Title: Gauging quality and reliability assurance efforts in product development process

Authors: Rachel R. Itabashi-Campbell, Om Prakash Yadav

Addresses: Steering and Suspension Engineering, TRW Automotive, Washington, Michigan, USA. ' Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105, USA

Abstract: This paper proposes a process metric to measure quality and reliability assurance efforts in two dimensions: efficiency and effectiveness. The proposal is made in the context of standardised product development process and is based on quality assurance initiatives at a small automotive supplier, which went through the process of implementing a new product introduction methodology to be standardised across its US organisation. This proposed metric borrows much of its ideas from the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) approach developed by the Software Institute at Carnegie-Mellon University.

Keywords: product development; quality assurance; reliability; design assurance; robust engineering; efficiency; effectiveness; automotive suppliers; automobile industry; new product introduction; NPI; USA; United States; capability maturity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPMB.2008.017961

International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking, 2008 Vol.2 No.3, pp.221 - 233

Published online: 25 Apr 2008 *

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