Product quality improvement model considering quality investment in rework policies and supply chain profit sharing

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to develop an optimization model for quality improvement by considering quality investment in rework policies and supply chain profit sharing. To improve product's quality, the decision of process target and its tolerance is important since it directly affects the defective rate, manufacturing cost, and loss to customer due to the deviation of product from its specification. In this research, two rework policies are considered. In the first policy, the rework is done by using the same manufacturing facility, while in the second policy a new process facility was added for rework. Quality improvement in the supply chain environment is also necessary. Hence, profit sharing system is added in the model to strengthen the commitment of the suppliers in improving component quality. In the system, the manufacturer shares the profits to the supplier if the supplier can meet or exceed the quality target specified by the manufacturer. A comparison is given to determine the best quality improvement policy between those two policies considering profit sharing system. From the results of the optimization, the managers can make economic investment decision economically to correct a defective product through cost optimization model and to choose the best option toward the goal of least unit production cost. By using this model, the decision-maker can evaluate any quality investment in order to achieve significant financial return.