Total Quality management is one of the management strategies focused on establishing a conscious and continuous supply of quality work in the entire organizational process. The best way to improve customers’ satisfaction is to apply quality management to work as intensively as possible. One of the breaking points of quality management is to appeal to every individual working in the business. This is what W.Edwards Deming and Joseph. M. Juran’s philosophies are about. Though they have a slight difference, the main criteria of quality customer service are the same.
W.Edwards Deming’s main purpose was to consider each individual’s work reducing inspection to a minimum. Having all of the employees understand the content of work, quality management will be reached successfully. W.Edwards Deming sets the demands the employees should meet. His philosophies are based on quality care about the individual. Such, for example, updating knowledge, is one of the most important issues for standing firm in the national market.
W.Edwards Deming concerns
W.Edwards Deming is well-known American expertise in management designs. However, his works in Japan brought to him more fame and recognition than in America. He included some collection of techniques, which are new to American management rules. His remarkable statistical methods were taught to workers engaged in World War II. Edwards was able to include his previous experiences and knowledge, which he gained while working in Japan. After his entry, several transformations were brought out in the field of Quality Management.
Deming observed that a transformation in the individual would bring a better understanding of the working organization. He explained that an individual has ample chances to link with the events, plans, and supporting features of an organization. According to Deming (2000), a transformed individual will have the following qualities, which in turn will help the organization, they are:
Setting an example.
Be a good listener, but will not compromise.
Continually teach other people.
Help people pull away from their current practice and beliefs and move into the new philosophy without a feeling of guilt about the past.
In addition to these effects, the understanding acquired by an individual includes the following areas also. Such as:
Appreciation for a system.
Knowledge about variation.
Theory of knowledge.
Psychology (Deming, 2000).
His concern over an individual shows that making an individual understand the required knowledge of management is one of his key philosophies applied in quality control management. The 14 points constitute Deming’s methods implemented in the quality control management techniques. The Leadership Institute (2005) observes that “the 14 Points pose a challenge for many firms to figure out how to apply them in a meaningful way that will result in continual improvement”. Moreover, his philosophies are mentioned as Deming’s 14 points including:
The constancy of Purpose- This insists on a continuous improvement in products and customer service [which is the target area of quality control]. In addition to that, a strategy to make provisions for long-range requirements to remain competitive implies the constancy of purpose.
The new philosophy- In this point, he emphasizes his previous experience while working in Japan. He stresses the fact that the influence of Japanese management techniques needs to be revised to stop the decline of business and industry.
Cease dependence of mass inspection – this point is to show the issues related to mass inspection for which Deming suggests an alternative plan of statistical evidence of built-in quality.
End lowest tender contracts – through this point, he insists on a requirement of meaningful measuring quality in terms of giving minimal preference to those that do not show statistical proof of quality.
Improving every process- by saying this he means that there should be a continuous process of planning to sustain the quality.
Institute training on the job- including modern method of training for all to utilize the employee’s knowledge
Institute Leadership- this point concerns the responsibility of the managers to help people to improve job quality
Drive out fear to bring in an effective way of communication
Breakdown barriers to tackle issues related to production and service
Eliminate exhortations such as posters, slogans
Eliminate arbitrary numerical targets – to avoid work standards based on numerical goals and implement aids in terms of helpful leadership
Permit pride of workmanship- the responsibility of the employees should be changed according to quality instead of increasing the employees.
Encourage Education- the importance of education and encouragement should be given to everyone to improve their educational standards to show the results in improving the quality.
Top management commitment and action- to form top management and proceed with the previous 13 points (Deming, 2000).
Joseph M. Juran philosophies
Joseph M. Juran on the other side also emphasized his certain philosophies identified with the Japanese Philosophy of management. In his book on “Quality Control Handbook” He was a noted person for revolutionizing Japanese philosophy on quality management. His contribution was also realized in some of his attempts to outline Japan’s industrial economy. Dr.Juran was the first to incorporate the human aspect of quality management which is referred to as Total Quality Management,” says Skymark.com (2007).
In his book on “Quality Control Handbook” contains his philosophies on quality control management. He has differentiated the philosophies in three areas of management as Quality planning, Quality improvement, and Quality control. Dr.Juran’s philosophy of quality planning contains the following aspects. They are:
Identifying the type of customers.
Determine the needs of those customers.
Translate those needs into our language.
Develop a product that can respond to those needs.
Optimise the product features to meet our needs and customer needs.
As far as quality improvement is concerned Dr.Juran substantiates with the idea of developing a process that will be able to produce the product and optimizing the same process. Quality Control according to Dr.Juran should be based on proving the productivity of the process with minimal inspection and finally transferring the process to operations (Juran, 1988).
