Quality Management

1. Unit 8 Quality Management

• Seminar 1. Theory: Kaizen (Unit 8.1)
• Seminar 2. Quality management in practice (Unit 8.2)
• Seminar 3. Skills: Managing and participating in meetings (Unit 8.3)
• Seminar 4. Applying Kaizen (Team projects)
Vocabulary:
• Quality management
• Kaizen
• Language for chairing and
participating in meetings
Grammar:
• Present perfect and present
perfect continuous
Output:
• Apply Kaizen to everyday work
situations
• Solve problems in a kaizen
system
• Take part in and chair a meeting
about controversial topics

2. Seminar 1. Theory: Kaizen (Unit 8.1)

Learning outcomes
Understand the concept of Kaizen.
Use key vocabulary connected with quality management.
Analyze problems in a Kaizen system.
Discuss the following questions.
2.
Have
you
ever
problem
with
a product
or service?
What
1.
Think
about
a had
taskayou
have
to
do
in
your studies
or in your
job, e.g.
4.
Did
you
tell
anyone
about
your
experience?
5.
‘Satisfied
customers
tell
three
friends,
angry
customers
tell
3,000,
Pete
3.
Have
you
ever
been
especially
happy
about
a
product
or
service?
happened?
Did you decide
not
useprepare
the company
making a presentation.
How
dotoyou
for it?again?
Blackshaw, co-founder of the Word-of-Mouth marketing association’.
Do you agree? What does this tell you about the way people feel towards
quality? What impact can this attitude have on businesses?

3. Kaizen

4. Theory: Kaizen

Answer the following questions according to the video.
5.
the3
benefits
and
drawbacks
Kaizen methodology?
1. Which
3.
4.
Which
isare
levels
Kaizen?
basic
ofword
management
steps
of Kaizen?
theofmethodology
includes?
2.
Whatare
does
the
‘kaizen’
mean?

5. Key vocabulary for quality management

Underline the correct meaning of the verbs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Involve
Come up with
Implement
Result in
provide
a) Complicate
a) Arrive
a) Put
Putinto
intopractice
practice
a) Lead
Leadto
to
a) Make
Makeavailable
available
b) include
include
b) think
thinkof
of
b) equip
b) have
b) have
Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs from the exercise above.
We had a problem in our office because people didn’t
didn’t clear up
meeting areas at the end of meetings. This meant that the people at
the next meeting had to clean it first before their meeting. So one
employee 11__________
came up with
an an
idea.
idea.
It 2It__________
2 involved everyone in the
meeting – even the top management – removing their dirty cups and
paper after the meeting.
meeting. This
This 33 __________
resulted in clean
clean meeting areas and
since the idea 44 was
__________
implemented,
, therethere
has been
has been
less less
conflict
conflict
in the
in
office.
the
office.

6. Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

7. Present perfect and present perfect continuous

Complete the rules about the present present perfect simple and
present perfect continuous.
When we talk about completed actions, when the result is important or
when we are interested in the amount (how many/ how much), we use the
1 present
________________tense.
perfect simple tense.
When we talk about an action which is still in progress, when we are
interested in the process (not the result) or when we want to emphasize
how long something took, we use the 2 present
________________
perfect continuous
tense. tense.

8. Present perfect and present perfect continuous

Complete these sentences with the present perfect simple or
continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
1. How many orders
orders__________
have gone out
(gosoout)
far so
this
farmonth?
this month?
2. How long have
__________(we/work)
we been workingwith
withthis
thissupplier?
supplier?
3. He
Hehas
__________(talk
been talking about
about)
thisthis
problem
problem
all week
all but
weekhe but
still hasn’t
he still
__________(not
found
a solution. find) a solution.
4. Our
Our organization
organization has
__________(produce)
been producing software
software trouble-shooting
trouble-shooting
solutions since
since 2003
2003and
andsosofarfar
wewe
__________(complete)
have completed nearly
nearly
80 80
projects
projects
successfully.
5. Have
__________(you
you seen this/ email
see) this
complaining
email complaining
about our call
about
center?
our call
That'scenter?
the
That's theone
fifteenth
fifteenth
we have
onehad
we this
__________(had)
week!
this week!
6. I I__________
have looked/have
(look) at the
beenreport
looking
about atquality
the report
management
about systems
quality at
our subsidiary.
management
systems
It seems
at our
thatsubsidiary.
they __________(use)
It seems that they
thishave
system
beensince
using
last
January
this
system
andsince
they last
__________(have)
January and theyahave
considerable
had a considerable
reduction in
reduction
customer
complaints.
in
customer complaints.

