LOG REPORT 1 : CHAPTER 1 & 3 QUALITY MANAGEMENT.

1.0  LEARNING REACTION

1.1 TOPIC 1: CONCEPT OF QUALITY

          Cik Hajah Hayati Binti Hj. Abdul Hamid, my lecture for subject ‘’Quality Management (PAD252)’’. She totally change my judgmental on her on our first contact in class. Cik Yat began her lecture by giving some advice to us to study on intention to gain knowledge and became a good servant to Allah SWT than pass the examination. I always forgot about it. Although this semester I do not have CTU subject but I fell this subject always help me remember Islamic value in myself. Cik Yat asks about what definition of quality? All students came up with different answer. All my classmates want to answer it in order to get unique sticker from her including me. Some answer that can be heard such as long lasting and expensive but Cik Yat surprise us by say all our answer are totally right. She explains each definition by different people what I really admired the definition by Fred Smith, CEO of Federal Express state that qualities are performance to the standard expected by the customer. I also attracted to other definitions like quality applies on environment, service, product, people and process or acronym as ESPPP. I also believe on definition that quality is an ever changing state that means what is considered quality today may not be good enough to be considered quality tomorrow. This definition was accurate based on my experience as son, worker and servant of Allah SWT. 

          Plus, Cik Yat explains about Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC). QA refer as any planned and systematic activity directed towards providing consumers with product of appropriate quality, along with confidence that products meet consumers’ requirement (Evans & Lindsay, 2008). I attract with principles of QA whereby fit for purpose and right first time. I think the principle accurate with the definition because QA was essential division so that product can exceed customer expectation and not mistaken happen in production. QC is one part of QA, it emphasizes testing of product to uncover defects and reporting to management who make the decision to allow or deny the release. There are several processes on QC are assessing actual quality performance (pre control), compare actual performance with performance goals (concurrent control) and take immediate steps to resolve differences between planned performance and actual performance (corrective control). Furthermore, Cik Yat  tell us about total quality (TQ)  can be refer as continuous improvement activities involving everyone in the organization example worker in a totally integrated effort toward improving performance at every level (Dept. of Defence (DOD), US). There are Big Q and Little Q in concept of TQ, Big Q refer to quality of products, services, people, process and environment meanwhile Little Q refer to a narrower concern that quality of one of these elements within an individual element satisfaction example products.

            Cik Yat tells us about quality in Islamic perspective, it about pure soul that derives from inside individuals that build up a good character and basically good action happen. It folds on two obligations are obligatory (Fardhu Ain) and supererogatory duties (Fardhu Kifayah), obligatory duties for every Muslim are 5 pillars of Islam that provided the sufficient basic for every Muslim to be of a noble character meanwhile supererogatory duties are additional acts beyond obligatory requirement which are strongly recommend doing.  Total quality in Islamic perspective cover relationship among human and between human and Allah SWT also proficiency and efficiency (quality of insan). Plus it also combines sincerity and excellence in doing any action in our life. In Islamic perspective, quality is an inherent ethics of Islam that had been practice since 14 centuries ago example the Muslim nation under the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Cik Yat also taught about similar and different between quality in generic and Islamic perspective, similar between both perspectives are qualities means positive on customer feedback and encourages team working also foster positive work attitude. Different between both perspectives are generic perspectives focus material and physical aspect like output, organization and society being as separate entity and not even close. Plus, generic perspectives state that quality not a total concept because it not emphasize on internal element  example morality value also it prefer reference philosophy from east and west only like Juran and Ishikiwa. Meanwhile quality in Islamic perspective focus on quality of insan means process to build pure soul in Muslim to generate more good character in work and life. 

            Plus, organization and society in being treated the same as servant of Allah based on concept ‘’Habluminnannas’’ and ‘’Hablumminallah’’. Quality in Islamic perspectives also believe quality as total concept that emphasizes internal affairs because good conduct is guided by Holy Al-Quran and Sunnah. In Islamic perspective, quality derived from best teacher on this world, The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It became accurate and reliable in our daily life. In additions, Cik Yat tells us about different between total quality views and traditional views of quality that based productivity versus quality, how quality is defined and measured also how quality is achieved. It can be summarized that traditional and total quality views are how people views on quality perspective and both views still be applied in our daily life. Some history development of quality are been told by Cik Yat also surprise me how old concept of quality had been implement in our world. Last but not least, Cik Yat told us about Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), a government body implementing resources planning has put in efforts to introduce several reforms through several programmes in Malaysia. MAMPU became a driving force for change in the administration and management of Public Service. In Shaa Allah, lesson that given by Cik Yat with permission Allah SWT help me understanding well about this subject.

