A new direction in quality engineering: supply chain quality modelling

Abstract

Applying quality engineering to the manufacturing supply chain is an area that has not been fully explored. This paper highlights the need for supply chain quality modelling tools to augment the vast array of quality tools used to predict and improve quality within a single corporate entity. The thesis of this paper is that network models are necessary to plan and improve quality in manufacturing supply chains. These models should augment, not replace, existing informational and organizational approaches to managing quality in the supply chain. Supply chain quality modelling is discussed in theoretical terms, and then two simple examples are given: a discrete example regarding a module required by an automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM); and a continuous example regarding production of a mechanical pencil lead. Future research topics in supply chain quality modelling are suggested as multi-company adaptations of design of experiments, tolerance analysis and allocation, performance analysis, and statistical process control.

Keywords:

• Supply chain
• Supply chain management
• Quality planning
• Quality improvement
• Supply chain quality modelling