Conclusion
While analyzing the philosophies of both Deming and Juran they appear similar at many points. For example, Deming’s idea to reduce inspection and Dr.Juran’s concept of developing a planning process with minimum inspection has a similar notion behind quality control management. Deming transformed some of the management strategies with that of the Japanese techniques, whereas Dr.Juran transformed some of the management strategies. The management philosophies of both Deming and Juran have influenced the American management fields and both their philosophies concentrate on individual employee attention. However, Dr.Juran was supposed to be the pioneer in concentrating his Quality control management from an employee point of view. Dr.Juran’s and Deming’s theories and philosophies of quality management have been accepted as well recognized by the American and Japanese management institutions.
Dr.Juran followed a quality trilogy in terms of quality planning, control, and management whereas Edward “believed that adoption of, and action on the fourteen points was a signal that management intended to stay in business” observes Onepine.info (2005). Overall both seemed to have a basic aim of customer service satisfaction.
References
Deming, S. E. (2000). Out of Crisis. Cambridge: Massachusetts.
Deming, S. E. (2000). The New Economic: For Industry, Government, Education. Cambridge: Massachusetts.
Juran, M. J. (1988). Quality Control Handbook (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Quality management involves planning, QA/QC and quality improvement. It emphasizes on product or service quality and the manner in which to attain it. It applies QA and QC processes to give consistent quality. Quality management integrates the principles of management, which are embraced by top managerial teams to guide the organization for enhanced performance. Any organization is client-oriented and keeps on researching about their apparent needs, future needs and even goes beyond their prospects.
Customer focus is achieved if there is a way to meet their quality to ensure their satisfaction. The internal environment has to be controlled by every employee to attain the overall goal of the company. Their potential is crucial for the performance of the company and this is only attained when the tasks are managed as a process. Tasks in the organization becomes of high quality by running the process as a single system through analyzing data and information.
In the competitive global marketplace, organizations have to offer products and services of high quality, and yet maintain a competitive edge in the business. Strategic and systematic processes in manufacturing give confidence to suit the product with the intended need, for better business performance (Webber & Wallace 22). QA and QC procedures are therefore, essential to ensure that the products comply with given regulations.
Introduction to the Topic
The QA and QC have undergone several redefinitions by quality experts. The definition also depends with the industry. According to the American National Standard (ANSI/ASQC A8402-1994) QC is “all the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system, and demonstrated as needed, to provide adequate confidence that an entity will fulfill requirements for quality” (TQAS pr. 2).
According to American Society for quality (ASQ), Quality assurance is “the planned and systematic activities implemented in a quality system so that quality requirements for a product or service will be fulfilled” (TQAS pr. 2).
This definition infers that QA are procedures and tasks undertaken prior to production or delivery of a product, to guarantee quality to clients, which comprise of a proactive approach. QC is embraced as a universal managerial process to undertake tasks and ensure steadiness (TQAS pr. 3).
This paper shall give a distinction between QA and QC, how they are applied in the organizations and propose the recommendations of how to incorporate them in business.
Findings
Overview of QA/QC
Remarkable differences exist between QA and QC. QA is a set of precautionary undertakings that adhere to processes while QC is a detection activity that identifies the defectiveness of a product, following its manufacturing (Webber & Wallace 11).
QA describes the standard to be adhered to, in order to keep up to clients’ needs while QC guarantees the set standards that are followed to the latter through carrying out several checks & tests. QC formulates systematic reports, for input to QA department that reviews them and comes up with remedial and preventive measures needed for the processes (TQAS pr. 4).
Irrespective of the definition differences for QA and QC, the concepts have frequently been applied interchangeably. However, their importance cannot be underestimated, since QA department establishes the planning methods and procedures, which are aimed at ensuring that the manufactured products or service delivery by an industry have high quality.
However, certain process parameters are beyond control, thus calling for the services of QC. These evaluate the products or even services to determine flaws, which occur as a result of the parameters and eventually assist QC to achieve the overall goal of provision of flaw-free product /service to the clients (Besterfield 78).
QA and QC are interdependent. The QA department is reliant on the feedback given by QC. For instance, when there is a persistent problem with product quality, QC department gives feedback to QA personnel, which in turn evaluate the core cause and define alterations of the process to solve future quality problems. Likewise, the QC department adheres to the strategies as well as standard set by QA department, to determine if deliverables are in accordance to quality standards.
Therefore, the two departments are equally important for sustenance of quality. Even though QA and QC are not similar, they have are highly interdependent. Evaluating their differences is rather difficult since a slim line separates the two concepts. In addition, some businesses take a single department to serve the role of both QA and QC, which further enhance the confusion between them.
