Riordan Manufacturing - Quality Improvement Tools and Regulatory Measures

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1. Quality tools typically list statistics related to a process and analyze the data or display the statistical data in a visual form so that variability is identified both statistically and visually. The most common quality tools used in a manufacturing process are control charts or histogram. Traditionally, the data was collected in a check sheet. Currently in most manufacturing firms, data is entered into a computer system. One of the simplest quality tools for identifying process variability is the scatter chart in which pairs of numerical data are displayed. A slightly sophisticated quality tool for identifying and monitoring process variability is the Pareto chart.

The Riordan inventory system shows that based on the shipping document generated each day, the shipping department will load the trucks with the products specified by each order. The inventory clerk updates the inventory at Riordan based on shipping documents. Quality improvements can be made at Riordan if data collection software is used with a bar-coding system. Wireless data collection terminals should be used and that will reduce the time to locate the specified item. In addition, this system will help increase inventory accuracy and performance. Riordan should use bar code scanners to track its finished goods packages/boxes, all of which will be tagged with a bar code that has item and serial number. The inventory workers scan the location labels with mobile computers and enter quantities during inventory movement. The bar code system integrated with the data collection system would also be valuable during counts of the inventory.

At Riordan the manufacturing team submits a form to the inventory clerk indicating the number of sub-assemblies and final products completed that day. On the ...