Jenna Campbell
Unit 2 Seminar
MT435- Operations Management
February 16, 2012

* Discuss what makes a good design and how to measure design quality. * Describe the basic aspects of statistical process control * Explain what design quality refers to and discuss some of the tools and techniques for improving the design process
Any design has a large impact on the quality of a service or product. Any product that is poorly designed may not meet customer needs or may be so difficult to make that the quality of the product is not very good. Designs that are costly can result in over priced products that lost market share. If a design process takes too long, a competitor can end up capturing the market by being the first to introduce the new products, services, or features. However, entering into the market prematurely can result in poor performance. Design may be an art, but any design process must be managed effectively (Russell and Taylor, 2011, P. 158). There are few processes that create an effective design. The first is to make sure the design matches product or service characteristics with customer requirements. Next, to make sure that the design ensures that customer requirements are met in the simplest and least costly manner. Thirdly, make sure that the design reduces the time required to design a new product or service. Finally, the design should minimize the revisions necessary to make a design workable (Russell and Taylor, 2011, P. 158). When beginning the design process, the designers must make sure that they understand the customer and actively identify customer needs. Ideas for new products or improvements to existing products can be generated from many sources, including a company’s own research and development department, customer complaints, or suggestions. Another good way to generate ideas is marketing research, which allows you to