Journal of Quality Engineering and Management

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to identify the components of assessing the level of satisfaction with the quality of services provided by airlines and rank 5 airlines (Aseman, Ata, Iran Air, Zagros, and Mahan) based on the level of customer satisfaction with the quality of services provided.
Methodology: The research consists of two phases: first, identifying the components of customer satisfaction with airline service quality through a study of the subject literature and interviews with 15 experts (flight attendants and pilots). Step 2: Measure passenger satisfaction using two questionnaires completed by 30 frequent travelers. The DEMATEL technique was used to determine component weights and identify relationships among components, and the VIKOR technique was used to rank airlines. Data were analyzed using Excel and BT Vikor Solver.
Findings: Among the 20 components identified, the proportionality of the ticket price to the quality of service, the modernity of the aircraft, and the price of the ticket had the highest weight. Zagros, Ata, and Aseman airlines ranked first, Iran Air ranked second, and Mahan ranked third. In examining the relationships between components, aircraft modernity and up-to-date were identified as the most influential criteria, and services for disabled people were identified as the most influential criteria.
Originality/Value: By presenting a hybrid model of DEMATEL and VIKOR to identify and rank the components of airline service satisfaction, this research contributes to the promotion of airline managers' understanding of customers' needs and provides a suitable tool to improve service quality.

Abstract Purpose: In this paper, a multi-objective mathematical programming model is presented for designing a multi-level, multi-period fruit supply chain, while accounting for sustainable development goals encompassing cost minimization, greenhouse gas emission minimization, and social dimension maximization. In the proposed model, product quality plays a fundamental role in supply chain design, and fruits are graded in distribution centers based on quality and distributed to fruit markets, compost factories, juice factories, concentrate factories, and drug factories.
Methodology: The proposed multi-objective model is solved using fuzzy goal programming. The weights of the objective functions as well as the weights of social dimensions are calculated using the fuzzy best-worst approach.
Findings: In this research, a case study of Fars province, the third-largest apple-producing province in the country, is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. The results of the proposed model were compared with three models from economic, environmental, and social perspectives. The research findings show that system sustainability cannot be achieved by separately optimizing models with economic, environmental, and social perspectives. The proposed model achieves an efficient optimal solution across all three dimensions of sustainability, with significant improvements in the environmental and social dimensions and a negligible increase in system costs. In addition, by establishing a proper balance across all three sustainability dimensions, the proposed model leads to a supply chain with a different network structure and a different number of deployed facilities compared to the other three models.
Originality/Value: The added value of this research is to provide a comprehensive model that considers sustainability and quality as the main factors in grading and distributing products across different levels of the supply chain. The findings of this research can help policymakers and operational managers in the fruit industry make strategic and operational decisions in fruit production, processing, and supply-to-sale markets based on sustainability dimensions.

Abstract Purpose: This study aims to provide a comprehensive and accurate assessment of Iran's overall quality status in 2023 across six key dimensions: economy, technology, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and environment. The research also seeks to determine Iran's global ranking and offer insights for future improvement.
Methodology: Key indicators within each dimension were analyzed and weighted using Shannon entropy. The six individual quality indices were then aggregated to construct a single, unified national quality index.
Findings: Iran's overall quality index was estimated at 0.449, below the global average of 0.53, ranking 72nd out of 130 countries. While Iran performs close to the worldwide average in most dimensions, its infrastructure index falls significantly short.
Originality/Value: This study is among the first to apply a multidimensional index of national quality constructed using Shannon entropy. It provides a quantitative and practical framework that highlights Iran's strengths and weaknesses, supporting evidence-based policy planning.

Abstract Purpose: Calculating the optimal target mean for a process is recognized as an essential research area, with many proposed models in the literature. Previous studies have typically focused on a single market. The main difference in this research lies in the number of markets considered; unlike previous works, this study examines n different markets simultaneously.
Methodology: This study aims to determine the optimal process quality mean for a limited number of markets based on the target values of quality characteristics in each market. We propose a model to calculate this optimal mean across n markets with different price/cost structures. A key innovation of this research is the incorporation of probability distributions that reflect the likelihood of the quality characteristic falling within specific quality ranges in each market.
Findings: The model considers the probability that the quality characteristic falls within each market's defined quality range. To analyze and solve the model, absorbing Markov chains are used. A numerical example is presented in which the model is applied to two markets, and the optimal target mean and corresponding optimal revenue are obtained.
Originality/Value: Based on the results from the numerical example, the optimal target mean and revenue were determined for the two markets. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the influence of various model parameters on these parameters, demonstrating how changes in parameters impact the model's outcomes.

