TQU Business GmbH

Services

TQU GROUP – Competence makes the difference!
We have been offering you the advantages of transfer combined with tradition since 1986. Drawing on quality and innovation, we maximize the benefit you derive – pinpointing opportunity and developing made-to-measure customer solutions.

Working as a team, we tap into creative methods to deliver sustainable value for our customers. In doing so, we bank on a broad foundation of methodological and tool know-how offered by all our consultants and instructors.

The services we offer

  • Consulting
    For us, professional advisory services are about working with our customers to identify key areas of action and suitable ways forward – preparing everything from implementation to successful completion.
  • Support
    Not until an idea is implemented does anyone know for sure if the envisaged solution actually works in practice. This is why the TQU places strong emphasis on supporting customers during the implementation phase of projects. In doing so, we ensure companies are in an ideal position to realize the successful outcomes they are striving for.
  • Continuing professional development
    Theory and practice must always go hand in hand. The role of the TQU ACADEMY as an enterprise is to impart knowledge in the areas that matter most, so that know-how is directly applicable to business practice. This is achieved in small learning groups, reinforced with intensive instruction and support.
  • Certification
    Because it is becoming increasingly important to prove that your skills are up to date and your qualifications are recognized, the Institute for Business Excellence at Steinbeis University (IfBE) provides companies and their employees with high-quality university certificates.
  • Information
    TQU VERLAG offers a variety of practical tips, tools, and support materials on our key areas of competence. These are based directly on know-how gained over many years of consulting practice.

Key Areas

  • Lean management
  • Six Sigma & Design for Six Sigma
  • Quality management
  • VDA QMC
  • Supply chain management
  • Product development
  • Management systems
  • Corporate social responsibility
  • Continuous improvement processes
  • Data science
  • Teams and employees

Project Examples

  • To reduce the high numbers of complaints and product failures being experienced by a premium segment producer of consumer products, the company was introduced to Six Sigma and selected workers were equipped with new skills. After analyzing the data, six high-priority projects were identified and implemented. These were underpinned by training, coaching, and the support of consultants. This system was installed as an ongoing process within the company. It was also introduced to management reporting processes and daily departmental meetings.
    As a result, all six projects were completed successfully, the existing problems were eradicated permanently, complaint levels dropped from 4% to less than 0.8%, and it became possible to launch new products based on technical optimizations.
  • An investigation was launched into the introduction of agile processes at a manufacturer of special-purpose machines. The firm was experiencing difficulties meeting customer deadlines, also investing major resources in post-development. By analyzing company projects in detail, an investigation was conducted into dependencies within the organization, also examining communication with the customer. This was then compared and contrasted to the principles of agile organizations. Interviews were conducted with project stakeholders to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of existing processes and systems.
    The results showed that introducing agile processes was unlikely to succeed by itself, but that there was potential to achieve good results with projects across the overall organization, especially when it came to customer communication. Based on this, it was recommended that the company introduce agile cross-functional project teams and gain transparency in terms of the volume of initiatives involved in multi-project management. It was also recommended that project teams communicate directly with customers, from initial points of inquiry to successful implementation.
  • A machine maker specialized in small batches and one-off production runs was encountering issues with the serial manufacturing of an existing product. Having adapted the design of its product in the hope of achieving the required levels of output, testing of the first mass-produced units showed that critical components were hitting maximum tolerance and it could not be guaranteed that the product would operate properly on an ongoing basis.
    The root of the problem had to be identified quickly, not only so that delivery deadlines would not be jeopardized, but also to safeguard reliable machine operation after introduction. Using classic Six Sigma methods made it possible to analyze the interrelationships between causes and effects, and within two weeks the root cause of the quality issue was identified.
    A small adaptation was made to the design of a subcomponent and a week later this was incorporated into serial production, permanently solving the problem. Based on information from the market, tolerances could be reset and these were also validated.
  • A company in the medical industry that is a leading developer, manufacturer, and supplier of innovative medical technology was experiencing problems with fluctuating levels of defects and a high number of rejects. To determine the interrelationships between causes and effects, the company pulled together a team of specialists using classic tools. This resulted in five sub-projects aimed at analyzing the problem in more detail as well as developing and trying out different hypotheses. The biggest challenge was to ensure input parameters could be measured and good parts could be distinguished from bad. The project lasted 12 months.
    As a result of the project, the company succeeded in achieving stable reject rates of under 3%. The quality of delivered parts and in-house production was now both measurable and verifiable, as were quantified correspondences between input and output.

Media

Steinbeis Transfer Magazine

QR code
http://www.stw.de/su/2092

Contact

Magirus-Deutz-Str. 18, D-89077 Ulm
Phone: +49 731 14660-200
Fax: +49 731 14660-202
E-mail: SU2092@stw.de
Management: Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Helmut Bayer, MBA
Marcel Ferber, B.Eng.
(Stand: 03/01/2024)

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