Evaluation of quality concepts influencing a manufacturing environment in South Africa

This research article evaluates the influence from quality concepts and tools in a manufacturing environment on parameters that may affect future design and development of products in the same company. It attempts to establish how quality results can be utilised to determine the level of quality control tools such as quality function deployment and concurrent engineering in a company that designs for manufacture. By establishing links from quality results and customer requirements, the research determines what critical quality tools are necessary to determine the capability of manufacturing an item without the use of excessive planning resources. Research was performed on four distinct subject matters namely design, manufacture, quality control and concurrent engineering and the results of the research was implemented in a design and manufacturing environment with the purpose of establishing direct links between quality control results and design parameters to increase future development. The research also establishes, by means of a questionnaire, the level of certification to quality standards of South African manufacturing companies, while determining their knowledge in regard to quality, its tools and concepts, as well as the level to which these are implemented and utilised in manufacturing entities.