Quality Improvement: \"Chick-N-Gravy Dinner Line\" the Case

Quality Improvement: "Chick-n-Gravy Dinner Line"

The case study at hand deals with complaints being lodged against a product line, "Chick-n-Gravy Dinners" that are sold within a specific chain of restaurants. Upon initial investigation into the complaints, the firm was able to pinpoint that many of the complaints centered upon five product defects: under-filled packages, a missing item, spills/mixed items, unacceptable taste, and improperly sealed packages. In order to begin to remedy the problem, a selection of dinners was pulled at random and opened, and the results showed that nearly all of the 800 dinners pulled included one or more of the aforementioned quality issues.

In a situation such as this, it becomes apparent that the quality of the product line is not, and has likely never been, the biggest priority for the firm. Instead, quantity, not quality appears to have been the focus. In this case, as nearly the entire batch of random samples pulled had a problem, the recommendation to the firm's manager should be that the product line be pulled until the mechanical glitches during packaging can be remedied.

Additionally, such lacking quality control has the capacity to become a safety hazard and not merely a cosmetic one. Improper packaging and unacceptable taste can be the tip of the iceberg in terms of locating other safety issues that may lead to food-borne illnesses. Safety and wholesomeness are the most important attributes of food quality, and the lack of quality as it related to safety and wholesomeness can result in personal injury, sickness or even death when unsafe foods are produced and eaten (Hurst, et al., 2010, p.1). Research has proven that in order to keep on top of food quality, stringent management standards and oversight must be put in place, following a model of: "commitment + awareness + teamwork + communication + quality control = safe, wholesome and consistent food products" (Hurst, et al., 2010, p.1).

II. Inspection of Toys: "Toys, Inc."

The company at hand in this case study is dealing with declining sales, which has further led to production cuts and layoffs within the company. Additionally, the company has been receiving complaints regarding a certain line of products that break or do not operate properly. To deal with this issue, a trade-in program has been suggested that will allow customers to replace malfunctioning models with new ones. This, the company hopes, will not only remedy complaints, but foster a sense of loyalty to the company's customers. However, certain members of the staff believe that the problem could be fixed solely with improved inspection and increased operations management.