Operations and Human Resources, Task no. 4
Teacher: Mr Casanova
Student Number: 26867444
1.0 OPERATIONS STRATEGIES (QUALITY MANAGEMENT)
Source:
Article: ‘The fallout of Takata admitting to defects’ sourced from ‘CQI blog’, published on May 20, 2015 (http://blog.thecqi.org/index.php/2015/05/20/the-fallout-of-takata-admitting-to-defects/ )
Article: ‘Toyota, Nissan, Honda expand global recall of cars containing faulty Takata Corp airbag’s’ sourced from ‘ABC news’, published on May 14, 2015 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-14/carmakers-expand-global-recall-over-faulty-airbags/6468406)
Article: ‘Takata airbag recall spreads’ sourced from ‘GoAuto’, published May 14, 2015(http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/5EF752B56A95FC68CA257E45000A502D)
1.1 Outline and Summary
The articles collectively state the ‘Nissan and Toyota recall’ of 280 000 vehicles that could spray drivers with deadly sharpnel causing the airbags deploy explosively, injuring and killing in some cases car occupants. Toyota on 14th of May confirmed 181,000 local vehicles were affected by having the faulty airbags affecting their production process, and Nissan confirmed 15th of May that 102,000 local vehicles were also affected. The Japanese company ‘Takata Holdings Inc.’ is responsible for the faulty airbags installed in Toyota and Nissan models from year 2002 – 2008.
1.1.1 Quality Control
Quality control involves the use of inspections at various points in the production process to check for problems and defects. This article concerns quality control of inspecting the products ensured quality, which involves visiting the factory floor to take samples of products coming off the assembly line during the transformation process
In this case the quality control inspectors failed to successfully test that the product met the global standards of quality and safety, of which they are responsible for declaring the false safety of the product before going on the assembly line on the factory floor. Inspection during the production process should have been implemented more efficiently by assessing the quality of the input (Takata airbags), which would have allowed time to take appropriate action to correct the issue before they applied the airbag to the assembly process. This article relates to the quality control issue in the Toyota and Nissan car company’ s problem of having faulty airbags due to incorrect assembly process, affecting the quality of the final output of the overall product.
1.1.2 Quality Assurance
Quality assurance refers to the application of international quality standards. Takata’s labour of assembly of the airbag product is trained to apply quality standards throughout working processes, but the quality managers supposed to ensure quality rules are accused of overlooking and rushing quality due to productivity pressures to ensure the company reaches the consumer being Toyota and Nissan quota. In relation to quality assurance it involves the use of a system to ensure that the set standards are achieved in production, of which Toyota and Nissan vehicles inputs not performing their predetermined targets. The airbags quality of design includes a poor concept, developing a faulty airbag by improperly storing chemicals used in airbags, not properly utilising the nature of materials used. The airbags are not ‘fit for purpose’ as they do not perform what they are supposed to do due to the harmful characteristics of the good unable to bear the ability to satisfy implied needs of preventing harm for passengers during a car accident. The product is lacking physical durability by not using robust materials and assemblies, and clearly does not meet stable, long-term needs by being defective.
The quality management of the product production did not control the reliability, durability and safety of Toyota and Nisans product by not complying with the OH&S standards relevant to the industry. By ‘Takata Holdings Inc.’ failing to