The aim of this work is to assess the possibility of using the IPA method to examine the quality of entertainment services. The increasingly popular children’s playrooms are chosen as the service. A survey was conducted among parents visiting playrooms with their children, which included, in addition to a short description, a Question regarding the assessment of 12 attributes that may affect the level of satisfaction with the selected service. Respondents were asked to rate these attributes on a scale from 1 to 5 in terms of two criteria. The first one is the importance of a given attribute; the second criterion concerns the assessment of the degree of performance of a given attribute. These activities made it possible to divide the attributes into a matrix, which distinguishes important and well-rated attributes, important but worse-rated attributes, less important and poorly rated attributes, and less important and well-rated attributes. Thanks to the IPA method, information is obtained about what is important to the respondents within entertainment facilities such as children’s playrooms and to what extent it meets their expectations, and the matrix form enables the identification of those attributes that require improvement. The obtained results may be useful in improving such facilities and enhancing their safety.
Purpose: The aim of the article is to examine the reasons why organizations do not use the information obtained in the audit process. Design/methodology/approach: For the realization of the work we used the results of our own research of organizations that have certified quality management systems for compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001. The information obtained relates to organizations operating in the territory of Poland. Findings: Organizations conducting quality management system audits acquire a variety of information that should be used for management purposes. Some organizations have serious problems with acquiring data and processing it, and using the information for decision-making and improvement-oriented activities. The paper identifies 10 potential reasons why organizations do not use information from the audit process. A comparison was made between the causes found in internal and external audits. An analysis of each of the identified causes was carried out, paying attention to their origins. Attention was paid to the connections between the causes. Directions for eliminating problems were indicated. Practical implications: The results obtained have practical application. Organizations with an awareness of the causes of problems are able to take, both corrective action and preventive action. In the first case, it is about taking corrective actions to existing problems. In the second case, it is about preventive actions, which should prevent a problem from arising. Social implications: The results obtained have social implications. They draw attention to the need to build a pro-quality and improvement-oriented awareness. Originality/value: The article for the first time identifies the causes of problems arising in organizations in the context of the use of audit information. Attention is paid to the mechanism of disorders and ways to eliminate them are indicated. The article is especially recommended to the top management of organizations that conduct system audits.
Purpose: The aim of the article is a theoretical and cognitive characterization of selected instruments for improving university management (such as concepts, systems and methods in the area of quality management), and then analyzing their knowledge and use on the example of the University of Bielsko-Biala. Design/methodology/approach: The article is a theoretical and analytical study in the field of selected instruments for improving university management, based on a case study of the University of Bielsko-Biala. The analytical part of the article was carried out in the last quarter of 2023 and included the university's rector and other management staff. Findings: The case study allowed to indicate which instruments for improving university management are known and used at the analyzed university. The presentation of some of the instruments was supported by practical examples of their use, in particular in the area of value stream mapping. Research limitations/implications: Limitations in the implementation of the case study in the field of university management improvement instruments should be related to the instruments included in the analysis. Such action is usually subjective and the researcher is not always able to comprehensively address the issue at hand, taking into account the methodological and substantive aspects. Practical implications: Through a case analysis, it was indicated which instruments for improving university management are known and used at the studied university. Such an analysis may be a contribution to further research and discussion on management improvement instruments that can be used by universities. Originality/value: The added value of the article is the case analysis, which allowed for the identification of selected improvement instruments that can be used in university management.
Purpose: The main incentive for choosing the topic of the study is related to the need to look for solutions to fundamental problems related to the activities of manufacturing enterprises that must meet the requirements of market competition by achieving competitive advantages and increasing productivity. The subject of the study are advanced manufacturing technologies, characterized by a high level of innovation and automation, and their impact on the productivity of a manufacturing company. The aim of the study is to assess the impact advanced manufacturing technologies on the productivity and production quality on the example of a company producing parts and components for rail vehicles. Design/methodology/approach: the study analyzed the literature on productivity and calculated productivity indicators based on the company's financial data. Moreover, the participant observation method was used to assess the reorganization of the production process, and a survey was conducted for company employees to determine the validity of the implemented technological investments. The case study concerns a company producing parts and components for rail vehicles. Findings: The level of approval of investments in advanced manufacturing technologies and their impact on the quality and efficiency of the manufacturing process of was determined. The implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies allowed the company to: shortened the manufacturing process by approximately 40%, the number of procedures was reduced from nine to five, and the number of employees participating in it was reduced from ten to five. Originality/value: assessment of the effects of the use of advanced technologies, the study is addressed to the management of manufacturing enterprises.
