Quality management processes in a balsa wood glider manufacturer

¶ … Product from the Standpoint of Quality

Evaluating the quality management processes and systems in place at the manufacturer of a balsa wood glider purchased for purposes of this analysis is completed in this paper. As the manufacturer creates expectations through the use of their merchandising and the use of Customer Relationship Management systems (Galbreath & Rogers, 1999) to sell into the retail chain where the glider was purchased from., an evaluation of how accurate these perceptions are to actual user experience are evaluated. Second, the form, fit and function of the glider relative to its representation on the box is evaluated, as are the instructions. Third, the quality of the components in an product tend to indicate the quality management processes in place (Rodchua, 2009). Specifically the process areas of quality control are apparent in the final delivered product. Consistency of form, fit and function of the items in the kit also indicate how well the internal departments of the manufacturer are working together. The instructions are also a good indicator of how effective coordination is handled throughout the manufacturer as well. This paper critiques the quality management strategies of the manufacturer of the balsa wood glider

Introduction

Visiting a local hobby store to purchase a balsa wood glider, it was immediately apparent from the how the retailer had lined the store's front shelves that Radio Controlled (RC) units are the big sellers in motorized and self-propelled gliders and planes. The balsa wood gliders were along the back row of the store. Comparing over two dozen models of gliders, the one chosen included an elongated rubber band called a rubber thread that promised to propel the glider 150 feet. Text on the packaging had been written for a grade school vocabulary and also included graphics accentuating how far and fast it would fly. These were all product decisions that reflect the target markets' preference for features and communications, most likely emanating from the manufacturers' CRM system (Galbreath & Rogers, 1999). The packaging set a high expectation as to speed, distance, ease of assembly and form, fit and function. This expectation was used as the reference point to evaluate how the many systems and processes within the company combined to ensure they were met. As the flyer's packaging said this same design had been in existence since 1940, it was inferred that the manufacturer valued stability and lack of change in their organizational culture as well. A company's ability to manage change and also attain its objectives is called change management and is an indicator of how successful quality management programs will be over the long-term (Kraines, 2001).

Justification of Argument

In evaluating the balsa wood glider, the immediate observation is that the claims made on the packaging creates expectations that would be difficult to attain even under ideal conditions. The kit's packaging states that an Exacto knife is required in addition to pliers and an artist's brush. In fact only the more advanced examples required these items. The Exacto knife was necessary for ensuring a high degree of form and fit for the model, yet the painting would have required a well-ventilated room and actually several brushes for each of the colors included in the kit. This was one of many errors and inaccuracies in the instructions. The kit had not changed in decades, as the copyright on the bottom of the instruction sheet was from the previous century.

Professional Presentation

The presentation of the actual contents of the model were packaged more for expediency and clearly were designed to fit in as small and inexpensive of a container as possible. The packaging was clear plastic and was punctured at the top to hang on a display. Even though the contents included a small package of paints and intricate, fragile items, the entire package looked to be designed more for shipping through the mail than protecting its contents. The wafer-thin balsawood was brittle to the touch and also had splintering around the sizes, and the "rubber thread" or rubber band was left in the package by itself without any protection around it. In rough shipping conditions it is feasible the rubber thread could catch on an item in the kit and snap balsa wood components in half, making the entire kit unusable.

Assembly was relatively straightforward and if paining had been involved, it would have easily taken four hours. This is the one aspect of the marketing on the packaging that aligned with the expectations created. All other aspects of the product, from its first flight of twenty feet in windless conditions to the snapping of the "rubber thread" against the body of the plane that made it wobble in flight, were a disappointment. The tenuous nature of the entire plane's construction was apparent when it crash landed in grass. The rear tail fin fell off. I would not purchase another of these from this manufacturer again.

From a quality management standpoint, there was a major variation between what was promised on the package and what was delivered in performance. The wider the variation of these two attributes the greater the lack of trust in a manufacturers' products, and the lesser the potency of quality management strategies. The balsa wood glider illustrated that it is relatively easy to get consistency of processes to produce a mediocre product. It would have taken much greater commitment to quality for all departments to work together to alleviate the wobbling in flight, or to invest in securing the rubber thread that could easily snap balsa wood components in half. In summary, this exercise showed that quality management is much more integrative and synchronized in nature. Quality cannot be dictated into an organization; it must become part of its culture, and it is apparent from this balsa wood glider that the organization producing them is lackadaisical in their commitment to the principles mentioned in this analysis.