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Module

NBS8229 : Quality Management, Tools and Techniques

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Mr David McGeeney
  • Owning School: Newcastle University Business School
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 2 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

To provide a comprehensive understanding of the role and function of quality strategies and application of continuous improvement methodologies and statistical techniques in organisations.

This module is designed to develop an understanding of the issues in quality strategies, process improvement and applied statistics within organisations both within the manufacturing and service sectors.
The module introduces and demonstrates a series of management, improvement and statistical methods that are used to choose and implement an appropriate continuous improvement strategy, improve processes effectively and quantify benefits.

Outline Of Syllabus

1. Quality Strategies (SPC, Shainin, TQM, Six Sigma, Lean, Quality Circles)                                                      
2. Managing and Improving Performance                                    
3. Improvement Priorities                                                
4. Project Scoping                                                      
5. Problem Definition                                                      
6. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)                                    
7. Pareto Analysis                                                      
8. Quality Function Deployment (QFD)                                          
9. Probability Distributions                                                
10. Reliability Analysis                                                      
11. Capability Analysis                                                      
12. Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA)                                    
13. Sampling                                                            
14. Confidence Intervals                                                      
15. Hypothesis Tests                                                      
16. Correlation                                                            
17. Regression Analysis                                                      
18. Multivariate Techniques                                                
19. Design of Experiments (DoE)                                                
20. Control Charts                                                            
21. Sustainability                                                            
22. Standards

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture103:0030:00Present in Person (PiP)
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion164:0064:00N/A
Guided Independent StudyDirected research and reading150:0050:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops23:006:00Present in Person (PiP)
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study150:0050:00N/A
Total200:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures will provide a theoretical framework for this module. These sessions will use practical exercises and workshops to emphasise the application of the strategies and techniques discussed.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Portfolio2M1003 parts: A) short questions (10%) B) computer assessment (70%) C) 1000 word critique of published paper (20%). Please see rationale
Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Description Semester When Set Comment
Computer assessment2MA number of computer exercises to assessment the students' progression.
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The coursework will assess whether the students have understood and can apply the techniques to practical situations

The coursework will consist of one project with three sections as detailed below. Students will be awarded one overall mark for the project based on the sections and weightings below:-

Section A (10%) – short questions related to the key points for each topic (approximately 500 words)
Section B (70%) – longer questions requiring software to complete and each student would be given a different dataset
Section C (20%) – critique of a published paper (of the student’s choice) that features the tools & techniques being utilised within Quality Management (maximum 1000 words)

Formative feedback
Ongoing throughout module: assessment of student progression during lecture / seminar sessions where students are supported through a number of exercises using various software packages. Interventions occur to support students so that equal progression occurs across the group. Learning checks as summative assessment are linked to suitable progression of each student in addressing set tasks. Post teaching communications occur through the Blackboard site.

Reading Lists

Timetable