The effects of increasing product variety and shortening product life cycles on the use of quality management systems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how in many industries manufacturing complexity and unpredictability have increased in recent years because of increasing product variety and shortening product life cycles. Simultaneously, manufacturers in these industries appear to have more problems with maintaining high quality levels. Design/methodology/approach – The research studies the effects of increasing product variety and shortening product life cycles on one control system: quality management. Findings – In situations of shortening product life cycles, the empirical data support the increased use of interactive quality control systems, as predicted by the model. However, in situations of increasing product variety the expected increase in interactive control systems has not been found. Application of a control model in the field of quality management is found to be useful in explaining how contextual factors influence the management of quality. Originality/value – This research takes a novel approach by applying a model from the field of management control to case studies at three European automotive manufacturers.