TQM AND JIT BUSINESS VOCABULARY IN USE (ADVANCED)

 

BUSINESS VOCABULARY IN USE (ADVANCED) 12. TQM AND JIT

 

A Total quality management Total quality management, or TQM, was fashionable in 1980s. This often involved quality circles, groups of workers who were encouraged to contribute ideas on improving the products that they made. Some companies had quality circles of production workers who suggested better ways of organizing the production line. B Kaizen The TQM approach was designed to bring about gradual, step-by-step or incremental improvements in quality. Continuous improvement is what the Japanese call kaizen. An essential part of kaizen is gemba – ‘the place where things happen’. In manufacturing, this is, of course, the factory floor. The idea is that continuous improvements can best be made by the people directly involved with production. C Just-in-time production Originating in Japan, and then adopted all over the industrialized world, TQM forms part of lean production, making things with the minimum of time, effort and materials. Instead of producing components in large batches, they are delivered or produced just in time (JIT), only as they are needed. Employees are empowered to correct problems on the spot. Things must be done right first time (RFT). There should be no reworking to correct defects on finished products. EXERCISES 12.1 Complete the crossword with appropriate forms of expressions from A, B and C opposite. Across: 4. Groups of improving workers. (7,7) 6. Handing responsibility to people lower down the organization. (11) 9. ______ production is done in series of stages. (4) Down: 1. Japanese for continuous improvement. (6) 2. Avoid reworking: get it ______ first time. (5) 3. Making things with the minimum of resources. (4,10) 12.2 What aspects of Quality Management are these employees talking about? Complete the sentences, with expressions from A, B and C opposite. 1. ‘Our bosses encourage us to make suggestions about improving the production process if it’s good for quality. We have a high level of ________ ________.’ 2. ‘We feel that we ________ ________ ________ and that we are listened to.’ 3. ‘Do it ________ ________ ________ and you don’t have to do it again.’ 4. Products being worked on move a minimum distance to the next step in the production process. this ________ ________ means there is minimum time lost between each step.’

ANSWER KEY