CASE STUDY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CASE STUDY - Coursework Example It was during this bidding that Preston realized the inefficiency of their control charts. HP personnel compared their own control charts with Preston’s and found the later to be lagging. At Preston the employees were only working to meet specifications. Hence, this helped in identifying the underlying problem in the plant. The third significant event responsible for adoption of quality principles was the acquisition of the plant by Rendall. Rendall acquired the plant considering it to be a turnaround opportunity. However, the company was disappointed to find the inefficient processes and poor productivity levels at the plant. Moreover, without the Vector project, it was going to be difficult for the plant to survive. This need for urgency was a big factor in motivating Tom and other employees at Preston to adopt quality based principles. The fourth significant event was the meeting of Tom Branton with HP personnel in Chicago in June, 2000. It was in this meeting that Tom actually realized the problems in their control charts. HP people compared Preston’s control charts with their own and made Tom aware of the issues. Tom realized that HP was utilizing Preston’s data more effectively than they themselves were. This event acted as a trigger for the quality drive. The last event which acted as a nail in the coffin was the decision of not awarding the Vector project to Preston in September, 2000. Rendall almost decided to shut down the plant. However, Rendalll was taken into confidence by Preston’s management team. This was the point where the real turnaround began. The basic philosophy which Preston used in its quality program was to ensure that the plant would not operate till the process is in a state of control. Earlier the employees were under dilemma in case the process was not in control. They would bear the brunt both for low productivity and for producing defective products when