Unit 4017 Quality and Process Improvement Assignment Brief
| Qualification | Pearson BTEC Higher National Certificate in Manufacturing Engineering for England: 610/1229/4
Pearson BTEC Higher National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering for England: 610/1231/2 Pearson BTEC Higher National Certificate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering for England: 610/1220/8 |
| Unit Number | 4017 |
| Unit Title | Quality and Process Improvement |
| Unit Reference Number | Y/651/0734 |
| Unit Level | 4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Assignment Title | Assignment 1 of 1: Quality and Process Improvement |
| Issue Date | Monday 15 December 2025 |
| Submission Date | Monday 11 May 2026 at 16:0:00 |
| Submission Format |
| See individual tasks |
| Unit Learning Outcomes |
| LO1 Examine the applications of statistical process control when applied in an industrial environment to improve efficiency
LO2 Analyse cost effective quality control tools LO3 Determine the role of standards in improving efficiency, meeting customer requirements and opening up new opportunities for trade LO4 Analyse the importance of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement in manufacturing and service environments. |
| Transferable skills and competencies developed |
| Cognitive skills – Problem solving, critical thinking / analysis, decision making, digital literacy, numeracy. Intra-personal skills – Plan prioritise, self management, independent learning, self reflection. |
Vocational Scenario
There are additional scenarios throughout the assignment but as a basis to the assignment assume that you have been placed in the role of a Quality Assurance (QA) Technician at Highfields Products, a Small Medium Enterprise (SME) employing 220 employees and supplying high integrity components and assemblies to industries such as power generation, defence, chemical and oil and gas. Recently the company is attempting to move into the automotive sector.
Within your role you are also expected to be involved with Supplier Quality Assurance, (SQA).
You have been well supported in your career aspirations so far and have been encouraged to seek membership of the Chartered Quality Institute.
Assignment Activity and Guidance
Task 1 (500 words +/- 10%)
As HPL expands into the automotive sector they have had a request for quotation for a new product described as a 10mm diameter float rod. These are a cylindrically ground safety critical item, HPL have been advised that every shipment must be defect free and a method should be found to demonstrate this. The company has cylindrical grinding facilities but there is some uncertainty as to whether this tolerance can be held without 100% inspection and sorting from the process, this level of inspection is considered inefficient and may mean that HPL have to withdraw from the contract.
Your manager, who is not from an engineering background, has been told by another engineer that statistical process control might be a good solution, and she has tasked you to investigate and suggest justified recommendations why the implementation of SPC might be a suitable way to improve efficiency of the float rod production.
To answer the question re efficiency you will need to review the tools / techniques of SPC , explain their effectiveness and describe the various processes / applications / terms that SPC entails such as Cp, Cpk, Control Charts, UWL / LWL and LAL / UAL.
Task 1b (Calculations – show working throughout)
HPL have undertaken a 1000 off trial of the 10mm diameter float rod and for this trial a skilled operative 100% measures the float rod diameters and adjusts as required to stay within tolerance.
After grinding, the float rod diameter has a tolerance of 10 +/ – 0.05mm.
You have requested 50 sequential samples and these have been measured as follows, 3 x 9.95mm, 11 x 9.96mm, 19 x 9.97mm, 14 x 9.98mm, 3 x 9.99mm.
- – Determine the Cp and Cpk of the diameter to determine capability and centrality of the data.
- – Calculate the upper and lower warning and action limits (LWL / LAL / UWL / UAL) that can be added toa control chart if the company wins the overall contract.
Task 2 (500 words + / – 10%)
Develop a comprehensive strategy for implementing quality control within an industrial environment. You should analyse the effective use of standard quality control tools and techniques and compare costing techniques typically employed within the industry.
Based on this analysis, you must determine and justify the specific quality control tools and techniques that could be used to improve business performance. Finally, develop a detailed process for the application of an extensive range of quality control tools and techniques, this process must place specific emphasis on costing, explicitly addressing the costs associated with Parts per Million (PPM), prevention, and both internal and external failures.
Task 3 (500 words + / – 10%)
- Discuss why standards of all types are important to engineering organisations?