1.2 TOPIC 3: TOTAL QUALITY CONCEPT IN PUBLIC SECTOR 

               Cik Yat starts class with tazkirah and smile after a mid-semester break. She told us about her dad condition, we really pray for her father to be better. Cik Yat starts her lecture on Total Quality Management (TQM). I wonder what is total quality? I thought it was continuous process that involves the whole organization and I was right. After Cik Yat explain each definition of total quality, I summarize total quality are everyone responsibilities on that organization for ensuring the success of the quality improvement efforts. It helps me remember about Management lessons that I learned from En. Syahrizan Zainan. Those lessons help me to understand more on this topic. When I learn about something, I really want to know about it objective so Cik Yat explain to us about TQM objectives’ are provide customer satisfaction, meet customer expectation and produce defect free or error free output. I also learn how much we trying to avoid defect but it will happen so we can keep trying to decrease the number of defect product that happen. Cik Yat tells us 7 integrated steps in TQM, the steps are determine improvement objective, determine method that suitable with objectives, provide education and training for staff about this method, implement those method because improvement can’t happen without any action, we also must evaluate effects of improvement whether meet objectives and standardize processes. If it happen like planning so it okay and can be proceed but if not take corrective action so improvement can happen as planning.

         Plus, I also learn to summarize that important features of TQM are objective as satisfaction, zero defect and right from first time also it focus on process, organization culture, customer and suppliers. Strategy of TQM based on continuous improvement, strategic actions and systematic problem solving also implementor consist all workers on organization. We continue learn about 7 principle of TQM in public sector are top management support, strategic quality planning, customer focus, training and recognition, teamwork, performance measurement and quality assurance. There are several similarities and difference between TQM in public and private sector that I learned. The similarities between TQM in both sectors are they emphasize on 7 TQM principles, focus on 4 features of TQM and practice 7 integrated steps that involved in process to continue improvement TQM. Meanwhile, the different between TQM in both sectors are customer focus, performance measurement, customization, process focus and cost of quality. I conclude that towards customer focus, private sector more concern about customer satisfaction because they profit oriented meanwhile public sector concern about customer because they want to create a good reputation for government. 

               In performance measurement, private sector is easy to quantify as the product are tangible example good while performance in the public sector is difficult to quantify as the product are intangible example service. In customization, private sector had lower degree of customization for manufacturing the goal is uniformed while public sector required high degree of customization because employee that provides services deal with customer to satisfy them. In process focus, private sectors focus on the process to produce a quality product while public sector focuses from the beginning until the end of the process as the service to the customer. In cost of quality, private sector is primarily product oriented such as warranty while public sector more generally labour dependent such as customer service and complaint handing staff. Cik Yat also told about requirement for implementing TQM in the public sector were commitment by top management, commitment by middle management, establishment of organization steering committee also planning and publicizing. I learned that top management or higher level manager in organization should give full commitment a third to half of their time used for total quality efforts and middle management are important role in organization that carry the brunt of work should be clear view about quality perspective by top manager. It means all worker in organization must sharing burden and responsible together to improve quality in public sector. 

               Plus, public sector must establish of organization wide steering committee that person heading the organization such as Director and its membership should comprise that person’s direct subordinate such as all vice director. This group need to establish how TQ is to be implemented and develop a vision statement also guiding principles, set the goals and objectives. I also learn from Cik Yat that several TQM implementation approaches to be avoided are we should not train all our employees at once at the same time because it not effective and efficiency also we should not rush in TQ by putting too many people in teams it only increase our expenses. In order to implement TQ, we should not delegate TQ implementation because it can lead to failure in implementing TQM also due to no active commitment by all personnel. Last but not least, I learned that start TQ implementation before top managers and subordinates are prepare. It means we should not educate lower lever manager and top manager can delay those training about TQ because TQ can’t be implementing if all worker in organization don’t acknowledge about it. In my opinion, we should balancing worker that been educate with training for TQ from higher manager to lower manager. So, the result of implement TQ in organization can be succeed as planning in earlier. Quality only can be reach if everyone in organization give fully cooperation toward all task that be given also follow rules and guidelines that been establish by company.