Specific Differences between QA and QC
Quality Control (QC)
Quality Control (QC) is a system of routine technical actions to quantify performance process and regulate inventory quality in accordance to a given standard. Activities of QC help to assess an established work product and emphasize on determining defects of a product to improve it.
Therefore, it emphasizes on detecting and includes testing, which certifies that all quality standards are met. It is an inspection function and comprises of activities like calibration as well as analyzing check samples, in determining bias or precision related to sample outcomes.
It includes a procedure of routine testing of samples to determine whether they are reliable, accurate as well as precise in a test system. QC gives routine as well as regular checks to enable data integrity, comprehensiveness and accuracy. In addition, it helps to recognize and handle errors and omissions. QC assists to document as well as store inventories and records for the undertaken tasks (Mangino 8.4). It entails accuracy checks to implement standards for given measurements, calculations among others.
Quality assurance (QA)
QA is a process, which enables to enhance laboratory’s consistency, competence and quality. It is defined by USEPA as “the overall system of technical activities that measures the attributes and performance of a process, item or service against defined standards to verify that they meet the stated requirements established by the customer” (MASSDEP pr.2). It focuses on technical activities. For instance, in analytical laboratories, QC entails a comparison of empirical evidence required by QA, to preset acceptance procedure.
It includes activities to warrant adequacy in process development and upkeep, for attainment of the appropriate goals. Therefore, it involves evaluation of a process to identify defects and enhance it. It focuses on preventing and includes training, audits, facilitation and reviews, which shows that a given entity is in accordance to quality standards. It is an audit function. It is identified by USEPA as
an integrated system of management activities involving planning, training, quality control, assessment, data review, reporting, and quality improvement to ensure that a process, item or service is of the type and quality needed and expected by the user. QA is a management function that deals with setting policy and running an administrative system of controls to ensure the usability of the product (e.g., data) (MASSDEP pr.5).
The definition is flexible and important to entities with different QA requirements. It could also be a written procedure that document information ranging from plan to processing and ultimate acceptance. Another party unfamiliar with the process can use it since procedures are outlined to predetermine quality.
It incorporates three procedures which include pre analytical, analytical & post analytical to determine efficacy of a laboratory guidelines and procedures (Webber & Wallace 14). Besides, it is essential in identifying problems in order to solve them and enhance accuracy in performance as well as tests reports. QA entails a procedural review plan, which is handled by individuals who have no direct link to compiling or developing inventory.
Third parties are often involved and evaluate the product inventory as a result of following QC procedures. The reviews evaluate the extent to which data quality was met. It also facilitates precise representation of inventories with regard to scientific skills and data in place. QA also helps in the efficiency of QC programme (Mangino 8.4).
QA/QC
QA/QC practice facilitates confidence in the data produced and applied by the department to enhance credibility for concerned parties as well as staff competence (Webber & Wallace 33). Both QA and QC are essential processes to ensure accuracy and consistency of laboratory testing.
The concepts have a close relationship although they vary to an extent. QA is a process approach for effective development, to ensure good quality. On the other hand, QC is a product approach, to determine if certain aspects are in accordance with quality standards where the right steps are undertaken following the outcome.
Before executing both QA and QC tasks, it is essential to identify the techniques to be applied. The choice of this should not only be practical but also technical. Practical considerations put into focus the national situation, which includes resource availability as well as expertise and specific traits of the inventory. QA/QC tasks have to be in line with methods applied to approximate figures for certain groups. The resources have to be streamlined on precedence areas.
Analysis and Interpretation
However, QC reviews every factor of production and focus on controls work, processes management, potential and integrity standards as well as records specifications. Moreover, competence is a key component of the process and entails acquaintance, expertise, experience and credentials.
QC pays attention to soft elements, which involve integrity, self-assurance, organization culture, enthusiasm and teamwork as well as quality dealings. The overall performance of the organization is compromised when these aspects are ignored. QC focuses on product testing to reveal defects. It also reports the flaws to the managerial team, who decide whether to permit or refute their release.
QA on the other hand, tries to progress a steady production and the connected processes, to limit problems which would compromise the quality. QC has the leading role in the renewal of government contracts with certain agencies. For project management, QC prompts the project manager and his team to scrutinize the attained work to facilitate its compliance with project standards. Projects ideally possess dedicated QC team that emphasize on the area (Besterfield 54).
QC encompasses various actions undertaken by a business to ensure quality in line with certain specifications. QC tests a process, product or service with regard to theses specifications and failure to comply with the production could be temporarily or even permanently ceased depending on the extent of the issue. People can also be covered by QC.
