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Case – Shiny Hill Farms
Shiny Hill Farms is a major pork processor, specializing in smoked meats, hams, sausages, and
luncheon meats. The firm's largest facility slaughters more than 5,000 hogs each day.
Throughout the food industry, quality is a high priority, and Shiny Hill Farms is no exception.
The quality assurance department (QA) seeks to prevent any defective products from reaching
Quality assurance monitors all operations, from the killing of hogs through packaging. QA
personnel inspect incoming animals, work with USDA inspectors, and monitor cooking
temperatures. They check scales daily to ensure they are providing correct weights. If products
fall outside specifications, it is the responsibility of QA personnel to notify operators that
changes need to be made to bring quality up to standard. Many QA personnel monitor weights of
packaged boxes continuously to ensure that they conform to weight specifications. They open
Other functions throughout the company focus on quality. The sanitation department, for
example, sanitizes all manufacturing machines and work surfaces before initial production runs
each day. The research and development department plays an important role in improving
quality. For example, it is continually seeking out and testing new methods of curing meat and of
killing bacteria more effectively and efficiently. R&D also helps to develop new packaging that
A food processing plant is an intense, high-speed manufacturing setting. Shiny Hill
Farms operators may have to make as many as 10 cuts each minute on a conveyor line.
Engineering personnel replaced all old manufacturing fines with ergonomically correct lines. The
production line was redesigned to a standard height with adjustable height work stations to better
meet operators' needs. Turnover of meat cutters averages between 30 and 40 percent. New
Discussion Questions
1. Describe the scope of quality efforts in this organization.
2. What is the role of the quality assurance department at Shiny Hill Farms? Does it promote the
concept of total quality?
