Quality Management Report: Evaluating Quality Management at RFDSA

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the quality management approaches employed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDSA), a prominent aero-medical organization. It examines various strategies such as quality circles, statistical process control, and process automation that RFDSA utilizes to ensure high-quality healthcare services, particularly in remote areas. The report identifies key issues in the implementation of these approaches, including resource limitations due to the non-profit status, challenges in workforce retention, and inflexibility in some processes. It also highlights the importance of adapting to changing patient needs and technological advancements to maintain service quality. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for continuous improvement and adaptability in quality management practices within the organization.

Running head: QUALITY MANAGEMENT 1
Quality management
Student
Date

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Supply Chain
Discuss a range of relevant approaches to quality management
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDSA) is among the leading and most
comprehensive aero-medical organizations globally. It provides primary and emergency health
care amenities for people living in remote, rural and local areas of Australia (Australian
Government: Department of Health, 2018). Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is a non-
profit organisation that offers healthcare to individuals who cannot gain access to a medical
center or general practice owing to the huge distances of the Outback. Just like any other
healthcare organizations, RFDSA understands that quality management is a critical requirement.
Despite the fact that it is non-profit organization, RFDSA aims at ensuring every person they
serve is adequately satisfied with their services. Managers believe that people’s satisfaction is
one amongst the most vital factors that lead to establishment of creditability and reputation
among the public (Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, 2018).
There different approaches to quality management that Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
apply in order to achieve the aforementioned objectives of public relations. The most basic
approaches include quality circles, statistical process control, process improvement, process
deployment automation, and high-technology circles (Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia ,
2016). Every person who works with RFDSA is adequately empowered to come up with
solutions to emergency issues. Various authority buffers have been cut to ensure every person
can make reliable and splendid decisions. In addition, management at RFDSA has cut tolerance
buffers by tightly monitoring operations. All operations are thoroughly monitored to ensure
efficiency. Periodically, RFDSA analyzes its response processes to figure junctures which need

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some improvements. In addition, most of the processes this organization follows in its rescue
missions are automated in order to ascertain efficiency. It also applies high technology tools such
as aircrafts and first aid toolkits to ensure that patients reach the nearest hospital safe and sound.
These approaches have made RFDSA the best Flying Doctor not only in Australia but also in
other parts of the world.
Identify issues in their implementation
Despite its success in ensuring quality management approaches are well-implemented, Royal
Flying Doctor Service of Australia faces some issues which to some extend thwart their efforts.
The fact that this organization is a non-profit lacks sufficient resources to carry out some of the
preconditions required in quality management. Sometimes, for example, this organization’s
desire to train, coach, and empower all its workers appears a big challenge due to its inability to
raise funds required to facilitate the processes (Vidot, 2017). Same case applies in its quest to
ensure full deployment of high-tech requirements since most of them are costly or require huge
capital outlay for them to be procured. Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is having an
issue with maintaining its workforce. This is an issue mainly in rural areas where life might be
hard-hitting. So, despite the organization’s incessant efforts of ensuring exceptional services,
some of the workers are subjecting it to some internal challenges of disinclinations. Another
issue hindering implementation of the quality management is extreme rigidity. Some of the
processes which needed some improvement, for example, are s rigid and inflexible and as a
result not all implementations lead to the intended results. Patients’ and the organization’s
requirements are continuously evolving and therefore quality management must evolve as well.
Process and even machines must be improved over time to remain consistent with the changing
circumstances in the organization. Of course this will enhance quality in the services provided

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but it has become a big issue in Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia due to too much
rigidity.

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References
Australian Government: Department of Health, 2018. Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS)
Program. [Online]
Available at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/royal-flying-doctor-
service-programme
[Accessed 24 January 2019].
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia , 2016. How you can help >. [Online]
Available at:
https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/assets/annual_report/file/RFDS_SE_SECTION_201617_YEAR
_IN_REVIEW.pdf
[Accessed 24 January 2019].
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, 2018. About the RFDS. [Online]
Available at: https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/about-the-rfds/
[Accessed 24 January 2019].
Vidot, A., 2017. Rural healthcare concerns highlighted in Royal Flying Doctor Service survey.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-01/flying-doctor-service-survey-highlights-
healthcare-concern/8763856
[Accessed 24 January 2019].