Project Materials

USE OF RAW MATERIALS INSPECTION AND ITS IMPACTS ON QUALITY OF PRODUCTION

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The ideal environment for inspection is one in which no inspection is required. This is due to the joint quality assurance effort undertaken by the purchaser and supplier, which resulted in great quality performance and dependable supporting supplier-generated records.

However, not all organisations have achieved this coveted aim; evaluating some of the more popular beliefs around inspection and quality control is beneficial in this regard.

Adequate draughting or writing of specifications for materials to be delivered by suppliers is not always a guarantee of quality material in an organisation; therefore, inspection of materials entering the organisation is required to ensure that the supplier provides materials that conform to the quality expected.

The goal of inspection is to guarantee that the supplier has provided an item that corresponds to the organisational specification or description of the organisational product or services. Their product and services must be closely monitored until they have proven themselves reliable.

Unfortunately, even established suppliers’ expertise in two production systems fluctuate with time. Operators become sloppy, errors occur, and occasionally a vendor attempts to minimise production costs to the point where quality declines.

Thus, for a variety of reasons, it is poor policy for a purchasing organisation to disregard inspection methods or procedures. As a result, verifying the quality of incoming goods is a crucial duty for anybody involved in ensuring quality supplies while also providing the needed degree of customer care.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Apparently, the number of substandard items or products in the market has increased, ranging from organisational goods to consumer goods; the reason for this is total negligence during inspection

which automatically results in many substandard products finding their way into the production process and warranting poor quality products in the market. In light of the money spent on materials procurement, inspection is critical.

The researcher observed that in many organisations purchasing and supply aim that is responsible for acquisition of materials has not been given the right to exercise their profession that will take care of inspection, for that we can see procurement activities have been snatched from the procurement officers by other officers of different backgrounds at all levels, such backgrounds include: account, marketing, human resources, management, engineering, architecture, medical.

It was also observed that in many organisations, the decision for inspection of coming materials into firms has been left to man by the functional staff of many of these firms, which the research believed to be bad practice, because this function is very critical and the decision to inspect materials purchased by many concerns should be made by the top management cadre of the organisation in order to formulate good policy and strategic decisions to enhance quality production.

1.3 Purpose Of The Study

The purpose of this study is to look into the use of raw material inspection and its impact on production quality in a Nigerian bottling company. The study is designed specifically to:

i. To emphasise raw material inspection procedures and their impact on production quality in a Nigerian bottling company.

ii. Determine the function responsible for inspection in a Nigerian bottling company.

iii. Determine the extent to which inspection assisted the organisation in achieving quality manufacturing.

iv. Determine how the quality of raw materials affects the production process.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This study focusses on the impact of raw material inspection on quality production at Nigeria Bottling Company’s (NBC) Kaduna facility. As a result, the research study will assist the organisation as well as other Nigerian organisations in general.

The study will also be beneficial to students, executives, researchers, management professionals, and the general public.

The organisation will gain from the research effort because it will explain in detail why inspection should be taken seriously and how they will benefit from inspection if it is used for quality control.

It will also draw the attention of the organization’s executives to the purchasing and supply management role, generally known as the procurement department. It will also explain what inspection is and how it may help an organisation maintain quality.

Students will benefit from the study by better understanding what inspection entails and preparing their minds for failure on challenges.

As a result, the study is also required as a partial fulfilment for the award of a Higher National Diploma in Purchasing and Supply from Kaduna Polytechnic.

1.5 Scope of the Study

The researcher’s study focusses on the impact of raw material inspection on quality production at the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) Kaduna plant. The study’s findings will be based on data collected from the company’s management and staff, who are primarily responsible for raw material inspection.

Acquisition, production, and quality control are handled by the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) Kaduna plant’s purchasing, production, and stock control departments.

1.6 Research Questions.

To assess raw material inspection as a tool for improving quality in NBC, the researcher developed the following research questions:

i. How does the Nigeria Bottling Company inspect goods to ensure quality?

ii. What are the inspection functions within NBC?

iii. To what extent has material inspection contributed to the organization’s performance in producing high-quality materials?

iv. How does the quality of raw materials influence the production process?

1.7 Definition of Terms

Inspection is the process of ensuring the quality and quantity of incoming supplies.

Conformance is the extent to which the provided product meets specified standards established by users or a consolidated authority.

Performance refers to the product’s functioning features and how well the product performs the purpose for which it was initially built and meets the intended demand.

Standard: A standard is a specification intended for recruitment use. A standard differ from specification in that whereas every standard is a specification not every specification is a standard. Standards are a process that is founded on expectations and reflects how the material or service is given.

Specification: A specification has been defined in the following ways:

A statement of attributes of a product or services.

A statement of requirement

Quality: There are various definitions of quality. ISO 8402 defines quality as the total features and qualities of a product that bears on the capacity to satisfy expressed or implied needs.