9. Seminar 2. Practice: Quality management in practice (Unit 8.2)

Learning outcomes
Talk about the practical implications of using Kaizen.
Quality management (vocabulary).
Solve a problem using Kaizen.

10. Quality management Read the text.

Managers are responsible for ensuring that the quality of work produced
by their team meets the required standard—whether they are
manufacturing a product or providing a service.
Meeting expectations
People know good quality when they see it, and, typically, the higher the
price a consumer pays, the higher the quality expected. A customer buying a
car, for example, will expect the quality of a Rolls- Royce to be different from
that of a Mini. For businesses, the key to successful quality management is
ensuring the quality of their product or service meets or exceeds the
expectations of their customers. Organizations manage quality control by
setting standards and checking that these are being met at every stage of the
process— for example, in manufacturing, when raw materials arrive in the
factory, during production, and before the finished goods are dispatched to
the customer.

11. Quality management Read the text.

Quality is everything
Traditionally, quality was managed through periodic inspections. If a
defective product or poor service was detected at the time of an inspection, it
was corrected— preferably before the consumer became aware of the
problem.
Today, quality management is at the heart of everything that goes on within
an organization. Each process and activity is monitored to maintain a desired
level of quality, and the focus is on exceeding customer expectations. This
philosophy—that the long-term success of a business depends on customer
satisfaction—is known as total quality management (TQM), and it originated
in industrial Japan in the 1950s. All employees are committed to improving
products, services, processes, and the culture of the organization itself.

12. Quality management

Happy customer
Total quality management puts the
customer first, defining quality as
something that meets or exceeds customer
expectations. People from across an
organization are responsible for making
sure these quality standards are met.

13. Quality management

Write a brief summary of the text, highlighting
the main ideas and key points.

14. Quality management Match the terms with their definitions.

1. Quality Management
2. Total Quality Management
(TQM)
2. Total Quality Management
(TQM)
3. Zero Defects
3. Zero Defects
4. Meeting Expectations
4. Meeting Expectations
5. Customer Satisfaction
6. Continuous Improvement
5. Customer Satisfaction
6.
Improvement
7.Continuous
Process
7. Process
8.
8. Standard
Standard
9.
9. Inspection
Inspection
10. Feedback
f) The
a)
Information
systematic
about
approach
reactions
to managing
to a product,
an organization's
service, or process.
activities to
meet
exceed
customer
expectations.
b) A or
level
of quality
or attainment
that is considered acceptable.
d) A management approach that focuses on continuous improvement
and
satisfaction
across
all to
levels
of ana organization.
c) Acustomer
series of actions
or steps
taken
achieve
particular end.
i) A philosophy that aims to eliminate defects and errors in the
d)
A management
approach that focuses on continuous improvement
production
process.
and customer satisfaction across all levels of an organization.
g) Ensuring that a product or service meets the standards set by the
e)
The degreeand
to which
a customerofiscustomers.
happy with a product or service.
organization
the expectations
f) The systematic approach to managing an organization's activities to
e) The degree to which a customer is happy with a product or service.
meet or exceed customer expectations.
j)
ongoing
to improve
products,
or processes.
g)The
Ensuring
thateffort
a product
or service
meetsservices,
the standards
set by the
organization
the expectations
c) A series ofand
actions
or steps takenoftocustomers
achieve a particular end.
h)
The
act of
of quality
examining
somethingthat
carefully
to determine
its
b) A
level
or attainment
is considered
acceptable.
condition or quality.
h)
act of examining
carefully
determine
i) AThe
philosophy
that aimssomething
to eliminate
defectstoand
errors inits
the
condition
quality.
productionorprocess.
a)
Information
to products,
a product,services,
service, or processes
process.
j) The
ongoing about
effort reactions
to improve

15. Case Study: Improving Cafeteria Service Quality Using Kaizen Methodology

The university cafeteria faces common complaints from students regarding:
- Long waiting times during peak hours.
- Limited variety of menu options.
- Inconsistent food quality.
- Messy dining area due to inefficient cleaning processes.
These issues negatively affect student satisfaction and overall experience.
TASK:
• Propose Improvements
• Evaluate Expected Benefits
• Create Implementation Roadmap