Employees are part of running the business and if they lack the necessary skills, cannot understand policies or have misinformation, quality could be compromised. Therefore, QC in relation to the employees emphasize on issues that can be corrected. QC is product oriented while QA is processes oriented and such a clear distinction is often confused by many people (Besterfield 35). Conversely, QA improves confidence since the process can be identified for flaws. QA is characterized by great paperwork, which consumes time.
It is often related to analytical laboratories. QA/QC is crucial in controlling permit submissions, creating fiscal documents and information implementation. For instance, agencies which control documentations on permits application require QA management plan to facilitate their reliable processing. A record manual recognize the documents needed for submission, the guidelines and filing needed to give consistency for people in the program specifications (Owen & Maidment 8).
Quality Management
This guarantees total quality in the business to award maximum customer satisfaction. It requires knowhow, dedication and efforts to pursue quality. The approach is essential to design, develop, manufacture, install or service as quality outcomes that would fulfill the client. The process of managing the stated tasks in various business departments is regarded as QC management. Many businesses have dedicated managerial teams as well as QA staff to manage the whole process.
Various reputed companies contain a good basis of management techniques that go a long way in facilitating business performance. The procedures have taken time to evolve to come up with planning measures in a specific time period, following a number of review processes. Applying the procedures aids the business to undertake a constant growing phase towards its ultimate success. Emerging businesses have as well assimilated the policies to sustain them in the competitive marketplace.
An effective QA management process requires planning quality policies by the quality department. It should identify these policies to sustain QC through documenting them and being distributed in the entire organization for employees to be aware of the range of performance. They should adhere to the stated policies for better performance and maintain ultimate quality within the business (TQAS pr. 3).
Nevertheless, this could be impeded when some employees fails to appreciate the policies and ignore to implement them in their duties. QA management personnel have to warrant uniform understanding for employees prior to the quality process. As a result, the business could see a need in upgrading apparent infrastructure when they have no potential to implement the policies.
Besides, there could be a need to train some of the employees to allow them to keep up to the stipulated quality standards. Following this, the business should engage in checks and audits of the quality policies to enable their implementation. The presentation of the quality policies has to be considered up to when the expected outcomes are reached.
The QA management personnel identify the policies, which fail to perform to either modify or correct them. Hence, periodic audits have to be performed to track the checks outcomes. The managerial teams should stipulate goals for the organization to pursue them. These goals have to be realistic in order to be attained. They should be flexible and modified as time goes by in order to strive towards perfection in quality (TQAS pr. 4).
QA/QC International Bodies
The International Organization for standardization (ISO)
The International Organization for standardization (ISO) set the Quality Management System (QMS) standards since nineteen eighty seven to a series dubbed ISO 9000:1987. They are applied in various organizations with regard to processes and tasks like design, manufacturing and service provision.
These standards are reviewed annually by ISO to draft other standards series such as the one drafted in nineteen ninety four, dubbed ISO 9000:1994 (Owen & Maidment 5). Another review of the standard was carried out in two thousand and eight and was dubbed the ISO 9000:2000 series, while the latest one is the ISO 9000:2009, which contain guidelines to enhance performance through quality management.
QMS stipulated by ISO has covered various industries as food and automotive to facilitate quality management. ISO series program offer standards to enable data documentation as well as audits for QMS. They ensure quality inventories and related agencies could find them timely to develop QA/QC plan (Mangino 8.7).
ISO 9004-1 contain guidelines on implementing a quality system while ISO 9004-4 directs on how to implement steady quality enhancement in an organization by applying techniques reliant on data gathering and analysis. ISO 100005 guides on preparation quality plans to control certain projects while ISO 10011-1 gives guidelines on how to audit a quality system.
Moreover, ISO 10011-2 guides on the requirement procedures for quality system auditors and ISO 10011-3 contain a guide on how to manage quality system audit programmes. ISO 10012 has a guide on calibrating systems as well as statistical controls to facilitate accurate measurements while ISO 10013 has guideline to develop quality manuals to encounter certain requirements (Mangino 8.7).
SGS Group
SGS Industrial services for instance pursue the needs of clients by awarding QA/QC inspection within the SGS Supply Chain Services. Its QA/QC focuses on quality for clients in relation to particular standards specifications. QC emphasize on real measurements, testing or supervision of producer Product by sample tests or inspection of each unit.
SGS QA/QC confirms materials, portions as well as finished product by conducting checks, audits, spectating and inspection. Material inspection follows QA procedures with regard to certain materials, operations and dealer’s QC system. The QA/QC is conducted entirely independent of the manufacturer and consumer (Webber & Wallace 47).
ANSI and JCAHO
A private nonprofit agency called The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) rules and supervises voluntary standardization and conformity evaluation system for every industry in the US. Currently, ANSI initiated the U.S ISO representative and stipulates international standards (Webber & Wallace 25).
