Critical success factors for implementing quality engineering tools and techniques in Malaysian's and Indonesian's automotive industries : an exploratory study

Abstract

Organizations regardless of their size are facing increasing competition from global markets. Quality engineering (QE) tools and techniques are a cornerstone of continuous improvement. They have both specialist and universal applications. If they are not used in a systematic manner, quality improvements are likely to be random and spontaneous rather than comprehensive. The need for an improved understanding of the critical factors for effective and successful QE implementation is becoming more important. However it is the variety and by their nature complexity, that often can create difficulties in their selection, application and effective use. This paper is exploratory paper which explores automotive industries expert's opinion in Malaysia and Indonesia to investigate the difficulties associated with the use of QE tools and techniques, critical factors for effective QE practices and specific issues related to QE implementation. For the purpose, the Delphic Hierarchy Process (DHP) approach was employed as the methodology to evaluate the critical success factors for effective and successful implementation of QE tools and techniques in Malaysian's and Indonesian's automotive industries. As a result from exploratory study, a conceptual model using DHP approach is established. The DHP approach is a combination of the Delphi method and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The DHP can benefit from both a strong and widely used Delphi method and a powerful mathematical model, the AHP.