Quality Control

The quality control methods they currently use are the following:

1. Identify critical Points: assessing and assuring capabilities of raw materials, incoming materials which Involved the shipping, receiving, storing, and distribution of materials, parts,supplies and equipment, in which the employees will report to a team lead for inspections and specifications. Inspecting and testing product quality from pre-production to post-production, including issues related to product color, construction, labeling, packaging, and pricing.The area of technical, sourcing and product development ensures that the quality meets specifications by checking new products, monitoring raw materials and work in progress prior shipping or prior placing the product in inventory.

2. Attribute measurement is used for Victoria Secret. The company uses the percentage of dissatisfied customers, percentage of defective materials, and other. For an attribute control chart, samples are large, the range of 50 to 300 observations. The sample must be at least large enough to allow for the detection of one defective unit. If the process is being controlled produces 1 percent defective units.

3. The amount of inspection to be used: VS, uses also technical, quality control, product development, to ensure that everything is met for specifications. Statistical process control, is used to minimize the amount of inspection is needed.

4. Who should do the inspections: Workers, Prevention programs, managers.

Victoria Secret has continuous improvements in its quality control through out the whole company. With their fabrics Victoria Secret makes sure that they are properly used and meet specific specifications for the customers. The company is constantly improving on current, new and future products to be put out in the store for every next season to come. Victoria Secret is always improving on the quality of their products for their customers.

Victoria Secret uses Pareto analysis to shut out all the problems in quality control. Victoria Secret is a well-known brand and it offers high quality products, therefore if there are any problems they will be fixed immediately. However, there should not be any problems and if there is they are usually taken care of before the products are put out in stores.

Victoria's Secret practices Six Sigma program like any other major brands, because they want to protect their reputation. Victoria’s Secret has manufacturing company Brandix Group that is the biggest exporter in apparel sector in Sri Lanka. The factory by itself produces a sixth of bras sold by U.S. retailer Victoria's Secret.

It's the largest lingerie maker in South Asia. Limited Brands, a parent company of Victoria's Secret, also uses Six Sigma to cut manufacturing cost,improve the quality of their products and to reduce the margin of imperfection.

One of the recommendations is to look into the fishbone diagrams.The fishbone diagram is an analysis tool that provides a systematic way of looking at effect and the causes that create or contribute to those effects. A common use of this diagram is in “product design” to identify desirable factors leading to an overall effect. Another recommendation is Six Sigma trainings and aggressive leaderships so they can help in the improvements of the company.

Managing Quality

Victoria's Secret dimensions of quality:

Quality of design:

Victoria's Secret retail chain redefined America's conception of lingerie beginning in the early 1980s. At the same time, Victoria's Secret decidedly built its image with a fairly conservative, middle-class shoppers in mind and avoided any connotations of sleaziness which lingerie might carry. Victoria’s Secret has patented and copyrighted many of their collections and product technologies because of their quality and innovation. Most of their targeted customers are teenagers and women between the ages of 18-40. Most of their customers know that all Victoria's Secret designs are very innovated, new and unique in design and very sexy.

Quality of Conformance:

Everyone knows Victoria's Secret for its quality of conformance. All their products meet all the specifications of their designs. Manufactures make the products according to the specifications and limitations that are given to them from the Operation managers.

Victoria's Secret is the leading specialty retailer of lingerie and beuty products, dominating its world with modern, fragrances and cosmetics. Victoria's Secret stores, the catalogue and their website allow customers to shop anywhere, any time, from any place.

The Abilities:

Victoria’s Secret has the top quality products which lasts for years. Through their catalogue and their website (VictoriasSecret.com), Victoria's Secret Direct makes it possible for their customers to feel the sexy and sophisticated intimate lifestyle of Victoria's Secret 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Field Service:

This is the last dimension of quality. Their website VictoriasSecret.com takes many types of security measures like, uses of technologies and policies such as limited access data-centers, firewall technology, secure socket layer certificate authentication and limitations of administrative access to their systems. In addition, their policy is NOT to send the credit card number via e-mail. They designed their page to accept orders only from Web browsers that permit communication through Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.

VictoriasSecret.com will ask you to provide personal information when you establish or update an account with them, ask to sign up for Victoria's Secret E-mail, when you shop online they also may ask for your personal information, check the status of an order, request a catalogue, purchase an e-gift card or send a wish list or gift reminder or if you sign up to receive information about their products, promotions and events through text messaging for all that actions Victoria's Secret might ask for your personnal information just because they want to provide an excellent service.

Categories of information collected include name, address, e-mail address, recipient's name and e-mail address, order information, telephone number, credit card information and messages or reminders you create.

