Week 5 Quiz What information does a court take into account when deciding the outcome of a product liability case? A court would consider whether or not the company created a product and was negligent about its safety, if there was a warranty to consider, or if the product was defective. They would consider if strict liability was an issue, if the product was designed to standards and what type of quality control methods the manufacturer used to ensure the product was safe before releasing the product. They would also have to decide whether the customer is partially to blame (for intentional misuse of the product) and if there were or needs to be recalls on the product. What should an expressed warranty state? Expressed warranties, part of the conditions of a sale, should cover the following questions: • What is covered? • What is not covered? • When does the coverage begin? • How long does the coverage last? • What will the company do in the event of problems? • How and where can the consumer get warranty service? • Are any state laws applicable?
How will a strong quality assurance system help a company avoid product liability litigation? A strong quality assurance system will help a company avoid product liability litigation because they systems is designed to help ensure that the products being produced meet quality standards, part of which consists of safety insurance for the customer. If a product can pass through a strong quality assurance systems that’s implemented in a company, it reduces the chances that something can go wrong once the product reaches the customer, provided the customer uses the product within it’s given limitations. How will a defendant prepare for a product liability case? First, the defendant must be able to prove that the product in question is not dangerous or defective. They must also be able to prove that the product was not the cause of the accident or injury by trying to persuade the court that they plaintiff used the product unreasonably or in a way that the company did not intend. They must be able to show that when the product left them, it had no defects and could not cause the kind of harm the plaintiff is claiming. The court will probably need to show what regime the product went through before its release and the type of quality assurance program the company has in place and what its requirements are.
What is contributory negligence and how would it change the results of a trial? Contributory negligence means that the person who was injured was not responsible for their injury, but instead, it was the product that caused the injury. If a plaintiff can prove that they are not to blame for their injuries, the court will probably side with the plaintiff and the company will take massive losses and will probably have to recall that product and re-design it or stop manufacturing it all together. Describe the difference between strict liability and negligence. Strict liability is when a manufacturer has defectively manufactured a product and sells it. This is the manufacturer’s fault. Negligence is when a company has been careless about the manufacturing of a product to an unreasonable extent. The difference, that I can see, between the two is that strict liability is when a company may know the product is dangerous but produces it anyway, whereas negligence is when a company doesn’t take the time to figure out if the product is dangerous before releasing it.
How does a Six Sigma Black Belt compare with a Certified Quality Engineer? Both the Black Belt and Certified Quality Engineer and both positions which are designed to help a company run more efficiently. Both concentrate on helping the company save money and work more effectively. Typically, Black Belts must complete a project or number of projects in order to earn their status, whereas Certified Quality Engineers have classes to complete but not inner-corporate projects. Compare and contrast ISO 9000 and the Malcolm Baldrige Award Criteria. Both the ISO 9000 and the Malcolm Baldrige Award provide guidelines and criteria which companies can choose to follow if they are interested in total quality. They both require the organization to establish procedures, document them, practice them and be able to prove they are used everyday in throughout the company. The Malcolm Baldrige Award tries to get companies to push themselves in order to win the award each year and get the prestige associated with it. The ISO 9000 concentrates on higher levels of performance everyday and setting the standard so that companies can acquire international cooperation. How is ISO 14000 different from ISO 9000? The ISO 14000 focuses on the Environmental Management Standard. It is used to encourage environmental awareness and respect from companies who produce a lot of hazardous materials and have large amounts of waste. The ISO 9000 is used to set a level of quality standards with respect to the relationship between supplier and purchaser. It provides a clear set of quality standards, helping international companies better able to compete on the global market scale. It is generic enough to allow companies to find how the ISO 9000 fits into their specific organization. Discuss why a company would wish to become QS or ISO 9000 certified.
In today’s corporate world, many companies who are ISO 9000 certified or QS certified will not do business with other organizations that are not. Quality becomes easier to reproduce under these guidelines, which will help the company earn higher revenues eventually. They help the way the company does business and may limit the amount of failures and losses the company could potentially take if they were not certified. Certification creates a balanced playing field and when companies know you are certified, they are more likely to do business with you. Plus they will be able to understand what level of quality your products are on when they understand the procedures and severity of guidelines you must meet in order to product a product. What is the difference between ISO 9000 and QS 9000?
The QS 9000 uses requirements from the ISO 9000 and customizes them to be more specific for companies and their own corporate requirements to relate specifically to the products or services they offer their customers.