QUALITY MANAGEMENT. 2
Running Head: QUALITY MANAGEMENT. 1
Quality Management within Aviation
Kevin Jones.
Embry – Riddle Aeronautical University
21ST Feb, 2019.
Introduction
Quality management is the initiative of presiding over different activities and jobs in a company to ensure that the products and services offered including the methods used to achieve them are done similarly over time for accuracy purposes (Arai, 2017). This process helps to obtain and keep a desired level of quality within a company. In aeronautics industry, quality management is an important process for the industry to achieve its intended goals. The main goal of quality management is to ensure that the company’s entire stakeholder’s work together to enhance the organizations processes, services, outputs, and culture to attain the long-term success that originates from satisfied customers.
Agency Description
Aeronautics deals with the science, design and manufacture of airplanes and other flying vehicles. According to Campbell, Jardine and McGlynn, (2016), aeronautics combines a wide range of technicians and professions since building a flying vehicle isn’t an easy task to accomplish but with the right people it is possible. A wide range of professions are required including technicians to run computers, design engineers, pilots to fly aircrafts, physicist to do calculations for space missions and to study the airflow over an airplane. All these people make up the aeronautical industry. Engineering, aviation, aerodynamic, rocketry, aeronautical science, navigation, flying skills and construction make up the aeronautical industry (Guruprasad, 2017).
There are several elements to be covered by engineers in aeronautics in order to build a plane/aircraft. Aerodynamics is one of the basic elements in the industry. Having good knowledge of how the air flows around the plane will help engineers design the shape of the plane. Parts of the plane like the wings, the tail, and the body affect how the air will flow around the plane.
Propulsion is another factor in aeronautics since through it, the design of an engine that is able to provide power for the airplane is achieved. Materials and structures is another component of aeronautics since this is critical in deciding the materials to be used in the plane and the engine to make aircrafts to fly effectively.
Operation Management
Pilots and flight attendants might be seen as the only occupations in the aviation field but the reality is that there is much more that goes down in this fast-growing industry. In quality management, operations are the business aspects in the industry of air transport. Airports have aviation managers who oversee the overall business operations of the entire industry to ensure that every operation run smoothly. On a daily basis, aviation managers are involved in planning of fleets, managing revenues, enforcing safety rules, hiring new employees and marketing. They are also in charge of making sure that the industry abides to the federal safety regulations (Griffin, 2016).
Operations that are carried out in aeronautics include: airlines planning, schedule disruptions, schedule dependability, CDM ground delay program, and the dependency between passengers and aircraft operations. Another aspect is aircraft maintenance checks which on average are done once a week or after every 60 hours of flight.
Flight regulation is one of the operations in the aviation industry. It requires an aircraft in good condition and a crew to oversee a flight. Schedule disruptions may arise due to the following reasons: when the aircraft is not on the right scheduled route, rules violations by the crew, insufficient airline resources, and mechanical problems. All these among others are the daily operations that are carried out in the aviation industry to ensure quality management is achieved.
Equipment Management
Management of equipments is an important aspect of a quality management system. Proper equipment management is essential to ensure accuracy in results. Its benefits include; high-performance level, low repair costs, reduction of interruption services due to breakdowns and failures, and great customer satisfaction.
When coming up with an equipment management program, the following factors should be considered:
Selection and purchasing- A good selection criteria should be adopted before making a purchase.
Installation- Installation requirements should be adhered to for new equipment and the person responsible for the installation process should also be competent.
Making adjustments and evaluating performance- It’s important to consider the methods used to validate and calibrate new equipment to ensure that they are working correctly.
Service and repair- It is important to consider whether the services and repairs are available within reach including its cost.
Equipment calibration is another aspect. Manufacturer’s directions should be upheld when setting up new equipment. It’s advisable to set new equipment by testing them before they are put into use. It is a good idea to determine the number of times the equipment will be calibrated based on the manufacturers’ recommendation.
Inventory of spare parts is an important aspect of quality management in the aviation industry. To avoid the depletion of spare parts, equipment used frequently should be maintained.
Every aviation industry should have a proper equipment management program which will assist in the selection of the right equipment and methods to troubleshoot and fix. Proper documentation and record keeping is important for an accurate and thorough inventory of all aviation equipment, operation procedures provided by the manufacturer, maintenance, and troubleshooting (Palm, Lilja and Wiklund, 2016).
Maintenance requirements management
Maintenance practices and technologies have improved to meet the needs of the aviation industry. Its progress can be measured by its reliability. Maintenance in the aviation industry is defined as the degradation management of engineered equipment and systems to retain their expected performance within their designed operating parameters.
Stress can speed up the deterioration of metals in a corrosive environment which eventually lead to equipment and systems failure. Reducing stresses in the operating environment helps to maintain equipments reliability. The elements of maintenance are the protection of equipments from stress, condition monitoring and replacement of equipments before worn out (Palm, Lilja and Wiklund, 2016).
