طراحی و ارزیابی از حلقه های کنترل کیفیت فرآیندهای کسب و کار پایدار

Due to their open and dynamic character, business processes in lack of adequate feedback mechanisms tend to become unstable in case of unanticipated disturbances or target adjustments. In order to face this challenge and to ensure entrepreneurial quality the implementation of quality control loops is proposed, whose design is derived from cybernetics. The paper discusses requirements for the characteristics of quality control loops and presents a new approach for their assessment implemented in software. The developed tool also serves as a knowledge exchange platform since it provides an opportunity for exchanging standardized control loop elements.

In light of intense international competition companies must excel in order to prevail. At the same time, they are obliged to decrease production and labor costs while increasing both product quality and productivity. An aggravating factor is the dynamic, crisis-shaken environment in which companies are operating today. Hence they are currently dealing with barely predictable and constantly changing conditions from the planning level down to the shop floor [1] and [2]. To survive in today's volatile market companies need to improve the robustness of their processes vis-à-vis internal and external disturbances [3] and [4]. Uncontrolled business processes in lack of adequate feedback mechanisms tend to instability in case of unanticipated disturbances or target adjustments. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior of business processes is scarcely known to companies and it often varies over time, due to personal and organizational changes. The depicted problems are well-known in cybernetics. In order to cope with disturbances in technical systems, closed control loops are implemented. However, control technology proves that wrong or less precisely designed control loops tend to amplify a system's oscillation caused by disturbances and may even result in its collapse. Control theory differentiates between feed-forward and feedback control. Only the second one allows for an adequate compensation of disturbance and sufficient robustness within the controlled system. To cope with the above-mentioned challenges the implementation of closed quality control loops is proposed for business processes [5], [6] and [7]. As examples such as the Deming-cycle (plan-do-check-act), Six Sigma's DMAIC-cycle (define–measure–analyze–improve–control) and ISO 9001 show, feedback mechanisms are well-known in the field of quality management. Nonetheless, the structured design of quality control loops in companies is still a problem. The above-mentioned circumstances require a new cybernetic approach for the design and assessment of reactive processes in quality management [8], [9] and [10].

The paper discussed a cybernetic approach to reactive quality management. Facing internal and external disturbances, companies can stabilize and even increase the performance of their business processes by implementing closed and quantifiable quality control loops. Though the advantages of feedback mechanisms are renowned in quality management, nonetheless, the design of quality control loops is ordinarily not optimized in practice. The paper presented a new approach to the structured design and assessment of quality control loops. Within the research project (QC)2 a reference model-based assessment tool has been developed. This tool is embedded in a software solution which additionally provides the opportunity to document, manage and share quality control loops even across organizational boarders. The advantages of the developed methodology and the implemented software were highlighted from the point of view of small and medium-sized enterprises. The adaptation of the quality control loop reference model to the specific constraints of marketing was highlighted. From several ongoing pilot applications, an example for the software-assisted assessment and documentation of a manufacturing quality control loop was presented in detail. The paper has shown that the structured design and analysis of quality control loops, supported by an appropriate software solution, can bring numerous immediate and long-term benefits for companies operating in highly dynamic markets while dealing with various internal and external disturbances to the quality of products and processes. The (QC)2 Loop Manager and the extended information sharing services will be released online upon official completion of the research project http://qc2.sztaki.hu/.