In terms of design quality and conformance quality explain how using the Six Sigma approach helped American Express?

Answer 1

Answer:

Quality of design is the quality which the producer or supplier is intending to offer to the customer. When the producer is making the quality of design of the product, he should take into consideration the customer's requirements in order to satisfy them with fitness for use of the product. If the quality of design does not reflect the customer's requirements, the product which the producer offers him would not probably satisfy the customer, even if it does sufficiently conform to the design. Quality of design is usually indicated by completeness and correctness of specifications, drawings, catalogues, etc. and is measured with fitness for use.

Quality of conformance is the level of the quality of product actually produced and delivered through the production or service process of the organization as per the specifications or design. When the quality of a product entirely conforms to the specification (design), the quality of conformance is deemed excellent.

Specifications are targets and tolerances determined by the designer of a product. Targets are the ideal values for which production is expected to strive; tolerances are acceptable deviations from these ideal values recognizing that it is difficult to meet the exact targets all the time due to variability in material, machine, men and process.

For example, if an engineering component manufacturer specifies the diameter of a steel pin as 2.525 + 0.005 mm, the value 2.525 is the target value and + 0.005 is the tolerance. In a similar way, in case of an Airline service, if on time arrival of a flight is specified as within 15 minutes of scheduled time, the target is scheduled time and tolerance is + 15 minutes.

Quality of design is meant to introduce a new product or upgrade an existing product to meet customer requirements whereas Quality of conformance is the measure which determines whether the product is being manufactured according the design without much deviation or dissimilarity.