Preventive maintenance is actions carried out to give protection or reduce the rate of degradation by using coatings, adjustments, or cleaning with an aim to maintain aircraft equipments in its original operating conditions.
Condition monitoring identifies the adequacy of preventive maintenance for environmental stresses. It also identifies the degradation rate. It plays a double role in the process of maintenance by controlling preventive maintenance applications and gives a signal whenever the stress level rises.
Planned overhaul happens before equipment failure when the degradation rate has increased as shown by condition monitoring and the equipment is heading to its failure. It involves disassembly, component replacement and re-assembly of equipments. A proper maintenance management system has the following characteristics: feedback, measurement, record keeping, procedures, and resource identification.
Manager’s roles and responsibilities
According to Ross, (2017), managers play a crucial role in the aviation industry by ensuring that services conform to the desired qualities. They plan, run and synchronize quality assurance programs and develop command policies. They enhance the company’s productivity and profitability by minimizing resource misuse.
Overseeing operations: One of the main challenges a quality assurance manager in the aeronautics industry would face is coming up with internal, external and international regulations regarding the manufacture and shipping of equipments and goods. They generate and refurbish standard documentation by adhering to acceptable standards like ISO 9000- Quality management.
Leading teams: They lead and manage a group of inspectors whose duties are to assess equipments and products through various production stages. They hire and offer training to supervisors and give them documented quality standards to guide them on their daily operations.
Training of employees: One of the duties of quality assurance managers is to ensure that aircraft construction employees are aware of quality requirements by providing training. They train and equip them with the knowledge necessary to manage and adhere to quality standards on their own. They also promote the culture of quality by coming up with awareness and awards programs.
They are input managers: Equipment and materials suppliers play a crucial role in a company’s quality process. Managers work with them to come up with high-quality equipments by ensuring that the components and materials adhere to quality standards.
Staff qualifications, certifications, and responsibilities
For quality management process to be successful, managers should involve the staff members since they are the ones to oversee and project the company to the desired level. Every employee should be competent and have qualifications in the departments that they work in. Staff members should be given training and later awarded certifications for the same. However, when hiring employees managers should consider hiring those people who are qualified without bias. This can lead to quality service and customer satisfaction which is the main purpose of total quality management (Palm, Lilja and Wiklund, 2016).
The responsibilities of employees in quality management are: Making better decisions using expert knowledge, implementation, and support of decisions, spotting areas of improvement, reducing work friction through effective communication and cooperation, accepting changes and total commitment.
Human Factors
Planning- Every person working within the industry can come up with a plan and achieve it by themselves. Every individual should participate in the planning process and be their brother’s keeper in order to ensure that what they are working on is correct when it comes in and when it leaves.
Documentation- A proper documentation is necessary when building and assembling parts in the right way, every other time. To achieve this, it is very important to check the inputs at every stage of product development. Everyone involved in design and production is tasked to make documentation in the quality management process.
Traceability- Regulatory requirements intended to trace every step of product development is important in case the product fails. It is important since it identifies the person who worked on the product who will then help in determining where the problem might be. It enables the developers to identify issues in documentation and training so that they can be improved in the future (Griffin, 2016).
Training- Undertaking training on quality management is much more than reading the procedures. Appropriate training should be carried out as stated in the requirements of the regulations. Employees should be aware of their immediate processes and its impacts which are achieved through training. Employees should also be aware of the impact of training on their daily activities.
Verification- In quality management, it is the responsibility of everyone involved in the process to ensure that what they are doing meets the customer’s requirements. Customer satisfaction should be prioritized to ensure the success of any company.
Quality requirements
Quality requirements are those aspects to be considered in order to come up with the desired product. These components are; standards planning, standards assurance, standards control, and continuous improvement.
Standards planning determine the necessary standards and give a go ahead to those people concerned on the methods utilized to achieve it. They include participants expectations, success criteria, applicable standards, quality control measures, project assurance techniques etc.
Quality assurance gives an assurance that the project is being undertaken as it was planned. It also measures the effectiveness of the agreed plans, makes a record of the lessons learned and help to identify areas that were not complied to and the opportunities that need to be improved. It not only covers one phase but the whole project life cycle.
Quality control includes inspections, testing, and quality measurements to ensure that the project outcome adheres to the specifications fit for the intended purpose and meet the stakeholder’s specifications. After inspection of the products and performance documentation, it is necessary to identify any problem and its root cause (Palm, Lilja, and Wiklund, (2016).
Quality advancements- Opportunities to improve management process during the project life cycle could be available like continuous systematic approach to quality improvements which maintains steady growth and improvements enabling companies to stay on its goals and priorities.
Regulations and laws
These are laws governing air travel and the operation and regulation of business issues that relate to air travel. It requires an in-depth knowledge of Federal Aviation Acts (FAA) regulations, specific laws regarding flight and an understanding of aviation. These laws pertain every individual involved in the operation and maintenance of aircraft.