- Develop a strategy for adopting and implementing an international standard that might achieve improvedquality, process efficiency, meet customer requirements, and potentially unlock new trade opportunities.
Task 4 (500 words + / – 10%)
As part of your application to join the Chartered Quality Institute you are required to submit several formal papers.
One of these papers is a formal report with evidence that you have researched and analysed how the application of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement principles, tools, and techniques impact quality performance in both manufacturing and service environments, and how they can contribute to delivering high-quality performance within businesses?
Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| LO1. Examine the applications of statistical process control when applied in an industrial environment to improve efficiency | D1 – Suggest justified
recommendations for the application of statistical process control in an industrial environment to improve efficiency. |
|
| P1 – Review the tools and techniques used to support quality control | M1 Explain the role and effectiveness of the quality tools and techniques used within an industrial environment | |
| P2 Examine the processes and applications of statistical process control in a production environment. | ||
| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| LO2 Analyse cost effective quality control tools | D2 – Develop a process for the application of an extensive range of quality control tools and techniques with emphasis on costing. | |
| P3 – Analyse the effective use of quality control tools and techniques.
P4 Compare costing techniques used within industrial environments. |
M2 – Determine with justification the quality control tools and techniques that could be used to improve business performance. | |
| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| LO3 Determine the role of standards in improving efficiency, meeting customer requirements and opening up new opportunities for trade | D3 – Illustrate a plan for the application of international standards that would improve efficiency, meet customer requirements and open up new opportunities for trade | |
| P5 – Determine required standards to improve efficiency, meet customer requirements and open up new opportunities for trade | M3 – Discuss the importance of standards applied in the engineering environment | |
| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| LO4 Analyse the importance of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement in manufacturing and service environments | D4 – Evaluate how the appropriate
application of total quality management and continuous improvement in tools and techniques affect quality performance in the manufacturing and service environments. |
|
| P6 Contrast the principles, tools and techniques of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement. | M4 – Discuss how the appropriate
application of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement in tools and techniques affect quality performance in the manufacturing and service environments |
|
| P7 – Analyse how the concept of Total Quality Management and continuous improvement could help in delivering high quality performance within businesses | ||
Recommended Resources
Note: See HN Global for guidance on additional resources
Print Resources
Amsden R.T. (2019). SPC simplified: Practical steps to quality. Routledge.
Begum S., Rajendran C., Prakash Sai L., Ganesh K. and Mohapatra S. (2021) Total Quality Management in Higher Education: Study of Engineering Institutions. 1st Edition. Routledge India. Cachon G. and Terwiesch C. (2023) Operations Management. 3rd Edition. McGraw-Hill Cottmon R.J. (2020) Total Engineering Quality Management. 1st Edition. CRC Press.
Goetsch D.L. and Davis S. (2021) Quality Management for Organizational Excellence: Introduction to Total Quality. 9th edition. Pearson.
Lim J.S. (2020) Quality Management in Engineering: A Scientific and Systematic Approach. 1st Edition.
CRC Press.
Mathur S. (2021) Book Review of Total Quality Management in Education. Management Dynamics.
Montgomery D.C. (2019) Introduction to statistical quality control. John Wiley & sons.
Stevenson W.J (2021) Operations Management. 14th Edition. McGraw-Hill.
Slack, N., Chambers, S. and Johnston, R. (2016) Operations Management. 8th Ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Journals
Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering
The TQM Journal
Quality Management Journal
All information required, or further guidance, is available on TEAMS at Unit 4017 or on Interact at Level 4 HNC and Level 5 HND Engineering (JPW) – Unit 4017: Quality & Process Improvement.
Should you have problems accessing any area of the assignment or resources then please make your lecturer aware at the earliest opportunity.
Format for acceptable submissions.
Layout, suitable technical language and referencing are important, and requirements are laid out in the linked document Assignment Layout Requirements. It is recommended that you review this document to ensure that you produce work at an acceptable level.
Please note that you have to achieve all grades at pass, merit and distinction in all tasks to achieve a distinction.
Links
This unit links to the following related units:
Unit 5016: Lean Manufacturing
Last-Minute Help for Unit 4017 SPC and Engineering Quality Management Tasks
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