Management Methods of Taguchi I

TAGUCHI METHODS USED IN MANAGING FOR QUALITY

This research examines the methods developed by Genichi Taguchi for the management of manufacturing production to achieve higher levels of product quality. This examination is limited to a conceptual overview. The understanding of factor analysis and orthogonal arrays is essential to the application of Taguchi methods (Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, pp. 7072). Neither factor analysis nor orthogonal arrays, however, are discussed in depth in this research.

Taiichi Ohno, former vicepresident of Toyota Motor Corporation, was quoted as saying that: "Whatever an executive thinks the losses of poor quality are, they are actually six times greater" (quoted by Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, p. 65). Quality is achieved primarily through design, because quality "is a virtue of design" (Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, p. 65).

Customers are not interested in the extent to which a product meets production specifications (Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, p. 65). Thus, the "zero defects" approach to quality employed by most American manufacturers fails to address directly the concerns of the customer (Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, p. 65). By contrast with meeting production specifications, the customer is interested in product quality as quality is reflected in "a product's . . . performance when rapped, overloaded, dropped, and splashed" (Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, p. 65). The Taguchi approach to

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ract . . . problems that were expensive and difficult to eliminate" (Walton, 1988, p. 123). Taguchi's statistical experiments rely heavily on factor analysis and the use of orthogonal arrays (Ealey, 1988, p. 112; Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, pp. 7072). Factor analysis permits the defining of the appropriate orthogonal arrays (Ealey, 1988, p. 113). Orthogonal arrays, in turn (Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, p. 71): 1. Define the specific objective. In defining the specific objective, the most appropriate signal and the estimated concomitant noise are either selected or developed. Signal is defined as what a product is attempting to deliver to the customer. Noises are defined as the interferences that degrade product performance. 2. Define the feasible options for critical design values. These critical options include dimensions, electrical characteristics, and so forth. 3. Select the option that provides the greatest robustness. The greatest robustness is equivalent to the highest signaltonoise ratio. Factor analysis and orthogonal arrays are crucial to the effective application of Taguchi methods (Taguchi and Clausing, 1990, pp. 7072). Although an understanding of these concepts and procedures and their application

Category: Business - M