Outcomes from an exploratory study of quality methods utilisation in Brazilian companies

Abstract

Markets are becoming more fierce and globalised, increasing the continue search for competitive advantage among organisations. As an attempt to respond to this global competition, companies are deploying innovative methods and tools, which in many cases tend to emphasise quality and customer orientation. This paper investigates the degree of adoption of quality improvement approaches in Brazil. In order to do this, the research was based on an exploratory survey validated and distributed among a number of Brazilian organisations operating in a wide range of industries. In general terms, the study shows that many Brazilian companies are now adopting quality improvement approaches as a strategy to be globally competitive, with ISO standards being their first choice. The study also presents evidence of which quality improvement methods have been more widely implemented by Brazilian companies, the importance of these methods and results obtained, the barriers faced during their implementation and, in case of not using them, the main reasons for this. Based on the research findings, the paper also identifies some key factors to successfully deploy quality improvement approaches in Brazil.

Lean Six Sigma in developing countries: evidence from a large Brazilian manufacturing firm

“…Moreover, it has been pointed out in the literature that LSS requires a higher level of commitment, organisational maturity and statistical knowledge, which is usually found in larger organisations (Jacques et al, 2014). Therefore, large manufacturing firms operating in Brazil were identified in the literature as possible units of analysis.…”

Representative Actions of Total Quality Management in Brazilian Companies: A Systematic Review

“…Questionnaire Jacques et al (2014) With the application of quality management, the company showed a reduction in product cycle time, however, TQM is developed in the productivity plan and does not involve too many sectors.…”

“…organizations underwent a restructuring in an attempt at more agile internal communication (Berssaneti et al, 2016). Two studies have shown that management recognizes the performance of multiple tasks by employees, as something representative for organizations; however, do not apply Job Rotation, a process that establishes a rotation of functions (Jesus et al, 2015;Jacques et al, 2014).…”