Operations and Supply Chain Management, 8th Edition

CHAPTER   2

Quality Management

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 AFTER READING THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Discuss and define the dimensions of quality.
• Articulate the benefits and costs of good quality, and the costs of poor quality
• Understand how quality management systems have evolved and be able to assess the stage of quality evolution a particular company exhibits.
• Utilize quality tools and the DMAIC methodology in problem solving
• Explain the philosophy and magnitude of Six Sigma quality
• Recognize quality awards and ISO certifications

QUALITY AND VALUE IN DENIM JEANS

Denim jeans are a global wardrobe staple with about 2 billion pairs of jeans worth nearly $55 billion sold worldwide each year (70 percent in the United States, European Union, and China). About 780 million pairs of jeans are sold annually in the United States; virtually all U.S. consumers own at least one pair of denim jeans, and, on average, seven pairs. However, regardless of the price of their jeans, which generally average a little less than $40 but can approach $500, American consumers expect them to last longer and be more durable than any other piece of clothing in their closets. U.S. jeans retailers generally acknowledge that while price is the top factor for most consumer clothing decisions, it is less of ...