Another international QA/QC body is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), which assess as well participate in the accreditation of hospitals as well as other healthcare bodies in the U.S. It is an independent nonprofit company, which emphasize on quality improvement and health safety, which is acquired from the healthcare facilities (Webber & Wallace 25).
Quality Control: Peer Review
Expert peer review entails calculations and assumptions review, a procedure attained by reviewing documents related to the techniques and results. It does not involve data certification which normal audits entails. The peer review enables that inventory outcomes, assumptions as well as methods are rational in accordance to the judgment of experts in the field.
Peer review process could entail technical intellectuals and incase a nation possess official stakeholder and public review machinery, it could complement rather than substitute expert peer review. Expert peer review lacks given standard tools and therefore, should be put into consideration in each case. Increased uncertainty linked to figure estimate, experts reviewing could give information to develop the estimate or have an improved measure of the uncertainty.
Expert peer review could track the entire source category to award their industrial expertise even when they are not directly being linked to the project. An efficient peer review entails recognizing as well as communicating to main industrial trade organizations linked with particular source category. Essentially, the expert input has to be pursued timely during inventory advance process for them to contribute from the beginning.
Therefore, relevant experts have to be involved to develop and review approaches as well as data acquisition. Their recommendations are essential in determining the extensive acceptance of the eventual inventory. The expert’s reviews have to be properly documented in a report format, which portrays the results and recommendations for further upgrading (Mangino 8.16).
Quality Assurance: Audits
Audits are important to determine the effectiveness of the inventory agencies in accordance to QC standards stated in the QC plan. The auditor has to be liberated of the inventory agency in order to give an impartial evaluation of the processes and data assessed. Audits are carried out when the inventory is being prepared, on prior inventory or after its preparation.
They help when new methods are embraced or when the existing ones have been altered considerably. Inventory agency has to come up with a plan of audits at a particular time during the inventory progress. Audits linked to first data, quantities, transcription, calculation and records has to be carried out. It helps to certify implementation of QC steps and that certain procedures have been adhered to in accordance to the QC plan (Mangino 8.16).
Recommendations
QC and QA is a necessity for organizations that produce medical apparatus, pharmaceuticals, food industry such as the coca cola company, cosmetic industries among others. QC software is essential since it enhance compliance and steadiness of organization’s processes. QA and QC are put as software for approval of documents.
Introducing actual QC process in a business requires several procedures. It is necessary to market approval of the program from crucial stakeholders. Besides communication influence could be essential for a sponsor to articulate necessity for change and one with political control to attain compliance if necessary. Moreover, communicating the motive for change and the benefit it would fetch to the entire organization would be important.
Training employees for organization change would help them to embark on accurate and consistent tasks. QC should be hosted bit by bit, which could be achieved by establishing a pilot project that enables small changes to a portion of the process for determining the impact. When the outcomes are fascinating, they could be implemented for entire organization change. If otherwise the damage impacted is minimal and can be ignored (Webber & Wallace 11).
Therefore it is necessary to plan on improving processes in the business by evaluating the issues which undermine the quality of the products. Consequently, improvements should be made through enforcing minute changes to lessen disturbance of the process.
The production should then be checked for the outcome, to determine if a change was done and therefore, act on in the whole process. Inspecting production as part of QC ensures its conformity to customers’ needs in accordance to their specifications through comparison of the two. The process could however, be expensive particularly for high volume and less valuable products such as shirt buttons (Webber & Wallace 12).
Conclusions
Managing quality in a given project requires an understanding of given expectations of the clients. This is followed by having a proactive plan to rhyme with the expectations. This proactive plan is characterized by undertaking elements regarded as Quality control and quality assurance.
These concepts are very essential but they are vaguely understood by managers. QC focuses on the establishment of project deliverables. It is applied in the verifications of the deliverables to ensure that their quality is satisfactory, complete as well as correct. Peer reviews and testing comprises the QC tasks (Webber & Wallace 9).
Quality assurance focuses on procedures to form variables, which managers, clients or a third party could undertake. Project audits as well as checklists are some of the deliverables that QA entails. Auditing a project helps to evaluate the acceptance of its content (QC). The auditor is able to determine the acceptability with regard to the applied process on its creation (QA).
This is the reason as to why project auditors conduct QA review, even with no information on the particulars being delivered; I.e. they have no awareness of the project but are able to evaluate on its goodness. QC therefore, pays attention to the deliverable while QA on the process to form it. The two techniques are equally important and have to be carried out to make sure the deliverables are in line with clients’ needs (Besterfield 23).
