UNIT 3

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
A. STARTING UP
1. What is meant by product development?
2. Why is product development important
3. What will happen if the product is not perfect?
B. REPLACE THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT WITH THE
FOLLOWING WORDS WHICH HAVE SIMILAR MEANING.
a.
achieve
d. aspects g. costly j. disliked
b.
expenses
e.
guarantee
h. origins k. permanent
c. present f. selsh i. setting
up
l. stress
!n production and operations management" over the past few
decades" there has been increasing #1$ emphasis on %uality" as
dened by the consumer" in terms of features o&ered"
appearance" reliability" durability" serviceability" and so on.
'n important concept has been (otal )uality *anagement #()*$"
according to which management should ensure that %uality
extends throughout the organi+ation in everything it does" or at
least in all #2$ features of products and services that are important
to the customer. ,ather than aiming for the best %uality
compatible with low unit costs" the company should aim for the
highest %uality level possible" because a lack of %uality can be
more #3$ expensive than achieving high %uality. 's the production
theorist -hilip .rosby puts it" %uality is free.
What he means is that there are many #/$ costs that result from
production that is not 1001 perfect2 inspecting" testing"
identifying the causes of defects" implementing corrective action"
training of retraining personnel" redesigning a product or system"
scrapping" reworking or repairing defective products" replacing
products in accordance with a #3$ warranty" dealing with
complaint" losing customers or their goodwill" and so on. )uality
theorists such as 4oseph 4uran" W.5. 6eming" and .rosby have
shown that prevention is usually much cheaper than failures.
5very extra dollar spent on prevention might save 7 10 spent on
inspection and failure costs. 8urthermore" even if the #9$ current
%uality level appears perfect" the company should still
continuously look for product improvement" and aim to be best in
the industry. .ompanies should always engage in benchmarking.
1
'lthough management is responsible for designing and #:$
installing on overall system which excludes defects and low
%uality" everyone within that system" in the entire supplier;
producer;customer chain" should be responsible for %uality. !n
()*" every worker is a %uality inspector for his or her own work"
trying to get it right the rst time" aiming for +ero defects. (his
approach" often described as <%uality at the source== removes the
need for the kind of <over the shoulder> inspection that is usually
#?$ resented by workers. @f course this often re%uires training" and
depends on a co;operative attitude.
*any large 4apanese companies A especially those guaranteeing
#B$ lifetime employment A have been able to #10$ attain high
%uality" because of the motivation of their sta&" and the long;term
nature of nearly all the relationships among employees" suppliers"
distributors" owners" and customers. (he 4apanese invented
%uality circles2 voluntary groups of six to twelve people" who are
usually given training in problem;solving" analysis" and reporting
methods" and who then meet once a week" during paid hours" to
discuss their department and the problems they are encountering.
!f there are problems with %uality variations" the group will try to
identify their #11$ sources" nd solutions to eliminate them" and
propose these to management. (here are estimated one million
%uality circles with ten million members in 4apan. )uality circles
have been less successful in the more #12$ individualistic cultures
of 'merica and 5urope.
C. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BASED ON THE TEXT.
1. What is the most important thing in production
and operations management?
2. What is meant by <a lack of %uality> in
paragraph two?
3. Why should the company continuously look for
product improvement?
/. Why have many large 4apanese companies been
able to achieve high %uality?
3. What is the purpose of voluntary groups in
4apanese companies to meet once a week?
9. What will they do if there are problems with
%uality variations?
D. FILL IN THE BLANKS IN THE SENTENCES WITH ONE OF THE
WORDS IN THE TEXT.
1. (he company=s failure was mainly due to
badCCCCC.
2. (he country=s main CCCCC. are rubber"
cocoa" and gold.
2
3. (he labor union made a list of theirCCC. 'bout
management policies
/. (o settle the dispute between the two parties"
government should be fair and use the proper ...........
3. (he .... of (oyota will meet to discuss Dales
-romotion.
GRAMMAR FOCUS:
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
(he 8orm
#E$
!FGouFWeF(hey hav
e
bought a new product.
