Syllabus for QA 6640
Quality Cost and Supplier Evaluation
Spring Semester 2007
Instructor: Professor Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
Email Address: Professor_Atkins@yahoo.com
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Course Description and Objectives
Grading
Chat Room
Modules
Term Project
Final Exam
Professional Behavior
Written Work
Questions and Email Address
Office Hours
Bad Weather
Textbook
Course Description
A detailed analysis of the cost reductions involved in continuous improvement. Supplier evaluation, including quality audits, is reviewed to establish capability. The concept of partnerships is explored.
Course Learning Objectives
The four primary objectives of this course are to:
- Review procurement procedures, supplier relations, and specifications.
- Analyze record keeping requirements, audit procedures, measurement fundamentals, and supplier rating systems.
- Evaluate the Dock to Stock concept, and the appropriate levels of certification.
- Select the appropriate quality systems for small volume suppliers.
Grading
The following weights have been established for the separate components of this course.
| Component | Weight |
| Chat Room Participation | 25 Percent |
| Module Assignments | 25 Percent |
| Term Project | 25 Percent |
| Final Exam | 25 Percent |
Chat Room
Chat Room Location: We will be using a SPECIAL chat room for QA6640. It will NOT be the chat room that is accessed using WebCT. It will be the chat room which can ONLY be accessed by clicking on the above chat room button. If you are absent from the above chat room because you did NOT click on the above chat room button but instead you went to another chat room somewhere else, then your absence from the chat room will NOT be excused.
Chat Room Access: Click on the above [Chat Room] button to access the On Line Class Room Registration Page. Please enter your LAST name in the Name field. You may select ANY password you wish for the Password field. The E-Mail field is optional and you may leave it blank if you wish. Then click the [Enter Chat] button.
Chat Room Number: When you first enter the chat room you will be in the auditorium. Scroll down the left side of the page and click on the QA6640 Class Room. Then click the [Go There] button. All chat room sessions will be conducted in the QA6640 Class Room.
Chat Room Software: Unlike most chat room software, the chat room display screen will NOT automatically refresh each time a message is posted to the chat room. Students who are typing an answer to a chat room question will therefore NOT be distracted by the chat room screen constantly being updated. After the student has finished typing his/her answer, and the student has POSTED that answer into the chat room, the student will then have the time to review ALL the responses of the other students. These responses will be preceded by the word [NEW] on the chat room display screen. When the student has read all the information on the current screen, the student can then click the [Reload] button to see more information. The software for this chat room allows the student to control the rate at which the information is displayed on the chat room display screen because the screen will not refresh until the student is ready for more information and clicks the [Reload] button. This feature allows each individual student the time to read and think about the information on the display screen at a speed which is comfortable to each individual student.
Chat Room Transcripts: Transcripts of each chat room session will be posted on the web site the next day. Click on the above [Modules and Transcripts] button to access the Transcript Log Page.
Chat Room Schedule: The first chat room session will be on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 beginning at 7:35 pm. Attendance at the first chat room session is voluntary. The first session will be an overview session and the Professor will NOT ask the students any textbook questions. NO participation credits can be earned during the first chat room session. The primary purpose of the first chat room session is to give students who are not yet familiar with the chat room software an opportunity to interface with the software and become comfortable with it.
During the semester the chat room will be open every Wednesday evening beginning at 7:35 pm, except on holidays. The first chat room where you can earn participation credits will be held on January 17. The final chat room session will be on April 18.
Chat Room Topics: A schedule of chat room topics appears below. Specific chapters from each textbook will be discussed during each chat room session. Students are expected to read the corresponding chapters from each textbook prior to the chat room session.
Chat Room Topics
| Date | Textbook and Chapters |
| January 10 | None |
| January 17 | Bossert 1,2 |
| January 24 | Bossert 3 |
| January 31 | Bossert 4 |
| February 7 | Bossert 5 |
| February 14 | Bossert 6 |
| February 21 | Bossert 7 |
| February 28 | Bossert 9 |
| March 7 | Spring Break |
| March 14 | Bossert 11 |
| March 21 | Bossert 12 |
| March 28 | Bossert 14 |
| April 4 | Lamprecht 3,5 |
| April 11 | Lamprecht 6,11 |
| April 18 | Lamprecht 13,15 |
Chat Room Procedure: Beginning January 17, each chat room session will be divided into two segments, as follows:
- During the first half-hour of the chat room, the Professor will ask each student one question from the textbook. The student can take as much time as they require to respond to the question they have been asked, up to a maximum of 30 minutes. The student's response to the question will be evaluated and the student will receive between zero to three credits for their answer (in half-point increments: 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0). An incorrect or no response will receive no credit. If the question is not answered by the end of the first half-hour of the chat room session, the student will not receive any credit. At the end of the semester, the student with the most credits will receive the highest grade for chat room participation. The other students will be prorated according to the number of credits they have accumulated during the semester.
The easiest way to respond to the chat room question is to type your answer into a Microsoft WORD document. After you are satisfied with your answer, you can then copy and paste your answer into the chat room for everyone to read. To do this you first highlight your entire answer in your Microsoft WORD document and click COPY. Then switch to the Chat Room Screen and position your mouse cursor on the Message window at the top of the screen and click the left mouse button. Then PASTE your answer into the message window. Then click the [Post] button. Your entire answer will then appear in the chat room for everyone to read.
- The second part of each chat room session will be used by the Professor to answer questions asked by the students.
Chat Room Attendance: The voluntary chat room on Wednesday January 10 will NOT impact any student's chat room grade.
You may miss ONE regular Wednesday chat room session during the semester and it will not count against you. If you are absent more than once it will reduce your chat room participation score.