According to Ross, (2017), aviation laws include litigation on behalf of those people affected from damages caused by an aircraft catastrophe and defense of employees charged for going against Federal Aviation Rules. These laws and policies are developed by the federal and government with certain conditions hindering the government from dictating paths, services, and the rates of air transport by the federal aviation act.
Safety
According to Palm, Lilja, and Wiklund, (2016), aviation safeties are those attempts adopted to ensure air vehicles are free from factors causing loss. Aircraft manufacturers comply with the safety regulations stipulated by regulatory agencies. There are several factors that make flying to be safe including airplane design, human factors engineering, regulatory standards, and airplane maintenance regulations.
Airplane design – Aircraft are designed to perform in conditions beyond their normal actions. Aircraft should withstand and minimize breakdowns, operate at full capability in case of emergencies and satisfy the lowest certification standards as stated by the regulations.
Human factors engineering – Most airplane accidents occur are as a result of human errors. Aviation industries have put the learning of human factors at the top when they are designing aircraft. Experts concentrate on flight deck design, human performance, cognitive psychology, visual psychology, and human-computer interface design in order to improve the interaction between humans and machines (Johnson, 2018).
Government laws- Government agencies impose safety rules by sending their pilots on check trials to monitor pilots. They also play a great role by reviewing boot camps, checking upkeep records, production equipments and airport security practices. They also delegate engineering and quality reviewers to aircraft design and building facilities.
Airplane maintenance regulations- Pilots and maintenance employees undergo training. Airlines also set up regular programs to detect problems before they become fatal.
Security
Modern security traits include increased blunt-force and ballistics resistant equipments. Doors fitted with electronic locks offer pilots the power to admit/deny access into the flight deck. Development of stronger cockpit doors that withstand bullets and explosives is one of the security measures put in place (Palm, Lilja and Wiklund, 2016).
Aviation industries are teaming up with advanced interactive systems corps (AIS) to provide training to airline employees. Explosives detection systems have been installed and maintained at major commercial airports including training of screening employees.
Furthermore, organizations have been formed to solve the rising need for improved travel security. Safety and security services organizations have been put up to help customers implement the recommendations on aircraft security.
Environmental responsibilities
Emissions of non-renewable fuels and noise are the major issues in the aviation industry. To minimize environmental effects, there are several environmental concerns that are being addressed. They include air quality control, equipments management and phase out, dangerous waste management, waste phase-out management, water quality control and vehicle emissions control (Griffin, 2016).
Disposal of lubricants, motor oil, filters, rags, antifreeze, and several other used materials are being carried out in line with the local environmental agency policies, applicable laws and mutual understanding with business partners.
Other management factors considered
To ensure quality management is achieved, other management factors should be considered too. These factors may be internal or external to the company. Some of these factors include management functions, structural transformations, competition, laws, and technology (Campbell, Jardine and McGlynn, 2016).
Management functions- In case of any change in management, the incoming team may review the existing strategies and inject new ideas to project the company to another level.
Competition- Tools such as SWOT analysis should be developed to examine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in order to have a competitive advantage.
Due to rapid advancements in technology, aviation companies should be up to date in order to incorporate automated equipments and advanced machinery which will enhance service delivery hence customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
Quality management is the initiative of presiding over different activities and jobs in a company to ensure that the products and services offered including the methods used to achieve them are done in the similar and correct manner over time for accuracy purposes. The responsibilities of employees in quality management are: making better decisions using expert knowledge, implementation, and support of decisions, spotting areas of improvement, reducing work friction through effective communication and cooperation, accepting changes and total commitment. Quality management ensures that customers get satisfied which is the ultimate goal of any company (Arai, 2017).
References
Arai, K. (2017). TPM for the lean factory: Innovative methods and worksheets for equipment management. Routledge.
Campbell, J. D., Jardine, A. K., & McGlynn, J. (Eds.). (2016). Asset management excellence: optimizing equipment life-cycle decisions. CRC Press.
Griffin, R. D. (2016). Principles of air quality management. CRC Press.
Guruprasad, R. (2017). Impact and significance of electronic information resources among aerospace scientists, engineers and technologists of Bangalore: A research survey. International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 6(1), 246-262.
Johnson, I. (2018). Technology’s Cutting Edge: Futurism and Research in the Red Army, 1917–1937. Technology and culture, 59(3), 689-718.
Palm, K., Lilja, J., & Wiklund, H. (2016). The challenge of integrating innovation and quality management practice. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 27(1-2), 34-47.
Ross, J. E. (2017). Total quality management: Text, cases, and readings. Routledge.
Wiegmann, D. A., & Shappell, S. A. (2017). A human error approach to aviation accident analysis: The human factors analysis and classification system. Routledge.