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Keywords
Quality function deployment, Clothing industry, Distance learning, Kaizen, Hong Kong
Abstract
This paper describes a project which uses the quality-function-- deployment technique to improve a distance-learning program, operated by a government training organization in Hong Kong, for junior staff in the clothing-- manufacturing industry. The scope of this study is twofold: it identifies 12 appropriate study modules for modifying the course content; and it identifies the kinds of supporting services which help students to study the course. An evaluation is made of the existing study modules and supporting services that are identified as successful. Suggestions are made regarding bridging the gap between importance and satisfaction for some of the important quality dimensions. The methodology attempts to translate customers' voices into various design features of the products and services in order to prepare the course for continuous improvement.
Introduction
Quality has become the most important factor in the global competition today. Increasing demand for quality by customers has caused more and more companies to realize that they have to provide quality products and/or services for competing in the marketplace successfully. To meet the challenge of this global revolution, many businesses have introduced quality initiatives and adopted total quality management (TQM) strategies. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is one of the TQM techniques which is a customer-- oriented approach for translating customers' voices into various design features of products and services.
Background of the study
Since the transformation from being a manufacturing center to a servicing center in late 1980s, the kind of manpower required by the Hong Kong clothing industry has been changing dramatically from blue-collar to white-collar. To cope with the change, a government training organization introduced a distance-learning program for the local clothing industry in 1995. The target customer group is junior staffs of the clothing industry. The course has been operated for over five years. Although the reaction is acceptable, when compared to other similar part-time courses of the organization, it is undeniable that there is room for improvement. The course has been facing a problem of relatively low industry recognition. The management believes that it is the time to take an overall review for making some improvement in order to grow and prosper. This study is going to use the...