How do quality management and lean manufacturing improve operations?

"The process of creating quality standards, producing goods that meet them, and measuring finished goods and services against them. A quality-control process that relies on defining what needs to be done to ensure quality, measuring and analyzing production results statistically, and finding ways to improve and control quality. The use of quality principles in all aspects of a company’s production and operations. Routing technique that uses simple icons to visually represent the flow of materials and information from suppliers through the factory to customers. 10.6 Looking for a Better Way: Improving Production and Operations 6. How can quality-management and lean-manufacturing techniques help firms improve production and operations management? Quality and productivity go hand in hand. Defective products waste materials and time, increasing costs. Poor quality also leads to dissatisfied customers. By implementing quality-control methods, firms can reduce these problems and streamline production. Lean manufacturing also helps streamline production by eliminating unnecessary steps in the production process. When activities that don’t add value for customers are eliminated, manufacturers can respond to changing market conditions with greater flexibility and ease."