QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF NETWORK RAIL

Quality Management of Network Rail

Quality Management (Philip Crosby) (Network Rail)

Introduction

Quality management is a growing concern among businesses of the world. As competition intensifies and many global players enter the corporate market aiming to capture significant market share, compliance with internationally recognised quality control standards seem inevitable at all costs. . A lack of quality control measures can put any organization in jeopardy and can result in significant looses for the economy, as well. Among the contributors to management theory of an effective business, Phillip B. Crosby remains a stalwart among others. He was a legend in the discipline of quality and his theories aid in enhancing the corporate presence, even today. A distinguished quality professional, consultant, and author, he is widely recognized for promoting the concept of "zero defects" and for defining quality as conformance to requirements.

This essay aims to reflect upon Crosby's four absolutes of quality management and apply them to define quality according to some situations. The applications of his theory to Network Rail destines to identify and resolve the issues associated with Network Rail, by assessing their quality compliance and making recommendations about what is to be done. Network Rail is the operator of the majority of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and is a pioneer in signalling and train control systems in UK. We will identify different issues that hinder in the progress of Network Rail and suggest remedies on the basis of a detailed discussion using Crosby's principles.

Task 1

“Quality is defined as conformance to requirements, as determined by the customer”

Defining Quality from the Viewpoints of:

a)A business executive traveling from Leeds to London for a full day's work

Quality holds different meaning to different individuals. For people traveling through the railways, quality compliance can mean a satisfactory and comfortable environment within the train where they can rest, and spend time in a quiet ambience before proceeding with their life activities once they reach their destinations. A business executive traveling from Leads to London for a full day's work means there is plenty of work ahead, which requires the individual to spend some time in solace before he could engage in his business dealings. From the time he will board the train to the time he reaches the final destination, a business executive requires comfort and peace of mind. The quality for him will also include punctuality in terms of reaching London on time. Being a professional, he can assess the services provided by the stewards and the ambience of the train. He will also expect that the train leaves and reaches on time without making any unnecessary or uninformed stops at the junctions. As high-speed trains become even faster, business travelers will be able to save time on longer trips, which may make the airline option less attractive (Ryan, 1988, 16-20). Moreover, the patience span for business professionals is usually almost three hours. They will derive satisfaction from the service if they are not ...