Purpose: The aim of this article is to perform a multivariate statistical analysis of package filling process results for predictive production and quality management. The article presents a case study from the food industry that demonstrates the feasibility of using an appropriate set of control charts for ongoing and predictive production and quality management. Design/methodology/approach: The objectives of the article were achieved through the use of Statistical Process Control (SPC) tools, in particular control charts. The control charts used include both traditional numerical chart such as Xbar and S and special charts such as MA, EWMA, CUSUM and GCC. Findings: SPC tools such as control charts have proven to be extremely useful in monitoring the filling process and predicting future performance. By carefully monitoring the process using traditional and special control charts, it is possible to quickly identify small, gradual or sudden changes that may occur in the production process before the process gets out of control. Research limitations/implications: The research will continue by identifying additional factors that affect the quality of the product, particularly as regards precision and accuracy of dosing, and by evaluating the process studied in terms of its ability to meet customer requirements. Other statistical techniques will also be used to identify patterns and relationships between the various parameters of the process under study. This approach will provide more comprehensive information about the quality and ability of the dosing process to meet customer requirements.. Practical implications: By implementing the right SPC toolkit and using dedicated software that significantly speeds up data analysis, companies can effectively control the quality of the production process. By monitoring the behaviour of the process over time and detecting small changes and trends, it is possible to respond to potential problems in advance. Originality/value: This article is intended for production process managers who want to learn how to use the right SPC toolkit to obtain information about the process behaviour and the moments when intervention actions should be taken.
Purpose: The aim of the article is to present an analysis of selected elements of Lean Management - barriers in management systems and methods of improvement on the example of public universities in Poland. Design/methodology/approach: The article is a theoretical and empirical study presenting selected results and an analysis of the survey results. The study was conducted on a group of 58 public universities in Poland in 2021-2022. Findings: The analysis of the research results presents the characteristics of selected barriers in the management systems of the analyzed universities. The answer to the existing barriers is the presentation of selected methods of improvement undertaken by the managers of the surveyed universities in order to minimize or eliminate them. Research limitations/implications: The limitations relate to the conducted study and result from the selection of selected barriers in university management systems for the study and the ways of improving these systems. Therefore, some of the barriers or ways of improvement may have been omitted, which will be taken into account in subsequent research and articles. Practical implications: The results of the study show the barriers in management systems in the surveyed universities, which are often a source of waste and other problems. As part of the study results, university managers indicated which improvement methods they take to counteract the existing barriers. Originality/value: The added value of the article is a study conducted on a group of public academic universities in Poland in the field of implementation of selected elements of Lean Management.
Purpose: The primary purpose of the article is to present a study whose subject was the assessment of the quality policies implementation in selected enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: The deliberations are based on the related subject literature and an analysis of the long-term survey results. The practical results of the research described in this article are based on a survey of supervisory employees and middle managers, who represented the enterprise by filling out a single survey sheet. The survey was conducted in 2015-2022 among 240. enterprises operating in Poland. During the survey, independence in setting quality policy was identified for 237. enterprises. These were manufacturing and service enterprises from various industries. Enterprises were selected on the basis of proposals issued to conduct a survey. The surveyed group does not have the character of a research sample. When analyzing the survey results, no parameter estimation was made on the population of Polish enterprises. The quality policy survey sheet described 35. aspects (behaviors) characteristic of a strongly quality-oriented organization, close to the TQM philosophy (The article contains results for only 10 aspects). Respondents indicated how the behavior described in the survey is characteristic of the organization where they work. The described aspects were rated by respondents on a scale of 1 to 5. The scale adopted reflects the strength of the similarity of the behavior described in the survey to the situation in each organization. Findings: In close to every studied Quality Policy aspects, higher score was received by companies where the standards are imposed by foreign management boards. This is connected obviously not just with standards but also with the governance. The reasons for this should become a subject of further analyses. A certain potential can be observed for national companies relating to the foreign good practice implementation. Originality/value: Knowledge of quality management issues has been increased. The article raises the issue of implementing quality policies in companies. The quality policy was characterized by selected aspects. An evaluation of these aspects in selected enterprises was carried out, and differences dividing quality policies among independent and dependent enterprises in the implementation and supervision of quality standards were identified.
