Class Meeting Times and Place:

Mondays 6:15 to 8:55 pm, Room: 217 BSA,

INSTRUCTOR:        Dr. Alan D. Smith, University Professor of Operations Management

OFFICE:                    A426 BSA

PHONE:                     cell: 330-206-3557

E-MAIL:                    smitha@rmu.edu (preferred) or adsmith3.kent.edu

CLASS:                      MW 6:15-8:55 PM 217 BSA

OFFICE HOURS:    TBA and by appointment

TEXT: Evans, R.E. Lindsay, M.L. (2007). The Management and Control of Quality, Mason, Ohio: Thompson South-Western 8th Edition. Additional readings may be needed for the writing intensive assignments below.

FINAL EXAM: Monday Dec 13, 5:45 – 8:00 pm

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION:

This course covers the application, appreciation and understanding of sound management principles and theories needed for successful implementation of quality processes and systems.

I. TO THE STUDENT:

The main objective of this course plan, the syllabus, is to assist you, the student, in preparing yourself before coming to a class presentation, in being able to follow a lecture and participate in class, and in doing the adequate work after class. You are going to participate in informal, un-graded assignments in and out of the classroom that allow you to understand the basic theory behind operations management and the quantitative skill used to make decisions in operations. These assignments will prepare for formal, graded assignments where students are evaluated on their mastery of these skills.

That is the reason, that your instructor has prepared this syllabus with as much detail as possible. It is actually a tool that will enable you to get the most out of this course.  Quality and its impact on U.S. companies’ competitiveness have captured the attention of consumers, industrialists and government officials alike. Under the framework of total quality management, we will focus on process management and continuous improvement. Specific topics that will be examined are: the cost of poor quality; the definition, documentation and diagnoses of a process; measurement system analysis and process capability; Six Sigma as a business philosophy; tools for DMAIC; and the fundamentals of statistical process control.

While not a prerequisite, a working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and basic statistical reasoning would be extremely helpful in doing homework assignments and understanding quantitative concepts. It is assumed that all students have successfully passed M&IS 24056, Fundamental of Business Statistics, as well.  Students who have not successfully completed the course prerequisite must withdraw from this class. You risk deregistration if you have not completed the course prerequisite.  I do not assumed total knowledge of the statistics course, but you should know concepts of sampling distributions, z and t-test statistics, and some competency with interpreting the results of hypothesis-testing procedures.

II. RATIONALE:

Total Quality Management (TQM) may be defined as a quality-centered, customer-focused, and senior-management based process that is designed to achieve an operational mission through quality improvements, enhanced customer relationships, and continuous improvement (Smith and Offodile, 2007).  TQM may be perceived as that basis of a culture, attitude, and resultant organization of a company that aims to provide its customers with products and/or services that satisfy their needs.  In this approach to management, customer satisfaction is seen as perhaps the company’s highest priority since it is management’s belief that it will only be successful if the customer is satisfied and results in retention with continued patronage.  If the customer is not satisfied with a product and/or service, then the end product and/or service does not process the quality attributes desired by the customer and the quality processes that produced it have failed.  Although Deming pioneered TQM in the mid-1940s, his 14 points of quality management formulated the basis of TQM.  The key elements of his philosophy to implement an effective TQM program consisted of six concepts, namely continuous improvement, employee empowerment, benchmarking, just-in-time, Taguchi concepts, and knowledge of TQM tools (Heizer and Render, 2007), which were the elements that were directly surveyed in the present study.  Perhaps continuous improvement of all these operational activities is at the heart of TQM.  Quality is not so much an outcome as a never-ending process of continually improving the quality of what a particular company produces (Chaudron, 2000; Porter, 1996, 2001; Smith and Flanegin, 2006; Smith and Offodile, 2007).  To meet dynamic customer-based needs, companies must be dynamic as well through reinvention and utilization of the concepts of customer relationship management (CRM).        

For continuous improvement to work, management must empower employees. Commitment and personal involvement is required from top management in creating and deploying clear quality values and goals consistent with the objectives of the company, and in creating and deploying well defined systems, methods and performance measures for achieving those goals (Pfeffer, 2001a, 2001b; Pfeffer and Veiga, 1999; Pfeffer, Hatano, and Santalainen, 1995).  These systems and methods guide all quality activities and encourage participation by all employees.  Once empowered, employees will feel that they are an active part of the organization’s decision-making process, which allows them to become self-motivated and thus achieve a greater pride in their work.