For example, if there are 13 regular Wednesday chat room sessions and each session has a maximum of 3 credits, then the maximum possible number of participation credits for the semester would be 39 credits (13 x 3 = 39). If the student with the highest participation score has earned 34 credits, then that student would receive the maximum possible chat room grade. I would then subtract three from that score to yield a score of 31 credits (to allow for one missed chat room session). Every student with a chat room participation score of 31 or more credits would also receive the maximum possible chat room grade. Students with scores below 31 credits would then be prorated based on the number of credits they earned in relation to 31 credits. This is just an example and the actual results will be determined at the end of the semester.
Chat Room Feedback: All students will receive email feedback from the Professor on Thursday regarding the number of chat room participation points they earned each week on Wednesday.
Module Assignments
Click on the above [Modules and Transcripts] button to review information about each of the four assigned modules.
The ONLY Modules Assignments which are valid for Spring Semester 2007 are at the above link. Module assignments from any previous semester are NOT valid for Spring Semester 2007. Students who submit solutions to OLD module assignments will receive a grade of ZERO on those assignments.
There are NO Make-Up Module Assignments. Module Assignments may be submitted early or they may be submitted on time. Module assignments may NOT be submitted late for any reason.
Each student will complete a module assignment which corresponds to the information covered on the pages in the textbook that correspond to each module. These assignments are to be completed using Microsoft Word and attached to an email sent to the instructor by the assigned due date for each module. Modules may be submitted early but not after the deadline. The deadline for module submissions in Midnight on the date due.
All module solutions should be attached to an email addressed to: Professor_Atkins@yahoo.com
Module assignments emailed to ANY other email address, except the above, will NOT be graded.
| Module | Chapters | Assigned | Due Date |
| 1 | 1,2,3 | January 8 | January 29 |
| 2 | 4,5,6,7 | January 30 | February 26 |
| 3 | 9,11,12 | February 27 | March 26 |
| 4 | 14 | March 27 | April 16 |
Module Feedback All students will receive email feedback from the Professor concerning their grade on each module assignment approximately five days after the deadline for submission of each module.
Term Project
The term project MUST be downloaded using the above button. Students may not submit term project assignments from previous semesters.
The term project is an individual assignment. It will draw on all the knowledge acquired by the student during the semester. It will consist of a typed report addressed to senior management that deals with the topics covered in this course during the semester. Specific details about the exact topic(s) to be discussed in the term project will be provided to all students on April 3, 2007. You may click on the above [Term Project] button at any time beginning April 3, 2007 to review the details of the term project.
The term project must completed in Microsoft WORD and attached to an email to the instructor. The term project is due no later than midnight, Thursday, April 26, 2007.
Term Project Feedback All students will receive email feedback from the Professor concerning their grade on the Term Project approximately five days after the deadline for submission of the Term Project.
Final Exam Details
The Final Exam will be a discussion - essay exam. You may use your textbooks and any notes you wish to take the exam. The exam does have a time limit of sixty-minutes.
Students within the greater Atlanta area may elect to participate in the on-campus final exam. An on-campus proctored final exam will be held in room M-133 on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 beginning at 7:35 pm. Students who take the on-campus final exam are NOT required to complete the Proctor Approval Form.
Each student who will NOT be taking the on-campus final exam must complete the proctor approval form. The form can be printed by clicking on the above [Proctor] button. This form must be submitted no later than February 28, 2007. The proctored final examination procedure is as follows:
- Complete the proctor approval form.
- Submit the form to the course instructor, either by mail or fax, to the address or fax number at the bottom of the form.
- The final exam will be emailed directly to your proctor during the last month of the course, sometime between April 12 and April 18. This exam must be administered sometime between April 19 and April 25, at the mutual convenience of the student and the proctor. The exam must be taken under the conditions described in the instructions provided directly to the proctor.
- All work on the final exam is to be individual.
- At the conclusion of the exam the proctor must email the completed exam back to the instructor. The completed exam must be received by the instructor no later than 7:35 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2007.
Final Exam Feedback All students will receive email feedback from the Professor concerning their grade on the Final Exam approximately five days after the deadline for the Final Exam.
Professional Behavior
All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior standards published by the American Society for Quality. This includes all individual work being individually completed by the student registered for the course and all sources acknowledged within all written work and communications.
Written Work
All written work shall follow commonly accepted style guidelines, such as those published by the APA (American Psychological Association).
All module assignments submitted for grading must be created in Microsoft Word. These module assignments should be electronically submitted by attaching them to an email letter to the Professor. The Professor will evaluate your work and provide feedback to you using email.
Questions and Email Address
Professor_Atkins@yahoo.com
If you have questions about this course, please email your question(s) to the above email address.
Office Hours
My office is in M-125 and my office phone number is 678-915-7385. My regular office hours during Spring Semester 2007 will be from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm on Tuesdays. Occasionally it is possible that I may be in an academic meeting during these times, so I request that you contact me by email at least one day in advance to make an appointment to meet with me in my office. You may send me an email requesting an appointment but the appointment is not confirmed until I return your email.
Bad Weather
If SPSU is officially closed due to bad weather, then the chat room will also be closed during the same time period. The material that was scheduled to be covered during that chat room session will be ADDED to the material covered in the next chat room session.
Textbooks
Students are responsible for acquiring all texts. Texts are available at the Southern Polytechnic State University Bookstore, among other sources.
The required textbooks for this course is:
Bossert, James L., Supplier Management Handbook, ASQ, 2004 edition, ISBN 0873896297.
Lamprecht, Quality & Power in the Supply Chain, 2000 Ed., Butterworth & Heinemann, ISBN 0750673435.
F-1 or J-1 Visa Students
In order to comply with US DHS residency rules, students here in the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 visa must go to the IET office in Building M to physically collect and take their midterm and final exams.