Self-directed work teams play a crucial role in organizational excellence and process improvement. Let's explore the relevant responsibilities and considerations for such teams:
* Eliminate or Reduce Variation:
* While reducing variation is essential for quality improvement, it is not the primary responsibility of self-directed work teams. Variation reduction often involves statistical techniques and process control, which may not be within the scope of their authorization.
* Monitor Their Own Processes:
* Recommended answer: B. Monitor their own processes
* Explanation: Self-directed work teams should have the authority to monitor and manage their own processes. This includes tracking performance metrics, identifying deviations, and implementing corrective actions. Empowering teams to monitor their processes promotes ownership and accountability.
* Expand the Scope of Their Responsibility:
* Expanding the scope of responsibility is an important aspect of self-directed teams. However, this option is broader and not specific to monitoring processes.
* Establish Relevant Procedures:
* While self-directed teams can contribute to procedure development, their primary focus is on execution and continuous improvement. The responsibility for establishing relevant procedures often lies with management or quality professionals.
In summary, self-directed work teams should be authorized to monitor their own processes as a fundamental aspect of their empowerment and effectiveness12.

Conducting a customer satisfaction survey is essential for understanding customer needs, identifying areas for improvement, and enhancing overall organizational performance. However, when interviews are limited to individuals on the company's existing sales contact list, several limitations arise:
* Exclusion of Potential New Customers: The sales contact list typically includes existing customers or those who have previously interacted with the company. By relying solely on this list, the organization misses out on valuable insights from potential new customers who have not yet engaged with the company's products or services. These new customers may have different perspectives and expectations, which are crucial for improving overall customer satisfaction.
* Bias Toward Purchasing Agents and Buyers: If the list primarily includes purchasing agents and buyers, the survey results may be skewed toward the purchasing process and transactional aspects. While these stakeholders are important, other customer segments (such as end-users, influencers, or decision-makers) may have different experiences and feedback. Limiting the survey to this group may overlook critical insights from other customer roles.
* Exclusion of Dissatisfied or Lapsed Customers: The sales contact list may not capture customers who have stopped purchasing from the company or those who had negative experiences. By excluding these individuals, the organization misses an opportunity to understand the reasons behind customer attrition and identify areas for improvement. Insights from dissatisfied or lapsed customers are valuable for enhancing overall satisfaction and retention.
* Outdated Information: Over time, contact lists become outdated due to changes in personnel, job roles, or organizational structures. If the list contains obsolete or incorrect information, the survey may miss relevant stakeholders or fail to reach the intended audience. Outdated data can lead to biased results and inaccurate conclusions.
In summary, relying solely on the company's sales contact list for customer satisfaction surveys can limit the scope, introduce bias, and hinder the organization's ability to gather comprehensive insights. To address this limitation, organizations should consider supplementing the list with additional sources (such as leads, inquiries, or potential customers) and periodically update their contact databases12.
References: 1: ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence 2: Measuring and Managing Customer Satisfaction: ISO 9001:2015 and Beyond