You’re looking to improve your supply chain. What quality management tools should you use?

Process mapping is one of the mandatory planning tool to understand the whole process and then identify any gaps, if any or any opportunity for improvements are required. During process mapping step, discussion with all involved stakeholders so that comprehensive views are taken from everyone's perspective...

I always start by using process mapping so that we can identify the areas to improve. I target to achieve: a. one flow of information b. one flow of physical goods flow By targeting the continuous flow, we can find problems to solve. When you start solving problem: always target the most financial impacted one.

There are many advantages to using FIFO (First In First Out) in supply chain management. The FIFO method increases the productivity and at the same time reduces the costs, allowing the companies to be more agile.

To enhance the quality management of your supply chain, consider implementing the following quality management tools. 1. Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) Software. 2. Quality Management System (QMS). 3. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Dashboard. 4. Statistical Process Control (SPC) Tools. 5. Six Sigma Methodology. 6. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Tools. 7. Risk Management Software. 8. Document Management Systems. 9. Collaborative Platforms and Communication Tools. 10. Audit and Inspection Software:. Implement software solutions for conducting regular audits and inspections of suppliers, manufacturing processes, and other aspects of the supply chain. This ensures adherence to quality standards and regulatory requirements.

Purpose Much has already been written about the effects of ISO 9000 standards on business performance, mostly supporting the notion that implementing a standardized quality management system is beneficial.

The quality of product or service depends on the quality of process employed. For quality control and monitoring, process and its parameters should be quantifieable and measureble, simple words business model to be converted in to mathematical model then mathematical solution. SPC is a tool to control variations and thereafter reduce them continuously. The aim of statistical process control is to produce products and services with quality consistantly.

SPC is perhaps the most powerful tool to control a process. SPC Charts help in distinguishing whether variation is due to assign able or random causes. Further, it prevents operators from fiddling with process parameters when the process is stable.

Le CSP permet de surveiller en temps réel les performances des processus en analysant des données statistiques. Cela permet de détecter rapidement les variations anormales ou les écarts par rapport aux normes établies, ce qui permet d'intervenir rapidement pour éviter les défaillances ou les défauts de qualité

La gestión de calidad y/o de cualquier proceso basada en datos es un motor super potente en el control y mejoras de procesos y productos. El uso del SPC es fundamental para identificar y eliminar o reducir fuentes de variación, también aporta una rápida respuesta en el caso de desviaciones de proceso, permitiendo la aplicación de medidas correctivas y o preventivas cuando las predicciones nos llevan a condiciones desfavorables. Si, ademas el control esta automatizado, te permite saber en tiempo real el funcionamiento y eficiencia de los distintos procesos / productos.

In improving your supply chain, utilizing quality management tools like Statistical Process Control (SPC) is crucial. SPC enables you to monitor and control variation and stability within supply chain processes by employing statistical methods and tools such as control charts, histograms, and Pareto charts. What stands out about SPC is its ability to distinguish between random and systematic variation, allowing for a focus on addressing root causes rather than reacting impulsively to fluctuations. By maintaining quality standards, identifying root causes of variation, and enhancing process capability, SPC ensures smoother operations and continual improvement within the supply chain.

FMEA is a very effective tool. This allows to walk though the entire process flow, identify risks based on the historic data and brainstorming with the team. This document helps to record the effect of the risk and highlights the critical risks to work upon for defining action to mitigate the risk.

The main mitigation actions are the one affecting occurrence and detection rather than severity as this one is from the nature of the item. Identifying, evaluating and mitigating any possible risk or failure is critical in achieving high quality supply chain business.

The FMEA tool works best during implementation processes, planning processes, optimization elements, or improving unstable processes. The goal of the FMEA method is to systematically identify and recognize likely product or process incompatibilities. Then, take a step that minimizes the risks associated with them, and identify the factors that most threaten the success of the product and or process.

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a tool that helps you identify and evaluate the potential failures and risks that may occur in your supply chain processes. It involves listing the possible failure modes, their causes and effects, and their severity, occurrence, and detection ratings. FMEA helps you prioritize and mitigate the most critical and likely failures that may impact the quality, safety, or reliability of your products or services. You can use FMEA to improve your supply chain by designing or improving your processes to prevent or reduce failures, implementing preventive or corrective actions, and monitoring the effectiveness of your actions.

FMEA was originally developed in the 1940's for US military, Utilized by NASA apollo space program in 1960's, Now adopted as part of APQP. What is FMEA? Classification of failures by severity of the effects, how often they occur and how easily can they be detected. Definition of controls to prevent failures. Definition of action priority to take actions for mitigating risk. Basically in supply chain, FMEA will Increase Gross Margin through Minimize the Cost of Poor Quality, Reduce cost, Prioritizes risks, Prevent failures before they happen, Identify controls needed and essential to continues improvement.

Le Lean Six Sigma est une méthodologie combinant les principes du Lean Management et les techniques du Six Sigma pour améliorer l'efficacité opérationnelle et la qualité des processus. Premièrement ?a sert à la réduction des gaspillages dans les processus, tels que les temps d'attente, les mouvements inutiles et les stocks excessifs, ce qui permet d'optimiser les ressources et de réduire les co?ts. Deuxièmement, l'amélioration de la qualité : Le Six Sigma se concentre sur la réduction de la variabilité et l'élimination des défauts, ce qui se traduit par une amélioration de la qualité des produits ou services et une satisfaction client accrue. ?a permet également l'optimisation des processus et la prise de décision basée sur les données

BY reducing waste and reducing variation, the customer will be happy to experience a reliable and high quality supply chain procedure. There are many tools in Lean Six sigma that need to be chosen based on the job details.