16. Seminar 3. Skills: Managing and participating in meetings (Unit 8.3)

Learning outcomes
Chair a meeting effectively.
Use appropriate language for formal and informal meetings.
“I was sitting in one of the committee meetings and listening to
the discussion. Suddenly I thought that the meeting was missing
an essential point and I started to plan an intervention. It took a
few minutes to prepare myself, especially to find the right
English words, etc., and suddenly I realised that the discussion
had moved on to another subject.”
A participant in an international meeting of a European professional
organization
2. What other problems might you have in a meeting in a foreign
4.
1. How
3.
What
Havecould
you
could
had
the
you
an
person
do
experience
to chairing
take a more
like
thethis
active
meeting
in apart?
meeting?
help?
language? What about a meeting in your own language?

17. Managing and participating in meetings

Meetings are essential for team working and getting things done. But done badly, they can feel
like a waste of time and energy. Read on for six tips for successful meetings.
Do the preparation task first.
1. Clarification
a) To be the loudest or most noticeable
a) To be part
the loudest
of something
or most– noticeable
dominate part of something
2. Efficient
b) Being productive with the least
b) Being
use ofproductive
time or effort
with–the
efficient
least use of time or effort
3. To c)
putTo
someone
accept oronrecognize
the spot the importance
c) To accept
ofor
someone
recognize
or something
the importance
– to acknowledge
of someone or something
4. Underlying
d) A written record of what is d)
saidAatwritten
a meeting
record
– minutes
of what is said at a meeting
5. To e)
dominate
Often expressing opinions by
e) talking
Often expressing
– vocal opinions by talking
6. Minutes
f) To force someone to answerf)a difficult
To forcequestion
someone–totoanswer
put someone
a difficult
on question
the spot
7. Vocal
g) Under the surface or not immediately
g) Under the
obvious
surface
– underlying
or not immediately obvious
8. To h)
acknowledge
A clear and easy-to-understand
h) Aexplanation
clear and easy-to-understand
of something confusing
explanation
– clarification
of something confusing

18. Managing and participating in meetings

Read the article and do the exercises.
We've all been in badly managed meetings: meetings that seem to go round in circles without any
decisions being made; meetings that are dominated by the same few voices; meetings where people
talk and talk with no clear purpose; meetings that seem to go on forever ...
A European survey found that the typical staff member spends 187 hours a year in meetings. The
report suggested that 56 per cent of those meetings were considered unproductive. In a survey of
office workers across the UK, it was found that each employee cost their company an average of
£38.50 for every meeting they attended.
So how can we have more efficient, effective and even inspiring meetings? Here are six tips.
1. Set a clear agenda.
An agenda is a list of points to be dealt with at the meeting, in the order in which they will be
discussed. If you have a long list of bullet points, consider prioritising the items and breaking each
topic down into its key issues.
Indicate on your agenda how much time you'll be spending on each topic, who will be presenting or
leading it and whether a decision or some kind of solution will be needed. Also, remember to send out
the agenda a few days before the meeting so that participants have time to prepare.

19. Managing and participating in meetings

2. Review the attendee list.
When we are busy, the last thing we need is an invitation to a meeting we don't really need to attend.
So, consider carefully who needs to be there. Invite someone to a meeting if:
the points on the agenda are relevant and the decisions will affect them
they have expertise to contribute
they have the authority to make the decisions required.
3. Keep the meeting focused on the agenda.
Follow the agenda and politely redirect participants back to it if you find that they have gone offtopic. Introduce the idea of 'parking' ideas and discussions that are not strictly relevant or urgent. This
gives you the chance to acknowledge ideas and issues that might be important to the participants but
which are not a priority right now. You can then follow up by including 'parked' ideas in the meeting
minutes and exploring them at a different time.
4. Encourage participation and be sensitive.
The most vocal participants might not be the ones with the best ideas. Give everyone a chance to
speak and encourage participation from quieter colleagues. However, avoid putting anyone on the
spot. Also, be sensitive to underlying issues and emotions and help the group deal with conflict in a
productive way.

