Use of a Quality System to Improve Product Performance Victor Bray The Natura 9-channel DSP hearing aid and the EXPRESSfit programming system from SONIC innovations were launched in September, 1998. One year after the launch in the American market, the hearing aid and fitting system are now being released to the world-wide marketplace. Using feedback and analysis from a quality system, several improvements in the hardware, software, and fitting system have been incorporated into the product during the first year of production. These include, but are not limited to, enhancement of calibration procedures, incorporation of alternate components, revised specifications for the Natura product, and refined algorithms in the EXPRESSfit software. Data will be presented to show the effect of these quality improvements on product performance, overall sound quality, and consumer reference ratings. |