Ceglane budynki mieszkalne z przełomu XIX i XX wieku, które stanowiły charakterystyczny element krajobrazu wsi pomorskiej, obecnie powszechnie poddawane są modernizacji w celu poprawy warunków cieplnych. Przedmiotem badania jest stan zachowania najmłodszego, historycznego typu domu w zagrodzie chłopskiej na Kaszubach – piętrowego, ceglanego domu z dachem półpłaskim. Badanie przeprowadzono na obszarze gminy Puck. Zidentyfikowano i opisano 42 obiekty w 16 miejscowościach. Ponadto zaproponowano metodę klasyfikacji i oceny zmian architektonicznych pod wpływem termomodernizacji. Rezultaty potwierdziły znaczną skalę przekształceń: zaledwie dwa obiekty zachowały się bez zmian, podczas gdy 67% jest częściowo lub znacznie przekształconych. Uzyskane wyniki dowodzą trwałości wiejskich, historycznych budynków ceglanych oraz potrzeby poszukiwania i popularyzacji rozwiązań termomodernizacyjnych spełniających warunki ich ochrony.
EN
Brick houses dating back to the turn of the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, which were a distinctive component of the Pomeranian countryside’s landscape, are now commonly being transformed to improve their thermal conditions. This study analyzed the state of preservation of the most recent historical type of house in peasant homesteads in Kashubia, namely a two-story brick house with a semi-flat roof. The survey was conducted in the Puck County area. As many as forty-two sites in sixteen locations were identified and documented. In addition, a method for classifying and evaluating architectural changes under the influence of thermal efficiency improvement has been proposed in the study. The results confirmed the significant scale of transformation: only two buildings remained unchanged, while 67% of them were partially or significantly transformed. The results demonstrate the durability of rural, historical brick buildings and the need to search for and popularize thermal efficiency improvement solutions that meet the conditions for the preservation of such buildings.
In connection with the increase in the price of fuel based on hydrocarbons, the search and use of alternative types of fuel for machines in the mining and oil production industry is quite relevant today. Most of the existing alternative fuels by themselves cannot be considered as ready-to-use motor fuels. One of the ways to solve this problem is to use their mixtures with commercial fuels in certain ratios. This work deals with the development and research of the main characteristics of the mixer for obtaining mixed fuels based on diesel fuel and soybean oil, as well as the results of the study of the physical and operational properties of the obtained mixtures of different volume ratios of diesel fuel and soybean oil. The process of obtaining a mixed alternative fuel based on diesel fuel and soybean oil was implemented on a developed installation consisting of a mixer, the design of which is protected by a patent of Ukraine, and a gear pump. The study of the characteristics of the mixer as part of the installation showed that at a temperature of the components of the alternative fuel of 20°С, with a loss of full pressure on the mixer Δр ≈ (60-65) kPa, the volume consumption of soybean oil reached 10.7.10-6 m3/s. The time of preparation of the fuel mixture in the amount of 195 liters with a content of soybean oil of 10% ranged from 30 to 33 minutes. As research has shown, mixing soybean oil with diesel fuel in the amount of 5-50% vol. provides an improvement in viscosity-temperature properties and makes it possible to use such mixtures in diesel engines without changes in the design of the power supply system and regulation of fuel equipment, which characterizes soybean oil as a promising additive to diesel fuels to improve their technical and operational performance.
Quality control is a system that facilitates companies make certain that their products or services meet specific first-rate requirements. Quality is defined as the diploma of excellence or superiority that a products or services possesses, whilst control is the method of tracking, inspecting, and comparing products and services to ensure they meet unique necessities. Quality control is the system of mixing these two standards to make sure that products and services meet the preferred level of quality. This article examines the role of quality control in improving service or product quality. It provides definitions of quality, control, and quality control and explains the different types of control and quality control that organizations can use to improve the quality of their products or services. There are various sorts of control, which includes direct control, technical control, and bureautical control, and every kind focuses on different aspects of the quality control technique. Also, there are different types of quality control, which include internal and external quality control. By implementing quality control measures, organizations can perceive and deal with quality issues earlier than they come to be primary issues. This article also high- lights the benefit of quality control, including increased customer satisfaction, improved efficiency and reduced cost. It also addresses the challenges and limitations of quality control, and the need for continuous evaluation and improvement. At the end, quality control is an important tool for organizations looking to improve the quality of their products or services, increase customer satisfaction, and maintain a competitive advantage in the market.