Benchmarking is the comparison of one company’s functional performance to that of other companies. It is a means for managers and employees to examine their processes and identify areas of differentiation. This information is then used as the basis for evaluating the company’s own targets and strategies to improve upon company performance.

Just-in-time (JIT) is an inventory management concept that strives to eliminate sources of manufacturing waste by “producing the right part in the right place at the right time” (Block and Hirt, 2002, p. 197).  JIT focuses on minimizing inventory levels to realize costs savings from reduced carrying costs.  The use of a JIT program can improve quality by streamlining the production process through continual improvement by eliminating all non-value added tasks. 

Taguchi-based tools were leveraged by management that viewed quality as an asset as compared to the negative viewpoint of avoiding the economic implications of poor quality.  Taguchi-based tools and methods for dealing with quality problems centered on the design stage of product development and include quality robustness, the quality loss function, and target-oriented quality.   Taguchi-based approaches related losses in monetary units to quantifiable product characteristics by showing that costs increase as product quality moves from what the customer desires.  Therefore, applications of such methods are based on the premise that the product be produced at the specifications wanted by the customer to reduce costs and maintain customer satisfaction.

In order to implement TQM, management and employees must understand the tools of TQM and the philosophies behind quality management.  There are many techniques available to monitor and improve processes and it is critical that these tools are examined to determine and eliminate problems.  One of the most popular methods of ensuring processes meet standards is through statistical process control (SPC) techniques.  These techniques allow management to monitor standards, makes measurements, and take corrective action as a product and/or service is being produced.  A means of ensuring that an operation is producing at the expected quality level is through inspection.  The goal of inspection is to detect a bad process, not correct it.  It is a means of identifying deficiencies so that they may be examined to prevent such variations from occurring in the future.  In dealing with tangible products, specific quality targets are frequently easy to understand, measure, and eventually implement.  However, the intangible aspects of management towards quality of knowledge-based products and/or services present unique challenges to the practice of TQM.

Knowledge of operations management, in particular total quality control, prepares managers to face the competitive challenge of effectively managing organizational resources. Operations management merges topics from accounting, marketing, industrial engineering, human factors, management science, and statistics into a blend of analytical tools and strategic issues.

The main objective of this course is to enable students to become better managers, particularly if they find themselves working in either service and/or operations management. A sizable part of the U.S. and international work force is employed in operations related jobs. These jobs are important and challenging, and they can lead to rewarding and successful careers. To achieve this objective, several goals were established and are presented in part III.

 
III. OVERALL COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1.       Provide an introduction to the concepts and definitions of TQM, including various quality management philosophies.

2. Provide a perspective of the methods by which quality assurance and customer relation management through quality initiatives can be implemented in the organization.

3. As time and student background permit, examine the technical system of quality management programs.

EVALUATION CRITERIA AND MEANS:

The student's performance in the course will be evaluated in both course theoretical concepts and analytical techniques by means of two exams, one intermediate exam given during the seventh week of classes, and a final exam given in the last week of classes.  These exams will consist primarily of general operations management theory and principles, or problems formulated to be solved, analyzed and interpreted using various analytical techniques discussed in the course. They may include questions requiring definitions, short essay responses, true/false questions, and/or multiple-choice questions.  The students must demonstrate their practical understanding of theory, mathematical algorithms and other concepts related to the course. In addition to in class tests, instructors may incorporate other criteria to evaluate students.  Periodically unannounced quizzes may be given at the beginning of a class or selected homework assignments may be collected.  At least two literature reviews are required to acquaint students to referred articles in their discipline that uses operations management and quality assurance techniques.  Each review must be typed and have a photocopy of the original article attached to your final report, which will consist of the following major headings: 

a. Citation

b. Research classification

c. Statement of problem

d. Types of operations management/decision science techniques

e. Evaluation of the usefulness of the above operations management/decision science techniques

f. Personal evaluation.

Also, computer assignments on each major analytical technique and/or quantitative topic are suggested to achieve the outcomes of the course. Computer assignments must have written evaluations along with attached computer printouts. Suggested software packages include, but not limited to, MS-Excel, OM Excel, QSB⁺, MANAGEMENT SCIENTIST, and/or LINDO.

The following is the weighing scheme for the above-mentioned activities:
 

Numeric Grade Letter Grade Numeric Grade Letter Grade

Please note that timely submission of work is required.  With the exception of emergency situations, which will need to be verified, homework assignments, research projects or presentations must be done by the assigned date.