Lean Six Sigma serves as a versatile tool applicable to any process having inputs and outputs, enhancing efficiency and quality across diverse domains. Furthermore, in Lean Six Sigma methodology, the term 'customer' extends beyond the end-user to include the next delivery person or intermediary in the process chain. Understanding this broader definition enables comprehensive improvement efforts throughout the delivery journey

Si, por supuesto, los métodos Lean Six Sigma son muy importantes en la cadena de suministro y la logística. Lean se centra en eliminar el desperdicio y optimizar los procesos, lo que da como resultado una cadena de suministro más flexible y eficiente. Six Sigma, por otro lado, se enfoca en reducir la variabilidad y la mejora continua, aumentando así la calidad y consistencia del proceso. Al combinar estos dos enfoques, las empresas pueden lograr cadenas de suministro más eficientes, menores costos operativos, tiempos de entrega más rápidos y una mayor satisfacción del cliente. Además, a través de herramientas como el mapeo de la cadena de valor, el análisis del flujo de valor y la gestión basada en datos y se trata de mejora continúa.

1. Define: Clearly outline the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain. Identify key processes that need enhancement. 2. Measure: Gather data on current performance metrics within the supply chain processes. Establish baseline measures to quantify improvement. 3. Analyze: Identify root causes of issues or inefficiencies in the supply chain. Analyze data to understand variations and areas for improvement. 4. Improve: Implement changes based on the analysis. Use Six Sigma principles to streamline processes, reduce defects, and enhance overall efficiency. 5. Control: Establish control mechanisms to sustain improvements. Implement ongoing monitoring and feedback loops to ensure continued success.

In my recent training on QFD, I understand that business now a days is customer-centric and growth of the busness is depends on two factors, one is knowing customer's perspective and other is apply the same into product features. This can be achieved by developing a design and quality aimed at satisfying the customer and then translating the consumer's demand targets and major QA points to be used througout the production phase. Its a team approach by Marketing, Design, Production, QC and Purchase. The starting point of QFD is finding customer requirements of the product, the source of information for finding out customer requirements are market surveys, sales/service team feedback, customer complaints and analysis of competitor's products.

Implementing quality management tools requires a commitment to continuous improvement and a culture of quality throughout the entire supply chain. It is essential to tailor the use of these tools to the specific needs and challenges of the organisation supply chain processes. The purpose and application of such tools are to ensure that the organisation is prepared for a specific targeted environment.

Risk analysis is mandatory to assess your suppliers during the development and production phases, and therefore, to improve the performances of your supply and procurement chains. It permits to identify, in advance, for each step, the potential failures and issues which can appear with your suppliers: the failures, root causes and impacts will be described, the severity will be rated, and the priority will be applied (ex: single procurement source, war conflict, obsolescence, new regulations for export control, bad production capacity for ramp up...). At first, the major risks, with high severity, will be taken into account and mitigated. After mitigation, a new risk assessment will be performed to check if the severity is acceptable.

Muchas veces ideamos productos que no sirven para las necesidades y/o intereses del cliente y damos valor a determinadas características y/o beneficios que realmente generan coste al producto, pero que el cliente no los percibe. Por ejemplo podemos estar haciendo una inversión muy grande en mejorar la estética de un producto, cuando al cliente si el producto presenta un color diferenciado o un design mas llamativo no les preocupa, y lo que realmente quiere es que sus prestaciones sean mas altas. Por lo tanto, entender y saber lo que espera el cliente es fundamental y usar el QFD es una manera estratégica y basada en una metodología para encontrar dar valor a nuestros productos según las expectativas del cliente.

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a method to understand what customers want and translate that into product or service features. It helps make sure what you're creating matches what customers actually need and desire. The QFD process involves several steps: 1. Identify Customer Needs: Through market research, surveys, and feedback, the company identifies the key needs and desires of their target customers. 2. Create a house of quality: The team creates a matrix known as the House of Quality, which aligns customer needs with technical features or characteristics of the product.

Another remarkably effective tool set for reducing waste within a supply chain is Value Analysis and Value Engineering (VA/VE). This approach seeks to match the customers requirements with the function of the product or service without any additional expense. Often products and packaging are over-designed, meeting "needs" that the customer doesn't have. VA/VE seeks to align customer needs with supplier capabilities, and eliminate everything else.

Determine the vital few suppliers using the 80-20 Pareto principle. Focus on developing these suppliers as a whole or in parts as required such as quality system certification, improvements, cultural improvements, training, improving their internal audits or auditing yourself, implementing kaizen programmes, providing technical support, handholding during problem-solving, etc.

In the past, as a Global Supplier Quality Manager, I really learned to appreciate the power of having a structured Supplier Requirement Manual AND explaining the why behind these requirements to your suppliers. It's like giving your suppliers a compass and map in a world that's always shifting, but at least you are all sailing in the same direction.... This isn't just about setting rules on top of a product spec; it's about clearly communicating what the quality basics are to deal with your company, while also translating the requirements of your customers up into the supply chain. In this way your suppliers grow to not only meet but to exceed the evolving expectations of quality, ethics, sustainability, certification and communication.

The other things that can be considered are :- 1. Total Quality Management (TQM) Practices. 2. Adherences to ISO 9001QMS system. 3. Supplier Quality Management (SQM): 4. Kaizen Practices 5. Just-In-Time (JIT) 6. Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) These tools and methodologies can be customized to fit the specific supply chain needs, leading to improved efficiency, reduced waste, and higher overall quality.

Melhorar a cadeia de suprimentos é uma meta crucial para aumentar a eficiência e a eficácia operacional. Utilizar a tecnologia blockchain para rastrear produtos ao longo da cadeia de suprimentos é uma ferramenta poderosa. Isso melhora a transparência, autenticidade e rastreabilidade, reduzindo riscos de fraudes e garantindo a qualidade desde a origem até o consumidor final.