Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition

Main Action

Quality is crucial in all the steps associated with the new product development; however, manufacturing the product requires special attention as is the main action after the product research is completed. At Riordan, molding or manufacturing a product is the next step after the receiving process is completed. Although one common inventory control process is followed in all Riordan’s facilities, the molding or manufacturing process slightly vary among the plants. This is because the product manufactured is different in all plants. For example, all products molded in the Research and Development (R&D) facility in San Jose, California, are experimental and not for mass production. Therefore, output of the R&D molding is the product release to manufacturing and is not shipped direct to the customer.

The plants in Albany, GA and Pontiac, MI, both produce products molded using injection molding machines. The Albany plant produces plastic bottles and caps and the Pontiac plant handles the production of custom plastic pieces. The Pontiac plant is also responsible for the production of all medical products produced at Riordan. The facility in Pontiac also fabricates the molds for new designs, as ordered by the R & D in San Jose, CA. The plant in Hangzhou, China produces plastic fan blades and fan housings. Electric fan motors are purchased from a third-party and assembled with the plastic parts and sold as a finished product.

Riordan Manufacturing applies quality controls during the manufacturing regardless of the type of product being made. During the manufacturing of any product raw material quantities drawn from its inventory are tracked through the inventory control system to ensure there is always material available for the product to be built. The amount of raw materials used during each manufacturing run is indicated on a...