SPECIFIC IN-CLASS POLICIES: 

1. Lecture. Attending every lecture is important for your better understanding of the material covered and will help you see the big picture as well as details in every chapter discussed.

2. Homework. There will be a number of homework assignments assigned and graded, including Excel-based quantitative assignments, given throughout the semester.  They are to be done using only the Excel templates in the student DVD ROM, handwritten or regular Excel spreadsheet printout will also be accepted.  Turn in the printed copy of the Excel Template spreadsheet.  The problems and their due dates are given in class.  In general, no late homework will be accepted.  The homework will be worth 2 points each.

3. SOLUTIONS. Solutions to problems appeared in the text book are given in the lecture notes.

4. TESTS. There will be 2 closed-book tests, with the final exam comprehensive in nature.  During all examinations, you are allowed an 8.5” by 11” sheet (front and back) containing information of your choice.  In general, there is no make up for missing tests.  In the extreme case that a documented reason is allowed for a make-up, you must take the exam within one week of the original test date, still resulting in a 5% reduction in the total possible score.  If you reschedule the exam before the established date for the in-class exam, there will be no 5% reduction in the total possible score.

5. Note that there is NO extra credit for this class; so please do not ask – I have heard of every possible reason for such as policy!

6. For Fall Semester 2010, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 7, 2010.  Withdrawal before the deadline results in a "W" on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported.

1. There are no makeup exams in this class for any reason. In emergency situations, which needs to be properly documented (i.e. doctor or employer's excuse-note); you must the exam within one week of the original test date, still resulting in a 5% reduction in the total possible score.  If you reschedule the exam before the established date for the in-class exam, there will be no 5% reduction in the total possible score.  There will be no exceptions to this policy; so please do not ask.

2. There are no excused absences, late arrivals, or early departures, but I appreciate notice if you know you will be missing class, arriving late or departing early.

3. Cheating in any form will result in an automatic grade of F for the course. Talking to neighbor in class will result in student being assigned a permanent seat away from a neighbor.

4. Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  You are advised to review your official class schedule (using Student Tools/Flashfast) during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until September 12, 2010 to correct the error with your advising office.  If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.

5. During all examinations, you are allowed an 8.5” by 11” sheet (front and back) containing information of your choice.  The tests will consist of definitions, essays, and problems.  Examination will typically last 75 minutes.

6. Students will need a calculator for all examinations. Your calculator must have a statistics mode to allow for the quick calculation of means, standard deviations and variances.

7. The final individual project is a major undertaking and representative of a major portion of this course.  This assignment qualifies Total Quality Management as a writing intensive course.  Within the term project on some aspect of TQM, you must have a minimum of 10 sources, with no more than three of which are Internet-only sources.  The length of the paper is highly variable and dependent on the topic coverage and related factors.  In general, it is expected to be a minimum of 20 typed pages (double-spaced, 12 point).  This does not include the cover page, any appendices and the reference section.  General guidelines for the paper are provided after the class schedule.  Some examples of “average” and “below average” papers will be made available.

Academic Integrity:

We will follow the University Policy on Academic Integrity.  Academic honesty: Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit.   In addition, it is considered to cheating when one cooperates with someone else in any such misrepresentation.  The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense.  It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course.  Repeat offenses result in dismissal from the University.

Course Withdrawal:

For the Fall 2010 semester, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 7, 2010.  Withdrawal before the deadline results in a “W” on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported.

Students with disabilities:

University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access course content.  If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments.  Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through the Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sas for more information on registration procedures).

GUIDELINES FOR THE TOTA; QUALITY management PAPER:

In addition to improving the students writing skills, the aim of the paper is to enable students to examine in depth how quality concepts have a bearing on current business operations.  Accordingly, you will be expected to scan current business periodicals to find a news item about a company as a basis for your paper.  You will then be expected to go to the library to gather further information on the company/people involved.  Possible sources of information are Business Week, Fortune Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Moody’s Industry Reports, Dunn and Bradstreet, Harvard Business Review, Quality Progress, Quality Digest, Journal of Operations Management, or the Internet, to name a few.  However, the emphasis of the course will be on generating a quality work with as many peer-reviewed citations as necessary.

Cover page example:

 Style requirements:

The paper must contain several levels of headings.  Headings should not be underlined and no period should be used at the end.   Main Headings should be used to designate the major sections of your paper.  An initial heading such as “INTRODUCTION” should not be used. Main headings should be on a line of their own, centered, with all the letters capitalized.   Secondary headings should be on a line of their own, typed flush to the left margin, with major words beginning with capitals.  The headings will essentially be an outline of the paper.  Two or three major headings should be sufficient; and if subheadings are required, there should be at least two for each major heading.