HeFDheF!t has gone (o IJ twice.
#;$
!FGouFWeF(hey have not
nished
the production yet.
HeFDheF!t has not done the report.
#?$
Have !" you" we"
they
sent him a
package?
Has he" she" it made an
improvement?
We use present perfect tense2
a. to talk about past actions or events which are
completely nished.
b. to express the idea or completion of the
actionsFevents or to talk about its results.
c. time expressions2 for" since" all day" all my life"
recently" lately" so far" already" once " twice
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
#E$ !FGouFWeF(hey hav bee typing a new report.
3
e n
HeFDheF!t has bee
n
classifyin
g
problems for an
hour.
#;$ !FGouFWeF(he
y
have not been
thinking
of buying another product.
He" she" it has not been doing anything since she left her
job
#?$ Have !FyouFweFthey bee
n
discussing the problems?
Has heFsheFit bee
n
sorting the products?
We use the present perfect continuous tense2
a. to express actions or events which started in the past and are
continued until now.
b. to emphasi+e the continuation of the activity.
c. time expressions2 for" since" all day" all my life" all this year"
recently" lately" so far
To know o!" #$o%& &'" ()*"!"n+" $"&w""n ,!"-"n& ,"!."+&
&"n-" #n( ,!"-"n& ,"!."+& +on&)n%o%- &"n-"/ ,#0 #&&"n&)on &o
&'" .o11ow)n2 -"n&"n+"-3
#. The telephone (ring).four times at the office, and each time it has been for
the manager.
$. The telephone (ring)at the office for almost a minute. Why doesnt
someone anser it!
S"n&"n+" 4#5 -'o%1( $" "6,!"--"( $0 %-)n2 ,!"-"n&
,"!."+& &"n-" $"+#%-" &'" !)n2 o. &"1",'on" )- completely
fnished. So &'" #n-w"! )-7
The telephone has rung four times at the ofce, and each
time it has been for the manager.
S"n&"n+" 4$5 -'o%1( $" "6,!"--"( $0 %-)n2 ,!"-"n&
,"!."+& +on&)n%o%- &"n-" $"+#%-" &'" !)n2 o. &"1",'on"
hasnt stopped yet until now.
The telephone has been ringing at the ofce for almost a
minute. Why doesnt someone answer it?
E. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES B8 CHANGING THE VERBS INTO
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE OR PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS TENSE.
"
9. -roduction manager
CC#check$ the employers for about an hour this morning. Ko
one is absent.
:. @ur factory CCC
#produce$ industrial goods since 200/. Kow it is still producing
then"
3. ! CC..#read$ the
management book for two hours" so you can borrow it now.
;. (he external audit
CC..#write$ the nancial report so far this week" so the
director hasn=t been able to decide the new policy.
<. (he groups CCC..
CCCCCCCC #try$ to identify the problems and sources to
nd the management solutions since last month" they haven=t
succeeded yet.
=. Gou cannot borrow
the accounting book because the managerC..#use$ it so far
this month to complete his job.
>. !CCC #arrange$ the
les for the meeting. Do" ! can be relaxed now.
?. (he supervisor
CCCC #download$ the les for preparing the her
presentation. (hat=s why" internet link is slow.
@. *y company
CCCCCCC.CCC #order$ some new e%uipments lately to
the factory. Do we don=t need to order them anymore.
9A. ! CCCCC#made$
the nancial report for an hour. Would you like to analy+e it?
99. (hey
CCC............................ #run$ the business for three years.
Do" they ask to the main director to have a reshuLe.
9:. (he
employeeCCCC.#argue$ about working overtime since 10
o=clock. !t=s 12 o=clock now" they are still arguing.
93. (he
managersCCCC #discuss$ the company=s problems since ?
o=clock. (hat=s why the problem can be solved.
9;. He CCC #work$ at
*icrosoft in the year 2000. He has not resigned yet.
9<. (he clerks CCCC..
#classify$ the report at 0? o=clock. !t is 11 o=clock" they are
still classifying
#