Abstract Nowadays one of most important organizations’ goals is to access compatibility to increase their market share and higher profitability. Therefore, it can be claimed that compatibility is considered as one of the most general organizations’ and industries’ outputs. The purpose of writing the current paper is to represent a model to measure carpet industry compatibility emphasizing quality and innovation. Statistical society in qualitative part includes 14 top managers and 582 employees in quantitative part from which 232 ones were selected as statistical sample. First of all, by the research model was obtained with three main dimensions resources and capabilities, quality and innovation with 30 indices through semi-structured and unstructured interviews with experts and during the coding process. Meanwhile resources and capabilities includes spiritual capital, human capital and technological capabilities, quality dimension includes raw materials, pre-production phase and production phase and finally innovation dimension includes product innovation, process innovation and sale innovation.

Abstract Guiding the engineering process in systems has created an interdisciplinary approach called system engineering. The concept of guidance in the first step means choosing the best path among the existing paths and then guiding, directing and managing the process in the selected path. In this context, requirements management is one of the first stages of the product development process, which can engineer the requirements with a comprehensive and accurate view and produce a product that meets the needs of users.
The purpose of preparing this research, which was carried out in the period of 1402-1401, is to implement all requirements management activities in a marine system. For this purpose, at first, the basic requirements related to this product were extracted from different sources, categorized and then the metadata of the requirements was prepared, and one or more confirmation methods were provided for each of them. Finally, the relationship between the requirements has been determined and after resolving the conflicts between them, the metadata of the requirements has been updated. According to the results of this process, 106 requirements have been identified. These requirements will be considered as the basis for starting the product development and design process.

Abstract The reliability of manufactured products can vary according to changes in production quality. Field failure data provide useful information for assessing whether changes in reliability are significant or identifying the cause of changes. In order to identify these errors, we need to model the effect of these errors on product reliability. In this research, we intend to predict product reliability behavior based on the percentage of different quality errors with which products may be produced. In this regard, two types of quality errors, namely non-compliant items and assembly error are examined separately. In order to model, it is assumed that the percentage of qualitative errors follow the beta distribution and the failure times follow the Weibull distribution. Reliability, risk rate and probability chart of products are studied under these two types of qualitative errors. Based on the results of this research, it is possible to guess the type and percentage of quality errors with which products are produced.

Abstract Quality of service is the distinguishing factor and the most powerful competitive weapon that many service organizations such as hospitals have. The purpose of this study was to rank selected hospitals in Iran in terms of service quality using a combination of SERVQUAL methods and data envelopment analysis. In this study, first, a systematic search in various scientific databases, to find the research conducted to assess the quality of services provided in Iranian hospitals using the SERVQUAL model, which found 22 related studies. Then, with the help of data envelopment analysis method and considering the five dimensions of service quality as its outputs and considering hospitals as decision-making units by DEAP 2.1 software, the scores related to each were calculated. Most of the published researches were related to 2016 in terms of time and related to Tehran province in terms of location. Zabol Shahid Elmi Field Hospital with a score of 1.000 and D Hospital affiliated to Qazvin University of Medical Sciences with a score of 0.364 won the first and last ranks, respectively. The average score of all hospitals was 0.796. Scores calculated by data envelopment analysis showed that there is an average increase of 20.4% in the quality of hospital services. Also, Shahid Elmi Field Hospital in Zabol can be considered a model for other hospitals under study due to its superior ranking.

Abstract Proper network design has many effects on the performance, efficiency and effectiveness of supply chains in achieving the expected goals and meeting the needs of customers. In this research, a multi-level multi-objective model for supply chain network design considering pricing, product quality level and disruption is presented. The cost of transporting each vehicle is assumed to be a dynamic random function rather than a parameter. Therefore, discrete-event simulation has been used to estimate transportation costs. Due to the important role of risk and disruption concepts in supply chain network design, risk minimization along with profit maximization according to pricing and quality concepts have been defined as objective functions. Supply chain demand is considered a linear function of price and quality level of products. Finally, the supply chain network design problem is solved by simulation, risk and price-dependent demand with NSGA-II algorithm and the results are validated by MOSA algorithm.