Page numbering should start with page 2 of your text with the page number in the upper right corner with your name in the upper left corner.

 General requirements:

1.            The paper must be free of spelling errors.

2.            The paper must be grammatically correct.

3.            Appendices must be used for all tables and diagrams.

4.            Sources can be acknowledged in the text by quoting the author (or periodical), and the year in which the article (or periodical) appeared, in parentheses.  For example: Several studies (Adams, 2007; Brown & Haley, 2008; Collins, 1999) support this conclusion.

5.            Page numbers are included only to designate the source of direct quotations.   For example: Bloggs has said that the MBA "is a most worthwhile qualification"(1974, p.3).

6.            Footnotes must not be used.

Appendix:

Each appendix must be labeled as follows:

1.            The appendix number must be centered at the top of the page.

2.            A short identifying title of the appendix should immediately follow the appendix number.

Reference:

The reference section is an alphabetical listing, by author, of all the sources used, referenced, or quoted in the text.  The reference must be titled as such and the title must be centered.  The contents of the bibliography must comply with the following (please consult the APA guidelines for more details):

1.             For books: Author’s last name, initials. Title of the book in quotes or underlined. Name of publisher, city, state, year of publication.

2.             For periodicals: Author’s last name, initials. Title of article or paper.  Name of publication, year, volume number, and page numbers.

3.             For Internet references: Name of Web page and its Internet address.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING SYSTEM:

The Writing Intensive Assignment: In addition to the numerous homework, in-class write-ups, and literature reviews.  This course paper as follows: In Step 1 you will select two possible topics and submit them to me for approval of one of them or any suggestions to modify it that I may have. These topics should be related to the course topics. Once your topic is approved, you will go to Step 2 to prepare the first draft of a term paper on the topic. The paper should be about 4 pages double spaced and include at least two primary references.  I’ll explain details of this in class.  You will submit that to me and I will make comments on it for improvement. Then in Step 3 you will submit the final version for me to assign the grade for it.  I suggest you think of topic ideas as you read the Introduction Chapter and scan the Table of Contents and perhaps also the Index of our textbook.  I’d especially like it if your paper focuses on one or two topics of the course and relates to some real-life experiences or ideas you may have, especially tied to customer relationship management (CRM) as it relates to TQM. You could draw on some of the many roles you have likely experienced as a customer, employee, supervisor, student, patient, airline passenger, taxpayer, and so on. Official information about the Writing Intensive requirement is below and in the Undergraduate catalog. Here are the due dates:

Step 1– due end of week 4; Step 2 – due end of week 10; Step 3 – due end of week 15

Exams will be a mix of definitions, essays, and problems that will cover the chapters indicated on the reading schedule.  They will generally be around 1o definitions, 5 to 8 essays, and three problems.  Test questions usually are based on either class discussion materials or textbook reading material.  I try to emphasize material and issues that are addressed in both places so far as possible.

Planned Schedule (Any needed changes will be announced):

Class Procedures:

1. If my office hours are not convenient for you, please feel free to call for an appointment. Also, the most efficient way to communicate with me is via e-mail. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the electronic messaging capabilities made available to you by the University.

2. Please tell me about any problems you are having while there is still time to do something about them.

3. Each student must turn in original work.

4. Exams are to be taken at the scheduled time (this also means you need to be on-time for the exam, more than 20 minutes late is a missed exam).  If you miss an exam due to a legitimate reason (e.g., medical emergency, death in the immediate family), a make-up exam will be given (you will be required to provide an official university excuse in order being eligible for a make-up exam). If you do not provide a legitimate excuse, no make-up exam will be granted.

5. Reading assignments are expected to be completed prior to attending class so that you may participate in class discussion.  However, we will not discuss every aspect of the assigned chapters or supplemental material.  This does not release the student from the responsibility of knowing the material for examination purposes.  Conversely, I may include material in class not covered by the text (you are also responsible for this information).

6. Attendance at class is expected but will not be monitored. If you miss a class, you are responsible for obtaining lecture notes and other material from another student.

7. Major grammatical or spelling errors on any written work could result in a significant penalty with respect to the grade you receive.  Please carefully proof your papers for errors (you may even want to have a friend read your work). Use grammar and spell check! Use a consistent style such as APA, MLM or some formalized format for referencing research.

