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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationships between coordination mechanisms (CMs) and quality requirements used to support transactions in the Brazilian pork chain.

Based on the transaction cost economics theory, the paper focuses on the alignment between CMs and quality requirements. The results were obtained by means of interviews (n=41) with public and private actors, including the main companies and other stakeholders in the Brazilian pork sector. The research addresses regulations, requirements of customers and supporting CMs used in different transaction contexts.

In the Brazilian pork sector, five transaction contexts can be distinguished: spot market, mini integration, singular cooperative, central cooperative and investor-owned firm. The chain actors apply different CMs to support a set of quality requirements which presents little diversity. The main quality requirements are driven by baseline public regulations. Besides, there are, in particular international, customers with more specific requirements. To support transactions, chain actors use different contracts in terms of resource allocation and price incentives.

Literature assumes alignment between governance structures (GSs) and quality standards. This paper further investigates this assumption by analyzing the relationships between CMs (underlying GSs) and quality requirements (underlying quality standards). The research findings show that similar quality requirements may well be supported by different CMs. It further gives indications on why different CMs are used to support a homogeneous set of requirements.

In today’s competitive markets “quality” is a business imperative rather than a luxury. Increasingly in many markets “quality” is the price of entry and in others a major source of competitive advantage. The ability to design a “services package” that consistently meets the customers’ requirements is an important element of a successful quality improvement strategy. The inherent nature of “service package” complicates the design problems. Quality function deployment (QFD) is a systematic technique for designing products or services that are based on customers’ requirements. QFD, although traditionally associated with the design of physical products, is equally applicable to service design. Examines how Alitalia’s experience suggests that the use of QFD techniques allows the development of a service package which effectively meets the key customers’ requirements. Presents recommendations and a framework for the specific use of QFD by service organizations, which if utilized should secure competitive advantage.

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of the requirement on product quality and refund (return service charge).

The authors set a minimum product quality level for platform to study the effects of the minimum product quality level on product quality and refund for risk-neutral sellers and risk-averse sellers, respectively.

For the risk-neutral sellers whose optimal product quality level is lower than the minimum level will improve the product quality to the minimum required level. However, under a certain condition with the requirement the sellers will increase refund. Similar results are found when uncertainty is incorporated into demand and return quantity. In addition, how the sellers’ optimal refund is affected by market parameters and market volatile factors is discussed. Specially, the correlation between the uncertainty of the demand and the return quantity affects sellers’ optimal decision of return service charge in many ways.

The obtained results can provide operational managers in reality with valuable suggestions in quality management for platform.

Requirements of a project are found to change in various ways during the course of the same. Studies have investigated the effect of requirement volatility on different project parameters like effort, schedule, quality, etc. However, these studies have not looked into how different “patterns” of requirement volatility influence project quality; and which intervention strategies could be effective under the circumstances. This paper aims to address this issue.

The “system dynamics” approach has been used for carrying out the research. Based on a recent finding, we implemented different resource management policies on a validated software process model on waterfall systems development life cycle. Subsequently, we examined the efficacies of these resource management policies on project quality under requirement volatility.

Results indicate variations in quality metrics like error generation, error detection, and quality assurance effort across experimental scenarios as different patterns of requirement volatility and resource management policies impact the software project dynamics in different ways.

In absence of any imposed schedule penalty, the extent of variations in project parameters across the policy choices was not very significant. The results are also expected to differ depending upon the project development environment.

Findings are expected to assist project managers in deciding on the workforce augmentation plan that would favorably satisfy both the organization's objectives as well as the users' quality requirements under requirement volatility.

In present day context of shorter time to market and stringent quality requirements; meeting quality targets become difficult especially in scenarios where requirement volatility is a norm. This paper provides a dynamic view of the phenomenon of how quality gets affected; and explores the efficacy of different resource management strategies in improving quality under the experimental scenarios.

This paper aims to investigate to what extent quality function deployment (QFD) can be used in quality improvement rather than design activities.

A framework was developed for implementation of QFD as a quality improvement tool. A case study approach is used to test this framework, and quality issues were analyzed using the framework in a ceramic tile manufacturing company.

The results showed considerable improvements in the critical quality characteristics identified and sales rates, demonstrating the potential of QFD to be used in assessing and prioritizing areas of improvement, and converting them into measurable process or product requirements.

One case study was completed. More studies would be beneficial to support current findings.

This framework provides structured approach and guidelines for practitioners in adapting QFD for quality improvements in existing products or processes.

