Quality Control

Bose utilizes several quality control methods, including an inspection process to reduce failure costs and continuous improvement methods. The inspection process at Bose is a comprehensive process that aims to eliminate prevention costs, appraisal costs, internal failure, and external failure. Initial efforts to minimize failure costs include educational and training programs. These processes aid in preventative measures, which in turn lead to improved quality overall.

The inspection process also strives to reduce appraisal costs using final goods inspection. After being assembled, technical specialists examine the merchandise to ensure that the product is free of defects and imperfections. This also helps to monitor quality internally. In terms of external quality control, Bose has a system in place to help guarantee excellence, even from returned products. As previously mentioned, Bose offers brand new products and factory renewed products. Factory renewed products have been purchased previously, and returned within the allotted trial period. Regardless of the reason, the product is shipped back to the factory where it is inspected again, and recertified, ensuring the same quality as brand new products. It is then shipped back to the store, and offered at a discounted price with the same warranty and trial period as new merchandise. This entire procedure serves as an externally quality control, protecting against external failure.

Continuous improvement is also utilized by Bose Corporation. The engineering process is designed to minimize variation from one unit to another within a product line. However, we are unable to pinpoint exactly which types of analysis and diagrams are used to implement continuous improvement, due to restrictions placed upon certain company procedures.