8. The best way to reach me is via Email (smitha@rmu.edu).  I can also be reached via Voice Mail.  I will be requesting that each of you provide an email address that you check regularly (daily).

9. LATE REGISTRATION: No late registration forms will be signed following the first exam. If you wish to register for the class, you MUST REGISTER BEFORE THE FIRST EXAM—NO EXCEPTIONS!

Timely submission of work:

With the exception of emergency situations, which will need to be verified, homework assignments, research projects or presentations must be done by the assigned date.

ACADEMIC POLICY REQUIREMENTS:

1. There are generally no makeup exams in this class for undocumented reason unless requested and approved by the instructor. In emergency situations, which needs to be properly documented (i.e. doctor or employer's excuse-note).  In general, students are expected to attend class and are responsible for any material discussed and/or assigned. With respect to make-up, the general policy is no make-up of missed work (including exams) is allowed, and no late work will be accepted. The only exceptions are: A prearranged situation (e.g., course field trips, athletic trips, etc.) and/or emergency illness, death in the family. etc., in this case, the instructor should be notified as soon as possible.  Please contact the instructor early if there are any problems or concerns.  There will be no exceptions to this policy.

2. There are no excused absences, late arrivals, or early departures, but I appreciate notice if you know you will be missing a class and/or arriving late or departing early.

3. Cheating in any form will result in an automatic grade of F for the course.

4. Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  You are advised to review your official class schedule (using Web for Students) during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule and if registration errors are not corrected by the proper date and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.

5. During all examinations, you are allowed an 8.5” by 11” sheet (front and back) containing information of your choice.  The tests will consist of definitions, essays, and problems.  Examination will typically last the entire class period.

6. Students will need a calculator for all examinations.  Your calculator must have a statistics mode to allow for the quick calculation of means, standard deviations and variances.

Academic Integrity:

We will follow the University Policy on Academic Integrity.  Academic honesty: Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, quizzes, papers, projects, homework assignments) so as to get undeserved credit. In addition, it is considered to cheating when one cooperates with someone else in any such misrepresentation.  The use of intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offence. It is the University’s policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade (0 points) for the work or course. Repeat offences may result in dismissal from the University.

Course Withdrawal Dates:

Fall 2010 course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 7, 2010

Course Attendance Information:

Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  For the Fall Semester 2010, courses start August 30, 2010, with Labor Day (September 6) and Thanksgiving Day (November 24-28) there will be no classes.  Final exams will be given during the week of December 13-19. 

Enrollment/official registration:

Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you need to correct the error with your advising office no later than September 12 for Fall Semester 2010.  If registration errors are not corrected by these dates and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.

 Students with disabilities:

University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access course content.  If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments.  Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through the Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.registrars.kent.edu/disability for more information on registration procedures).

OTHER POLICIES:

1.        Students attending the course who do not have the proper prerequisite risk being deregistered from the class.

2.        Students have the responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in the classes. You are advised to review your official class schedule during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section. Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until the date given in Schedule of Classes or the Registrar’s website to correct it with your advising office. If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in the classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered. 

3.        Withdrawal before the deadline results in a “W” on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported. The deadline is given in the Schedule of Classes and on the Registrar’s website.

4.        Students with disabilities: In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required.

This syllabus is intended as a guide to the course. The instructor may need to make changes deemed appropriate and you will be advised about  any such changes.  The instructor reserves the right to cancel classes if necessary and you would be notified as soon as possible.

Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) Requirements from the Undergraduate Catalog

The purpose of the writing-intensive course (WIC) requirement is to assist undergraduates in becoming effective writers within their major discipline. Building on earlier writing courses, the WIC focuses on writing forms and standards used in the professional life of the discipline. Through these courses, students should understand and experience the ways in which writing shapes and enhances the acquisition and communication of knowledge.

Criteria: All writing-intensive courses must meet the following criteria: be designed, at least in part, to help students become effective writers in a specific discipline; involve a substantial amount of writing; provide at least one writing assignment where there is an opportunity for guided revision before grading occurs

Guidelines: As part of the requirements for any baccalaureate degree, all students must satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement. At least one upper-division course from the list below must be completed with a minimum C (2.00) grade. Students should fulfill the requirement by taking a course in the major. In rare instances, a student may use a writing-intensive course from another discipline if approved by the student’s major department or school.

Quality is a useful and interesting subject. Have a great semester.