20. Managing and participating in meetings

5. Clarify, check and record.
Don't assume that everyone understands each other, especially when the meeting language isn't
everyone's first language. Ask for clarification, summarise each time a point is made, check that the
participants agree and ensure that decisions are made. Ask someone to take notes of what is being
discussed and ensure that action points – tasks to be done and who will do them – are recorded in the
minutes.
6. End the meeting on time.
Meetings that don't end on time can leave participants feeling tired, frustrated and stressed. So, assure
your participants that the meeting will end on time and set the timer on your phone to ring about five
to ten minutes before the end. Use the last five to ten minutes to summarise and bring the meeting to a
close.
If we all make an effort to make every meeting we attend an efficient and effective one, meetings can
help us communicate well and be part of a productive team.

21. Managing and participating in meetings

Choose the correct answers.
1) Which of these are examples of badly managed meetings?
Meetings that don't finish when they are supposed to
Meetings where only the loudest people get to give their
opinions
Meetings where no decisions are needed
Meetings where discussions go off-topic

22. Managing and participating in meetings

Choose the correct answers.
2) Which of these are true?
The average European office worker spends nearly 200 of
their annual working hours in meetings.
According to the survey report, the majority of meetings
were productive.
A meeting with ten participants would cost a UK company
about £385.
Unproductive meetings are a waste of time and money.

23. Managing and participating in meetings

Choose the correct answers.
3) Which of these should you do when creating an agenda for
a meeting?
Consider which of the items are more important.
Create subheadings or a list of smaller points for each topic.
Show which items need to be resolved during the meeting.
Send the prepared agenda to the participants an hour before
the meeting.

24. Managing and participating in meetings

Choose the correct answers.
4) Who should be invited to the meeting?
People who will be affected by the decisions made in the
meeting
People who can follow the conversation via email or the
minutes
People who have the knowledge to deal with the issues on
the agenda
People who have the power to make the required decisions

25. Managing and participating in meetings

Choose the correct answers.
5) What should you do when someone goes off-topic?
Tell them they've gone off-topic and they should be quiet
Suggest they 'park' their thoughts in the 'parking lot’
lot'
Record their thoughts or ideas in the minutes
Follow up on their thoughts or ideas at a different time

26. Managing and participating in meetings

Choose the correct answers.
6) What should you do during a meeting?
Insist that everyone speaks
Remember that some people might be unhappy about certain discussions
Clarify and summarise each point
End the meeting on time

27. Managing and participating in meetings

Put the steps in the correct order.
4) Prepare
1)
Redirectthe
participants
agenda and
when
consider
they go
who
off-topic
needs to
and
besummarize
invited to the
each
meeting.
point.
2) Send
3)
End the
outmeeting.
the agenda to the participants.
3) Start
5)
Send the
out meeting.
the agenda to the participants.
4) Go
6)
Prepare
through
the agenda
the points
andofconsider
the agenda.
who needs to be invited to the meeting.
5) Redirect
1)
Start the meeting.
participants when they go off-topic and summarize each point.
6) End
2)
Go through
the meeting.
the points of the agenda.
7) Send out the minutes of the meeting.
8) Follow
8)
Follow up
up on
on ‘parked’ topics
topics and
and issues.
issues.

28. Seminar 4. Applying Kaizen (Team projects)

Divide into pairs and discuss how the principles of quality management
can be applied in various industries (e.g., education, healthcare, retail).
Prepare a presentation on the topic using real-life examples of companies
applying Kaizen.

29. Conclusion Do you remember?

Are the statements true or false?
1. Quality Management is only concerned with the final product, not
the production process.
False. Quality Management involves managing the entire process to ensure
that the final product meets or exceeds customer expectations.
2. Total Quality Management (TQM) focuses solely on improving the
quality of products.
False. TQM focuses on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction
across all levels of an organization, including services and processes.
3. Zero Defects is a philosophy that aims to eliminate defects and
errors in the production process.
True. Zero Defects is a quality philosophy that strives for error-free
production.

30. Conclusion Do you remember?

Are the statements true or false?
4. Kaizen primarily focuses on major breakthrough innovations rather
than incremental improvements.
False. Kaizen emphasizes small, continual improvements over time.
5. Only senior managers and executives are involved in Kaizen activities.
False. Everyone in the organization participates in Kaizen initiatives.
6. Kaizen aims to reduce wasteful practices and increase efficiency.
True. This is central to the philosophy of Kaizen.
7. A clear agenda increases meeting efficiency.
True. A structured agenda keeps discussions focused and aligned with
objectives.
8. Going off-topic frequently during meetings promotes innovative
thinking.
False. Frequent deviations disrupt progress and break concentration.