Purpose -Nowadays companies in the world are selling products by keeping quality as a central value for the customer. Quality-related costs arise from a series of activities performed in order to maintain the quality of product or service. Like other activities of business, quality costs can be programmed, budgeted, measured and analysed to attain the objective of better quality at lower cost. The purpose of this paper is to formulate a decisive methodology to optimize total quality cost (TQC), comprehensively. Design/methodology/approach -The TQC borne by any small-and medium-sized enterprise (SME) is the authentic base, which decides budget and other financial policies for running its ongoing quality programmes. To minimize TQC, one has to make sufficient cut backs in the total failure cost (TFC). Through regression analysis, TFC has been statistically modelled with primary quality costs (like preventive costs (PC) and appraisal costs (AC)). Subsequent graphical analysis has been delineated to elaborate relevant behaviour of different quality costs. At last, potency of suggested methodology has been strategically verified by executing a successful case study in an Indian Auto SME. The requisite optimization has been achieved by using Minitab Statistical Software and its practical validation is checked by conducting a two-sample t-test, exclusively. Findings -It has been found that TFC has a direct positive correlation with TQC and it increases with time. Further, TFC is inversely proportional with PC and AC. PC and AC act as independent costs, while TFC is a dependent or secondary quality cost. If the authors strategically allocate PC and AC in advance by using statistical advanced tools, then internal failure costs and external failure costs will diminish amply. Research limitations/implications -It inspires practitioner to harvest profits by inculcating quality cost optimization through lodged statistical behavioural investigation. Proposed approach is verified after performing an empirical study only on an automobile manufacturing SME. Further research is indeed required to testify the given methodology for more complex process configurations. Practical implications -Data related to quality costs is well available with practitioners but generally lying ignored. The case findings will motivate quality practitioners to use the proposed step by step approach for sustainable reduction in overall quality cost. Originality/value -SMEs find it difficult to lower their TQC due to severe scarcity of resources and funds. Moreover literature provides mainly the theoretical or qualitative cases which remain ineffective to propel SMEs towards the real world savings. But this manuscript will act as a unique road-map to de-code the behaviour of different quality costs quantitatively without ignoring the existing constraints of SMEs, especially in the developing nations.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to uncover the significance of quick changeovers in die-casting foundry environments. Design/methodology/approach -The paper gives set-up instructions and guidelines to prepare the standardized set-up procedure without ignoring actual constraints in foundries. It uses a case study in a medium scale piston foundry to generate an integrated set-up reduction approach, utilizing single minute exchange of die (SMED)-based industrial engineering tools to achieve faster set-ups. It describes the feasibility of quick changeovers in foundry small and medium enterprises based on a "SMED" approach. Finally, the paper carries out empirical analysis of the financial/non-financial benefits incurred from set-up reductions. Findings -Set-up activities are a vital part of the production lead-time of any product and so affect overall product cost. Tools like Pareto analysis, root-cause analysis and method study have been used to analyze the existing procedure of set-ups. A SMED approach can help eliminate unwanted activities, externalize the internal activities, if possible and reduce them by simplification or standardization. The application of other tools such as 5S, Poke-Yoke and specific tool-kits are suggested to further reduce set-up times. Originality/value -The paper demonstrates the practical application of SMED showing how it can bring real breakthroughs in productivity to small and medium scale foundries.

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to primarily emphasize on improvement of student’s academic excellence through devising and implementing a competent Internal Assessment Criteria that indirectly improves their results and passing rates in exams. Design/methodology/approach – In present system, Internal Assessment Criteria has evolved as critical factor having lot of margin for bringing improvement in student’s academics by redesigning or editing the existing one, appropriately. Assessment criteria are re-optimized by strategic implementation of well proved Six Sigma’s DMAIC approach. Findings – It is a one of rarely seen effort to transform Assessment Criteria by identifying the statistical relations between internal marks and external marks secured by students in an end semester university exams. The proposed framework and its validation through an Indian case study, ignites the application of this structured Six Sigma approach in higher education for necessary excellence. Research limitations/implications – The whole work revolves around the Indian engineering environments, moreover the case has been restricted and elaborate facts for only unaided (private) engineering universities. Practical implications – The paper can be utilized to stimulate thinking about the fine tuning of Assessment Criteria through proven Six Sigma methodology in current Indian academic settings and further safeguarding the interests of managements, students and society, simultaneously. Originality/value – The formulation of upcoming challenges before Indian engineering system are outcome of intense literature survey. Focussing on always neglected “Assessment Criteria” and its re-optimization by statistical approach of Six Sigma is hard to found and has immense scope in future for reaching at desired academic hikes.

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