PL
Kontrola jakości to system, który umożliwia firmom upewnienie się, że ich produkty lub usługi spełniają określone wymagania jakościowe. Jakość definiuje się jako stopień doskonałości lub wyższości, jaką produkt lub usługa posiada, podczas gdy kontrola to metoda monitorowania, badania i porównywania produktów i usług w celu zapewnienia, że spełniają one określone wymagania. Kontrola jakości to proces łączenia tych dwóch kryteriów w celu zapewnienia, że produkty i usługi spełniają pożądany poziom jakości. W tym artykule omówiono rolę kontroli jakości w poprawie jakości usług lub produktów. Przedstawiono definicje jakości, kontroli i kontroli jakości oraz wyjaśniono różne rodzaje kontroli i kontroli jakości, których organizacje mogą użyć do poprawy jakości swoich produktów lub usług. Istnieją różne rodzaje kontroli, w tym bezpośrednia kontrola, kontrola techniczna i kontrola biurokratyczna, a każdy rodzaj skupia się na innych aspektach procesu kontroli jakości. Istnieją również różne rodzaje kontroli jakości, w tym wewnętrzna i zewnętrzna kontrola jakości. Dzięki wdrożeniu działań kontroli jakości organizacje mogą wykryć i rozwiązać problemy jakościowe, zanim staną się one poważnymi kwestiami. Artykuł ten podkreśla korzyści wynikające z kontroli jakości, w tym zwiększoną satysfakcję klientów, poprawę efektywności i zmniejszenie kosztów. Przedstawia również wyzwania i ograniczenia kontroli jakości oraz potrzebę ciągłej oceny i poprawy. W końcu, kontrola jakości jest ważnym narzędziem dla organizacji, które szukają sposobów na poprawę jakości swoich produktów lub usług, zwiększenie satysfakcji klientów i utrzymanie konkurencyjnej pozycji na rynku.
Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the benefits of using selected Lean Management elements in the production process on the example of a company producing mechanical seals. Design/methodology/approach: The article is theoretical and empirical in nature and is based on the analysis of a selected case. In the empirical part, the analysis concerns selected elements of the production process in the examined enterprise. Findings: The results obtained in the article refer to the benefits of using Lean Management in the production process in the analyzed enterprise. The use of identification and elimination of waste and standardization of activities at workplaces (introduction of job instructions) in selected areas of the production process allowed for the improvement of its parameters, which was presented in the article. Research limitations/implications: The limitations in the empirical area could be the reference only to selected aspects of Lean Management and the analyzed process. Future research will cover the broader scope of Lean Management and other companies. Practical implications: The results of the case study show the direct impact of Lean Management on the parameters of the analyzed production process. Thanks to the use of Lean Management, the process parameters have improved, which is an important factor in the context of the effectiveness of the company's functioning as a system. Originality/value: The added value of the article is the practical presentation of the use of Lean Management to improve the parameters of the production process.
The aim of the work is to review the basic methods of accident analysis in terms of the possibility of using them to improve occupational safety management. Analyzing accident events is a very good way to obtain information on the practical functioning of OSH management. Although the analysis of accidents and near misses is included in the reactive activities, the changes that will be introduced as a result of this analysis are the most proactive. These irregularities can be related to all elements and aspects of the functioning of the organization from the technical, organizational, human, environmental and management side, and the accident analysis helps to identify them. The paper reviews and characterizes the basic methods of accident analysis, with particular emphasis on accidents at work. Moreover, the basic classification criteria and the main guidelines for the selection of these methods are presented in such a way that they can be effectively used to improve the OSH management system.
