Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
9.3.2
Designing a Quality Management Programme
A quality management programme essentially consists of identifying the factors that
are essential to quality, depicting these in concrete forms such as charts, networks,
pamphlets and posters, and communicating these to the people working for the pro-
gramme (the QA part: Fig. 9.4 ). Subsequently it is necessary to conduct inspections
for ensuring that the required standard of quality in all factors is maintained (the QC
part; Fig. 9.5 ).
A system of incentives and rewards for exceptional quality of work could be very
helpful. A set of forms designed to assess work of each supervisor or unit manager
is an effective way of measuring his work output in concrete and quantitative terms.
Special quality awards given at different levels every year will help in maintaining a
high level of quality.
9.3.3
Achieving Higher Productivity in Work
Productivity is the ratio of output to effort. It is possible to achieve greater output of
work with a given amount of effort—given one hundred man-days of effort, different
managers will be able achieve different output of work, while keeping the quality
of work constant. A balance between quality and productivity has to be struck. If
the quality programme has been thoroughly communicated and well received by the
people associated with the programme, the productivity can be enhanced by using
correct techniques, appropriate work tools, and management methods involving ac-
countability, fairness in disbursement of wages, and organising the workforce in a
certain manner.
Use of proper tools affects productivity of the work-force. For each operation an
appropriate set of tools exists see Table 2.2 which will enhance the productivity of
work. As far as possible the best tools should be used.
Training of workers in using correct techniques improves productivity. For exam-
ple, while digging pits it is correct to dump excavated soil on the downside of the pit.
This simple technique will reduce the effort it takes to make saucers later. Similarly,
using the correct technique to open the polypots will reduce the time taken in filling
of polypots. A lot of minute, but significant techniques will be found to exist that can
boost the overall productivity of work.
Season of the year—especially the weather—affects productivity of workers since
most work involves physical effort outdoors. In hot summers or in extreme cold
weather, the work output is bound to be low. Account should be taken of such
considerations while scheduling work so that productivity is not affected adversely.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search