Works Cited
Besterfield, Dale. Quality Control. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MASSDEP). Quality Assurance/Quality Control Project. Boston, Massachusetts: Department of Environmental Protection, 2011. Web.
Owen, Fred, and Maidment Derek. Quality Assurance: A Guide to the Application of ISO 9001 to Process Plant Projects. Rugby, UK: Institution of Chemical Engineers, 1996. Print.
Total Quality Assurance Service (TQAS). Quality Control and Quality Assurance. 2011. Web.
Webber, Larry, and Wallace Michael. Quality Control for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2006. Print.
The Mars Company (M&M) presently produces M&Ms candies initially produced in 1940. This paper discusses the Mars Company with special consideration to process and quality control of chocolate candies in a bid to discover the formula that the company applies in the distribution of the different colors and flavor in the candies.
In this endeavor, it is clear that Mars Company is capable of selling its product throughout the year and the candies could be consumed in any weather. The formula used by the company is the introduction of different types of M&Ms that come in hand with the slogan in addition to the charming letters M&M that lead to their television appeal.
Another formula is caring for its clients, as it was the case during the alarms in 1976 pertaining to the red dye inducing cancers. In this case, the company dropped the red coloring as a way of caring for its consumers and ensuring consumer satisfaction.
A different formula used is allowing customers to have a say in the products of the company, as it is evident in color voting like the one done in 2002 where the company used the color selected by the majority of the customers as coloring for its candies. This aspect is important as it guarantees the success of a company. Finally, I found out that through technology and collective efforts, the process and quality control of products are run smoothly and result in the advancement of the company.
Abstract
Mars and Murrie are the co-founders of the Mars Company in New Jersey. The starting of this company was in a bid to sell chocolates throughout the year, mostly at the period of summer when business transactions usually reduced. M&Ms are actually a choice of many Americans and are in a way backed by their 1954 slogan, viz. “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”
Numerous technology and techniques are involved in the processing and quality control of candy. Moreover, quality assurance is carried out in a number of steps to ensure that the company upholds the quality of its products.
Introduction
The Mars Company, popularly known as M&M, presently produces M&Ms, which are candies that were initially produced in 1940. Mars and Murrie founded the Mars Company in New Jersey in a bid to sell chocolates throughout the year, particularly during the summer stretch when business transactions habitually reduced. The two letters “M” and “M” come from the first letter of their last names.
At that time, there was no accessibility to air conditioning; therefore, traders lacked an effective manner of storing chocolate to prevent it from melting, thus consumers never purchased it. Through the storage of chocolate in candy shells that prevented its melting, Mars Company was in a position to sell its product throughout the year and thus the candies could be consumed in whichever weather (Kawash, 2010).
The candies from Mars Company were adopted as a section of service allotments at the course of the Second World War. A number of sources affirm that candies from Mars Company were initially produced around 1930 anchored on a proposal from soldiers from Spain. These soldiers prevented chocolate candies from melting by applying a sugary coating (Lindell, 2012a).
The Mars Company obtained this coating to generate its mainly well-liked product. Irrespective of the color of M&Ms, the flavor stays the same. The letters “M” are printed on the candies by the use of a specifically devised machine that tackles the delicate practice without cracking the thin sugary coating. This paper discusses candies in detail with an emphasis on process and quality control.
America’s Preferred Candies
The candies by Mars Company (M&Ms) are actually a choice of many Americans and are in a way backed by their 1954 slogan: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”. This slogan remains true even after about eighty years since Forrest Mars learned the coating from chocolates being consumed by soldiers in a Spanish civil war.
The initial manufacture created five colors that included violet and yellow and the candies were traded in cardboard pipes. At the beginning of the Second World War, M&Ms were entirely sold to the army (Trapalis, 2012).
The new market opportunity resulted in an augment in production and necessitated a more sizeable factory. The 1950s decade witnessed an increased production in Mars Company at the period that Midwest Research Institute in Might (MRIM) started a progression that enabled the coating of 3,300 pounds from chocolate centers each hour.
Early 1954, there was the initiation of Peanut M&Ms that came in handy with the slogan in addition to the adorable letters M&M that resulted in their television appeal. Nevertheless, the Peanut M&Ms took up yellow, green, and red coloring. At around 1960s, Mars was maneuvering the cores of M&Ms by demanding Almonds until 1992 when Almond became a standard section of the production of M&Ms.
Following the alarms in 1976 concerning the red dye inducing cancers, the company dropped the red coloring and its place was taken by orange coloring in a bid to care for its consumers and ensure consumer satisfaction (Pitches, 2011).
