PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF QUALITY CONTROL IN MANUFACTURING FIRMS. (A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC ENUGU)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

According to Crosby (1979) “quality is conformance to requirement and those requirement must be defined in measurable and clearly stated terms.”

Quality is one of the goals or objectives organization seek to achieve. But often times this gal is not achieved due to some problems in the firms. The  quality of any firms products or services, determines its position in the market.

Its success to a larger extent depends. This is quality of goods or services it produces and sells to consumers. “this is because consumers desire to get the best value for their money. The quality of product or service can only be defined by the customers.” (Deming, 1986.) This means that for a firm to be satisfied with the quality of its goods or services, it customers must first be satisfied with it.

Quality is a complex concept that has become one of the most appealing in al of management theory. This is to say that every business today wants to produce quality products or services that are acceptable to consumers, which are also affordable.

Quality control is a functional management discipline, which is responsible for defining quality purpose. The prerequisite for effective quality control are freedom  from deficiency and minimum or reduced cost. Non – conformance is therefore not acceptable in reducing running costs. Some of these costs include, waste,re-work, replacement and inspection costs.

All these are manufacturing problems that should not only be detected and corrected at the earliest time but prevented if possible.

Quality  control ,can therefore be achieve by establishing a standard for effective and efficient quality in the following areas:.

1.     In the factory building, machinery and equipment design and installation, manufacturing system and process as well as product identification system.

2.     In product design.

3.     In the market by way of intensive consumers response program which gives the needed feedback.