Basic Feedback Methods: Feedback, Concurrent, and Feedforward Control

1. The three basic feedback methods are feedback control, concurrent control, and feedforward control. Feedback control is a mechanism for gathering information about performance deficiencies after they occur. Concurrent control is a mechanism for gathering information about performance definitions as they occur, thereby eliminating or showering the delay between performance and feedback. Feedforward control is a mechanism for monitoring performance inputs rather than outputs to prevent or minimize performance deficiencies before they occur. An example of financial control would be using balance sheets which are accounting statements that provide a snapshot of a company’s financial position at a particular time. An example of behavior control is bureaucratic control which is the use of hierarchical authority to influence employee behavior by rewarding or punishing employee’s compliance or noncompliance with organizational policies, rules, and procedures. An example of production control is process modification which is changing steps or procedures to eliminate waste. 2. The issues involved in controlling quality include reliability, serviceability which refers to how easy or difficult it is to fix a product, product failure, durability, service reliability, and responsiveness which is the promptness and willingness with which service providers give good service using assurance and empathy. Issues involved in manufacturing operations include made to order operations which is when production on products does not start until a customer orders a product. Similar situations can occur n service operations such as when a restaurant does not make a customers meal until it is ordered. Another form of manufacturing operations is assemble to order operations which is when a manufacturer divides the manufacturing process into separate parts or modules that are combined to create a semi-customized products. In service operations, many service industry workers team up