The economic progress of recent years has contributed to the fact that both the quality of products and services offered and ISO standardization have become priority criterion that determines the success of manufacturing enterprises. Therefore, the monitoring and supervision of processes carried out in manufacturing companies is a key issue. These aspects support the achievement of key economic and quality objectives. The paper presents the results of a study on manufacturing enterprises in the context of process monitoring maturity. The research objective of the study was to determine the level of maturity in the use of process monitoring techniques and methods in manufacturing enterprises. The subject of the research were the techniques and methods used by the surveyed enterprises in such areas as: production management, machinery park management, warehouse management, transport management, inventory and supply management and IT tools. In order to determine the level of maturity, the author’s model was used, according to which the level of maturity of a manufacturing enterprise in the area of process monitoring depends on the instrumentation that is used in it.
Cel: Zaakcentowanie miejsca i znaczenia kategorii doskonałości w zarządzaniu instytucjami szkolnictwa wyższego oraz określenie uwarunkowań towarzyszących jej zastosowaniom. Projekt badania/metodyka badawcza/koncepcja: Wykorzystano metodę studium literatury wg koncepcji zaproponowanej przez J. Creswella. Wnioski i rekomendacje płynące z rozważań oparto, przede wszystkim, na podejściu indukcyjnym. Wyniki/wnioski: Przedstawiono czynniki determinujące skuteczność wprowadzania i realizacji zasady doskonalenia przy uwzględnieniu charakterystycznych cech tych instytucji, w tym ograniczeń i zagrożeń towarzyszących ich działalności. Obok korzyści i zalet wskazano negatywne konsekwencje nieprzemyślanego posługiwania się pojęciem doskonałości w kontekście funkcjonowania szkolnictwa wyższego. Ograniczenia: Wybrano jedynie niektóre aspekty dotyczące zagadnienia doskonałości w odniesieniu do szkolnictwa wyższego. Badania mają charakter ograniczony do studium literatury światowej i obserwacji własnych. Zastosowanie praktyczne: Wskazane w artykule czynniki wspierające i bariery oraz typowe problemy związane z realizacją działań doskonalących wynikają z wielu praktycznych doświadczeń i powinny być uwzględnione przez personel uczelni odpowiedzialny za doskonalenie w ramach konkretnych projektów. Oryginalność/wartość poznawcza: Artykuł porządkuje wiedzę dotyczącą kategorii doskonałości i doskonalenia w szkolnictwie wyższym i wskazuje czynniki, które powinny być przedmiotem dociekań w tym zakresie.
EN
Purpose: To emphasize the role and importance of the category of excellence in the management of higher education institutions and specify the conditions accompanying its use. Design/methodology/approach: The literature review method was used according to the concept proposed by J. Creswell. Conclusions and recommendations resulting from the considerations were based, above all, on the inductive approach. Findings/conclusions: Factors determining the effectiveness of the introduction and implementation of the improvement principle were presented, ta king into account the characteristic features of these institutions, including the limitations and threats accompanying their activities. In addition to the benefits and advantages, the negative consequences of ill-considered use of the concept of excellence in the context of the functioning of higher education are indicated. Research limitations: Only some aspects of excellence in higher education have been selected. The research is limited to the study of world literature and own observations. Practical implications: The supporting factors and barriers indicated in the article, as well as typical problems related to the implementation of improvement activities, result from many practical experiences and should be considered by the university staff responsible for improvement within specific projects. Originality/value: The article organizes knowledge about the category of excellence and improvement in higher education institutions and indicates the factors that should be the subject of further research in this area.
The article presents the result of multidimensional analysis of 'Behaton' type paving stones' nonconformities for improving the production process by improving the quality of the final product. Statistical tools, including SPC tools and quality tools, both basic and new, were used to analyse nonconformities in the spatial-temporal system, i.e. according to the type of nonconformity and according to the examined months. The purpose of using the data analysis tools was to thoroughly analyse the cases of nonconformities of the tested product, obtain information on the structure of these nonconformities in the various terms, and information on the stability and predictability of the numerical structure of nonconformity over time. Potential causes influencing a large percentage of paving stone defects were identified, factors and variables influencing the most frequently occurring nonconformities were determined, and improvement actions were proposed. As a result of the multidimensional and multifaceted analyses of paving stone nonconformities, it was shown that in the structure of nonconformity there were cases that were unusual in terms of the number of occurrences, and the lack of stability in the number of nonconformities in terms of the examined months was proven. Three critical nonconformities of the tested product were identified: side surface defects, vertical edge defects, and scratches and cracks. It was determined that the most important factor causing a large percentage of nonconformity was the time of shaking and vibrating the concrete, which was significantly related to the technical condition of the machines, and the most important reason for a large percentage of paving stone nonconformity was the lack of efficient maintenance. Machine, method, and man turned out to be the most important categories of problem factors and specific remedial actions were proposed. A multidimensional look at the structure of paving stone nonconformity as well as the factor and causes causing them has brought a lot of valuable information for the management staff of the analysed company, thanks to which it is possible to improve the production process and improve the quality of the final product.