This study proposes a new framework to use QFD in quality improvement activities, expanding its application areas. Moreover, the results of the literature study performed provide a valuable collection of practical QFD implementation examples.

This paper is a preliminary case study that examines a connected supply chain. The chain studied consists of the North American Appliance Division of the Whirlpool Corporation, the Stanley Engineered Components (SEC) division of Stanley Works, Inc. and SEC’s suppliers. Specifically the paper examines the two related questions: first, are there differences in quality definitions between levels of a supply chain? Second, does the higher level entity in the supply chain understand the quality requirements imposed on their suppliers? Examined and written from the point of view of SEC (the middle of the chain), the paper concludes that the definitions and implementation of these definitions differ markedly at each level. Lack of understanding about the effects of quality requirements between levels also prevails. The case also examines why these results occurred.

The aim of this paper is to study the influence of quality standards on contract arrangements in food supply chains.

A qualitative double case study was conducted on the dairy and citrus sectors in Uruguay. A transaction cost theoretical framework was used. All current public and private quality standards applied by processors were studied in relation to contract arrangements between processors and upstream producers as well as downstream buyers for each sector.

Quality standards complement contract arrangements for upstream transactions, leading to hierarchy-type contract arrangements. Quality standards substitute contract arrangements for downstream transactions, leading to market- or hybrid-type contract arrangements.

Longitudinal studies that measure changes in contract arrangements over time are recommended.

Supply chain actors can reduce transaction costs by aligning quality standards with appropriate contract arrangements – further supported by public instruments.

Quality standards have differential influence on underlying transaction characteristics, and therefore on contract arrangements, depending on the location of the transaction in the supply chain.

The author aims to review the fundamental concept of quality function deployment and to discuss the facts that the road to success for new product development is the identification of customers' requirements and their conversion into engineering design requirements. Thereafter, the author seeks to present an in‐depth review of the subject and to study five new cases on the topic of quality function deployment.

The paper discusses the key elements of quality function deployment and the fact that the vision for the development of a comprehensive quality system can be built on the principles of quality function deployment taking customer requirements into consideration and relating them to design requirements.

To make the product development task successful and bring competitive advantages to the core business, management must be committed to the needs of customers through marketing surveys and implementing these in the process of product development by converting them into engineering design requirements.

This article reviews quality function deployment and its extensions such as fuzzy QFD, AHP and QFD, statistically extended QFD, dynamic QFD, and other extensions. In addition, cases covering the topics of a ship of quality, cost‐design parameter modeling, an enhanced version of quality function development, financial factors and uncertainties in the product design process with fuzzy formulation, and a model for prioritizing and designing rule changes for the game of soccer, are also reviewed.

This paper examines the relationship between ISO 9000:2000 quality standards, QS9000, ISO/TS 16949 and the Baldrige criteria for performance excellence revised in the year 2002. A comparison is made between Baldrige criteria and the various elements of ISO 9000, QS9000 and ISO/TS 16949 Standards and their similarities and differences are examined. Implementing ISO 9000 requirements as an initial step for TQM implementation is also discussed.

The purpose of this research is to determine a comprehensive coursework for teaching quality management in the universities of developing countries i.e. Pakistan pertinent to the construction industry. Additionally, a framework was also developed based on the results.

Factors and course contents of quality management are extracted through a content analysis of the published literature. Further, a questionnaire survey is conducted involving 150 professionals to assess the requirements of the industry and academic professionals of the construction industry for effective quality management. Finally, for getting a more objective perspective, using quality function deployment (QFD) matrix a framework is developed.

The results show the level of importance of each design requirement. We can identify the design requirements through which we can fulfill the needs and demands of the stakeholders. Contents like benchmarking, supply chain management, six sigma and other data analysis methods, costing and auditing of quality, customer satisfaction analysis, TQM: theory and practices and ISO certification processes and procedures should be included in any course program related to quality management pertinent to the construction industry. Along with these contents, workshops and seminars must be arranged to address the user requirement for increased leadership and communication skills.

There is a lack of literature available on course content for quality management in the universities for the construction sector, therefore, a huge scope of future research in the field of quality management in the construction industry needs to be investigated. This research highlights the most significant quality management factors and course contents as per the requirement of industry professionals. Therefore, this study adds to the existing body of knowledge by developing a robust framework that will help decision-makers and top management to develop constructive quality management course work at university level that will help in producing qualified and trained quality professionals to the construction industry.