewelry. They are convinced that they are getting value for their money and will keep on coming back to you as long as your product offerings are consistent in value and price. Three Areas of Quality Focus for Green Valley Bakers Taking into account the practices and procedures followed in the baking industry and particularly those used by Green Valley Bakers, it is recommended that materials management is one area where quality control should be implemented. The Japanese concept of JIT or Just-In-T ime Inventory can be implemented to save the cost of carrying inventory as well as re-ordering costs. By establishing particular trigger points for re-order and preventing the costs of storage to get exorbitant, we will be following the concept of Economic Order Quantity (EOQ). The second thing to look at is the reputation of our suppliers and the ongoing costs of materials. We should always make sure that we have a backup plan just in case something happens that can interrupt supply from one main supplier. There may be transportation or delivery problems, cost and profitability can be affected and thereby threaten the profitability and survival of the bakery. All this must be planned for in case of unforeseen problems or eventualities. For instance, a natural disaster could disrupt supply lines for weeks. Another quality measurement tool that could be used is demand forecasting and anticipation of inventories of materials and labor etc. to meet peak and off-season demand hikes and slumps. This could be done by tracing the demand per week or per month and relating it to particular events that might have caused its occurrence. For example, Easter and Christmas are festive occasions in which demand is at a peak because of Easter eggs, bunnies, cakes and other confectionaries as well as Christmas cakes, chocolates and other goodies in December.