This study presents an improvement of the graphical method for plotting the shear and moment diagrams for the structural members under linearly varying loads (triangular and trapezoidal loads). Based on the parabolic nature of the shear function, when the loading varies linearly, and on the relations among load, shear, and moment, a mathematical equation is developed to locate the zero-shear point, while a geometric technique is presented to calculate the parabolic shear area. Five comprehensive examples of beams loaded with linearly varying loads are selected to illustrate the steps of the solution for the proposed techniques. The results demonstrated the applicability of the presented method, and gave exact diagrams compared with the basic graphical method. It is concluded that the proposed improved method is generally more convenient, less time-consuming, and has less computational efforts because it does not require sectioning, solving equilibrium equations, and quadratic formulas compared with the basic graphical method.
The paper presents a case study of the practical use of BOST surveys to identify problems that are the most important in production process. The research object is company from electrical industry. It was made the identification and of areas geneating problems from the second Toyota’s management principle point of view. Analysis of the research results was presented in the form of tables, histograms, radar chart and some statistical tools. Some production workers of the company with the help of BOST questionnaire survey showed, which factors are the most important. The aim of the analysis is to present which factors are the most important by building the significance sequences of obtained results. The results obtained for the type of small and medium-sized enterprises overlap with the results of tests verified in other enterprises.
Determining the parameters of the production system as well as the choice of the type of manufactured elements flow shall appoint the level of effectiveness of the manufacturing process. The article presents an example of implementation the simulation verification process of the production flow, taking into account system constraints. The basic stages of developing a simulation model in this process are discussed, taking into account the necessary information and input data. The results show the impact of the application selected flow scenarios on the level of generated costs and the duration of the manufacturing process. The process of assessing individual variants of the organization production was performed on the basis of the results obtained by computer simulation in the FlexSim simulation software.
High demands on the aesthetics of the final product as well as sophisticated packaging shapes make the labeling process an operation that requires more and more precision and quality of workmanship. The quality of the labeling process is influenced mainly by the technology used, i.e. machinery and equipment, the knowledge, skills, and experience of operators, organization and working methods used, and by aspects related to proper maintenance. This article is a case study on the analysis and evaluation of the technology used in the process of labeling glass packaging and its impact on quality and work safety. The article aims to answer the question: does the labeling machine used by the surveyed company, due to the current portfolio of modernity of its parts and subassemblies, guarantee the realization of the labeling process at a high quality level and work safety. The article discusses in depth the factors influencing the quality of the process of labeling glass packaging in the studied company, paying attention to the issues related to the applied technology. ABC technology method was used to assess technology level and also indirectly safety level and Ishikawa diagram, L shape matrix diagram and affinity diagram to analyze and improve quality level. The article ends with a list of specific improvement actions to be taken to achieve the ultimate goal of managing the technology of glass packaging labeling - high quality of the final product resulting from the labeling process.
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a visual Lean Manufacturing tool for graphically illustrating material and information flows in processes, on production lines, and even across a factory. It makes it possible to identify activities that do not generate added value, and thereby creates opportunities for improvement by reducing or completely eliminating waste. This paper explores a real-work case study of the production process for an air handling unit. Thus, after analysing the activities undertaken in an enterprise operating in the HVAC (Heating Ventillation Air Conditioning) industry, a current state map was drawn that shows the actual flow of the value stream. Then, a future state map was developed with suggestions for eliminating the root causes of waste and those for improving processes. The proposed improvements allow for shorter lead time and faster order processing, which may increase competitiveness.
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