The period around 1980 saw massive jubilation as Mars Company internationalized. M&Ms containing Peanut Butter started selling at around 1991. In 1998, Mars Company went back into using the tubes after the initiation of the M&Ms Minis. In the following year, M&Ms turned out to the candy of the fresh millennium (Go Back in Time with Nostalgic Candy, 2013). Crispy M&M were ushered in and they generated the highest profit ever.
After a color vote that was conducted in 2002, purple was the most preferred color and was brought up as the restricted time color. In a bid to permit clients the likelihood to print on M&Ms, the company introduced MyMMs.com, and to create awareness for MyMMs.com, the company established a statue for its campaigns (Riell, 2012). During this period, Pretzel M&Ms came into being and the packaging designs were modified to demonstrate M&Ms with respect to the wrapping.
Processing Technology and Techniques
The manufacturing expertise and manufacturing practices of Candy are truly enthralling. This sector has risen from hand processes (that currently exists on a small level) to completely mechanized manufacturing lines. Candies denote delicate, but flavorsome delicacies that are cherished by many. It occurs in numerous different flavors that encompass milk chocolate, peppermint, and butterscotch just to mention a few (Lindell, 2012b).
Additionally, candy assumes different consistencies like chewing gum and soft and hard candies. Its consumers rarely deliberate on how it is made, for the reason behind every bar has a uniform taste, ability to maintain it at a sensible cost, and the way such great quantities could be produced with such evenness.
There exist different fascinating technologies entailed in the manufacture of candy (Keller, 2012). There are also numerous kinds of equipment for the production of candy. In the manufacturing process, there are machines for particular processes in addition to fully incorporated processing units.
The manufacturing equipment for candy must be permitted and endorsed by the Food and Drug Administration. The technology existing in a number of contemporary machinery for candy production is charming (Riell, 2013). The aforementioned machinery is exceedingly computerized and possesses an operator’s pleasant touch displays. Production paraphernalia incorporated advanced detectors and programmable control devices.
A case in point
An excellent case in point illustrating the function of candy processing equipment is the making of hard candy. The appliances engaged in the manufacture of hard candy consist of vats and rollers just to mention a few. The production of butterscotch illustrates this technique further. Butterscotch is prepared in vats called vacuum cookers.
The initial raw materials for the production of butterscotch include flavoring and sugar, which are blended in the vacuum cooker until a supple mass of butterscotch is obtained for extra processing (Portillo et al., 2008). The phase that follows involves placing a bunch of candy in a sequence of water chilled plows and then placing them in kneading devices.
When passing through elongated furrows, butterscotch is pulled. The plows and kneading devices then take the candy forwards through stretching it. This creates a vast and unbroken thread of candy. During this phase, the mixture is extremely big in diameter and has an indistinct shapeless form.
In a bid to form the required diameter and uniformity of candy, additional processing is needed. The combination is afterward stretched along with the utilization of rollers. This stage presents the ultimate diameter shaping process and takes candy nearer to the final design for the consumer (Ramachandran et al., 2011).
The next stage entails cutting the elongated strings of candy into lesser butterscotch strips. These strips are afterward taken to a conveyor after being sorted out, and as a final point, they are taken to a wrapping machine. The candy is then wrapped in suitable containers and is at this point set to take to the clients.
Processing techniques
Candy blending and Cooking
Vats are utilized in the process of candy blending and cooking. Vats are classic kinds of equipment that are often incorporated with blenders and cookers. The aforementioned forms of machinery are frequently utilized in the production of hard candy as well as chocolate candy.
The machinery involved has different pace fomenters, gas burners, hydraulic lifts, heat managers and inlining functions. Vats are frequently insulated and devised with the use of froth fitted aluminum with no rivet joints (Whitmore, 2013). Therefore, Vats represent the initial machinery employed in many candy-processing practices.
Aeration
Aired chocolates are products where airing expertise is employed. Every one of these applications can apply a particularly devised mixing head. Machinery, in addition, supports in the ideal hotness management in the course of airing.
Molding
Some of the desired methods of molding candy consist of:
Polycarbonate injection molds.
Silicone rubber molds.
Thermoformed spinning molds.
The above kinds of molds are frequently utilized in the production of chocolate candies (Parker, 2004).
Stamping
This process is carried out with the aid of colors that slice the candies to the desired form from a block. An excellent instance is the processing of chocolate.
Drawing
This process is the same as the pulling of plastic or metal, which entails pulling of candy through a sequence of dye decreasing its size or shaping its outer limits to the desired form. The dyes could be heat-managed to assist in the processing (Kumari et al., 2012).
Cool
Chilled water is generally utilized to cool the machinery holding the candies being made to keep them cool all through the progression. For instance, the cooling of dyes that are being shaped and drawn represents a good case of the cooling process.
