Commitment, Effort and Cost Requirements for Implementing Quality Systems, 1990 Polymers, Laminations & Coatings Conference Proceedings

It is reasonable and correct that any company which has decided to implement an improved quality system should want to know what is involved, how long it will take and what it will cost. Management’s motives for embarking on the project in the first place have a great effect on the progress of the project and therefore the resources required. It is therefore suggested that an appraisal of those motives be carried out initially to establish the degree of understanding and commitment which prevails. Some guidance on doing this is given in this paper which then goes on to consider the tasks involved in systems implementation so that the resources and timescales required can be assessed.

Finally, by considering system implementation costs in the context of the total costs of quality, it is argued that implementation expenditure is a means of reducing total costs and should therefore be regarded as an investment with a short pay-back period rather than a net cost. We should, in fact, be asking “what will it cost us if we do not implement a formal system?”