Also they have a return policy. They know that they have a strong reputation for their quality. But, if for any reason you aren't satisfied with your purchase, they will assist you with a prompt refund or exchange. Their sales aren't final. Refunds for the items returned within ninety days of the purchase date will be credited in the same form as the original payment type. And items returned more than ninety days after the purchase date will be in the form of a merchandise credit redeemable with your next purchase. Unfortunately, customers can't return the merchandise bought through their catalogue or website at the Stores.

Victoria Secrets quality systems are their "quality in their design". All of the designs are new, different and unique. The quality of all these designs is excellent and very appealing to their customers. The products are put out according to the different seasons of the year. This allows the customer's to easily go through a variety of clothing for a particular season. Victoria Secrets abilities and quality of conformance are always coming out with new clothing, lingerie and beauty products. Their products have the best new sexy colors, sizes, materials and designs for all occasions. Victoria's Secret lingerie and beauty stores, their catalogue and their web site www.VictoriasSecret.com allow customers to shop for their wonderful designs at anytime, anywhere. Victoria Secret wants you to experience the sexy, comfortable and sophisticated lifestyle you can have wearing this designed brand. The store has more than 390 million customers a year come to visit and their web site has now grown.

New ideas that they should consider, is open a new Victoria's Secret for clothes and shoes. Victoria's Secret website has a variety of clothes and shoes, that customers are not able to find it in the store. Last year, VS introduced bathing suits to the store, which it never happened before, VS just had bathing suits available online, and since they brought bathing suit to the stores, the customers were very exited about it, because some of them don't like to buy bathing suits or clothes online. By opening a Victoria's Secret just for clothes and shoes, the company would have more quality design. In addition, customers who don't like to buy clothes online, would be attract to the stores, and this would increase profits to the company. Also, it will be a good idea to have a Victoria's Secret overseas. In the store, VS have foreign customers, which every time they come to the United States they come to Victoria's Secret. It will be good idea to have VS in Canada, Mexico and England.

Process Design

The three elements of the service-product bundle for Victoria's secret are: Explicit serviceImplicit serviceFacilitating goodFor example, at Victoria's Secret customers receive a explicit service. Customers want that employees at the stores make the fastest and most accurate service than other stores when they make an order. Explicit service is also available at the stores where there is an high level of interaction between employees and customers. Another example of explicit service is when customers get in the store and see that the store is divided in lingerie and clothing in one side and perfumes, lotions, and makeup in the other side (Visual impact). Customers at Victoria's Secret also receive an implicit service which includes customers feelings- if they like or not the product. Also, they offer a credit card and gift cards that are implicit service too. In the perfume section for example, there are testers which customers can use it and test the scent so if they like it, they will purchase the product. Facilitating goods are the products that they sell in the stores, Internet and catalogue. Those products are clothes, perfumes, lotions, makeup, shoes, lingerie. The service matrix that Victoria's Secret use is co-route service matrix. Those stores offer a moderate number of choices (products) that are going to satisfy their customers. Most of their customers already know the brand so their needs and wants are quiet similar. Victoria's Secret sell their products at the stores, Internet and catalogue. In this type of matrix customers have a reasonable degree on decision making power in how they are going to make the purchase.
Victoria's secret encounters customer contact in different ways. In stores, there is high contact system, because the sales associates have to interact face to face with the customers, to understand the customer wants and needs and also to increase sales. The associate shows the customers the variety of products that Victoria's Secret sales, such as intimates, pink clothes, and beauty products. Associates let the customers know the experience with the product, and how has it work for them. The sales associate also let the customer know the importance to get measure every six month (The breast), and feminine information, in order to get the client attention, and also to convert a "just looking customer", to a "potential buyer."
Victoria's Secret uses self- service through the Internet and the catalog. This low contact service allows the customer to use technology. This service allow the customer an easy way to shop at home, Victoria's Secret website offers more products and more selections than the stores, and this help the company to get new customers, because of online promotions and the easy way to get the products deliver. The technology the Victoria's Secret use in the stores are bar code reader, inventory control readers, and a particular reader that let managers knows how many clients enter and exit the store.

Victoria's Secret use focus operations, in order of paper handling, they use direct mail to let the customer aware of the new products offer in the store. VS, every month send a coupon of free cotton panty and a $10 off any bra, in regard of demand management, VS use Internet technology, capacity management and client mix.
VS support employees in a vey outstanding way. The internal service quality is great because the workplace design makes the employees enjoy and feel comfortable. The reward are also great because every new item the employee get it for free or for a very low cost besides of the associates discounts of 30% or 40% off. Which is great because this help the employee to have a personal experience with the product that she will share with the customer. VS also give recognition to the outstanding employees in every department (intimates, pink, beauty, and cashiers.)

Victoria Secret's service recovery has a great gurantee that if the customer is not satisfied with any of their products they will get their money back. If any of the Victoria Secrets products were used or even worn, the store will still give their money back guranteed. Victoria Secret is all about the satisfaction of the customer and will do what it takes to please all of them.