Coat
This process entails the utilization of enrober machinery. In this case, the sweet thin coats present on candies are typically applied with the utilization of enrober machinery. A number of the machinery in use are very complicated and at times very huge. These machinery are made of stainless steel and are capable of operating throughout (Sahoo & Garg, 2012).
Decorator
As the name suggests, these apparatus are utilized in the beautification of candies. This process is carried out through the application of chocolate or sugar. Decorations vary from thin to thick curves and loops just to mention a few. Most decorators are custom devised to correspond with pace and dimensions of enrobers and conveyors.
Packaging and wrapping
Packaging machinery is the other class of processing paraphernalia. With the aid of consultancy provided, the clients are capable of obtaining desired designs and packaging for their candies when necessary. Some of the machines used in packaging and wrapping include sealers and packaging machines that can be used for cartooning and tray sealing just to mention a few (M & M® Candy, 2013).
Incorporated Candy Processing Solutions
These denote processing equipment for candies that are often computerized to yield a fully automated candy processing progression. They are generally set with conveyors and can be fully encircled occasionally. The machines are customized according to the desired products.
Bar making presents an excellent example of merchandise that allows an incorporated candy processing solution; for instance, production of jelly, cream, and caramel to permit snacks and other bar products with the incorporation of bar line technique encompassing a slab former, slitters, and cutters (B.W. Clifford Inc., 2013).
Quality Control
Expertise is not just significant in the processing of candy, as it is as well significant in quality control. Techniques like the high pace checking and metal detection are some of the instances where technology comes into play to guarantee excellent quality of candy (Park, 2011).
Following the blend of single dye consignments of candies, the portions must be sieved to eradicate any malformed portion. When candy is lacking a stamped “M”, it is not regarded as a waste. Due to the insignificant dissimilarities in structure, it is unachievable to have a reassurance of “M” flawlessly placed on every portion of candy.
Quality Guarantee Process
In a bid to execute quality for a company, there is the requirement of identifying the stages of the quality guarantee process. Some of the major stages of this progression area outlined below.
Firstly, the project manager must select a group of individuals devoted to quality control. The selected group is accountable for reviewing and accounting on the assessment concerning each section of the business (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013). This group informs the managers and files all the outcomes securely.
After the formation of the group, its major accountability will be to describe the operations and allocate them to responsible individuals. A number of these operations encompass evaluating the product, devices, services in accordance with the obligations, principles and directives, auditing, proposing certain techniques for application in the project, and reporting the results of the assessment just to mention a few.
The quality control group afterward describes the intentions of the quality guarantee process. Depending on the kind of business the specifics of the intention could change. Nevertheless, the foundation of the intention stays general for the majority of enterprises (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013). The list mainly encompasses quality goals, describing the evaluations and conformational actions, process assessment, describing the personal accountability of the members of the group, describing the necessities of training, budgeting, and financing for quality control occupations, planning all actions, listing, and tracking just to mention but a few.
The next phase is producing the evaluation processes, checklists, and associated actions to clarify the manner in which quality control will be carried out.
The quality control group then acts as per the objective to make sure that the following phase of quality guarantee process runs smoothly. Through the acquisition of the necessary resources, the group begins assessing the project (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013). Devices needed in this assessment are described according to the kind of project. Nonconformity with the set requirements is reported to the concerned branch of the company. The difficulties are then resolved and once more sent for evaluation to the control group. In this manner, the evaluation and correction progress until the projects are found to be fully inconsistency to the set standard.
The training needs of the group members are then identified in a bid to carry out the assessment process as outlined in the quality control guideline.
The project head must check the excellence of the quality control group and gauge it in accordance with the quality control objective, timeline, and budget. If the performance of the quality control group fails to satisfy the expectations, corrective measures must be executed (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013).
Project management and other stakeholders review the actions and outcomes of the quality control process. All unresolved matters are addressed at this point.
The group gathers evaluation information from different sources (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013). Recommendations for advancement at any phase of quality guarantee process are adopted and executed in the following assessment if it is in line with the feasible limitations. Proposals are obtained from every rank of business for future application.
The group then gauges the entire process to come up with a delineated arrangement with quality control progression templates and descriptions (White, 2012). This arrangement could be utilized in the future or could be used as an example to other companies.
Conclusion
The Mars Company presently produces M&Ms, which are candies initially produced in 1940. Mars Company introduction of dissimilar types of M&Ms that came in hand with its slogan in addition to the attractive letters M&M that generated their appeal. The processing expertise and practices of Candy are truly enthralling. A number of processing techniques are involved in the manufacturing of candy.
This sector has risen from hand processes to completely mechanized processing lines. Expertise is not just considered in the processing of candy; it is as well considered in its quality control. The quality guarantee process involves a list of steps that must be carried out.
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