Balancing conflicting priorities on the production line: Are you prioritizing efficiency over quality?

Trabalho a 16 anos junto da produ??o e metas s?o sempre um desafio, mas n?o s?o impossíveis de serem gerenciadas. Precisamos ter clareza nas metas e ter um controle verdadeiro dos dados, ter uma ótima comunica??o junto aos liderados sobre as metas e os motivos de estarem atendendo ou n?o atendendo as metas. Outro ponto é ter um ótimo controle da eficiência da opera??o, os dados devem ser verdadeiros e fidedignos com a realidade da produ??o, pois assim poderá ser tomado a??es para melhorar a eficiência. E na prática o treinamento operacional é uma grande chave do sucesso, ter ótimos instrutores para formar ótimos operadores.

We must always prioritize improvement with this doctrine -Safety, Quality, Delivery, and then Cost. If we improve Safety, Quality, and Delivery, I have found that Cost becomes a byproduct. Companies that focus only on cost, rarely succeed.

Quality is part of true efficiency. Producing in an efficient manner and at low cost requires no waste of materials, nor any other resources with rework or scrap. If they are presenting in a conflicting way at your manufacturing, go for the root cause. Is not a valid trade off.

Los controles de calidad que se enfocan en corregir defectos al final de la cadena productiva resultan tan improductivos como un indicador de eficiencia que se mide aisladamente. Asegurar la calidad desde la fuente como estrategia para equilibrar la eficiencia y la disponibilidad generan retorno de valor y satisfacción al cliente además de reforzar la cultura laboral dentro en un contexto Lean. Sin embargo el reto es establecerlos dentro de las tácticas y las acciones diarias. Puntos de control desde el origen , prevención de defectos y la responsabilidad individual de la cadena de producción deben ser evaluadas para luego ser ejecutados y seguidos con las herramientas adecuadas según el tipo de operación.

I have been at this for over 40 years and quality can never be sacrificed. When producing or supporting production, quality must always be a given. Understanding that it's also the last metrics to be measured. Reliability of the product being quality over time. Favorable pricing with good quality is good value, but if quality falls, everything falls. From a business standpoint leaving money on the table is never good, but leaving quality builds legacy. Someone can always make it cheaper. It's hard to compete when someone makes it better. The stronger move from a position of quality then look at low cost options with sacrificing quality.

I would say Quality and Efficiency are double faces to one coin which is Performance. Fact, having an excelent quality is a hallmark of excellence, however, over-quality is a hidden cost killer that comes against performance. Contrariwise, the more efficient you are, the more performant you'll be. Guess what!! To balance the three key words "Q,E,P" some major game changers come to the play such as knowing your customers requirements, specifications and those tools worldwide known by their acronyms: -SPC: Statistical Process Controls. -MSA: Measurement System Analysis. -APQP: Advanced Project Quality Plan. Thus, the outline is you need to get to the point where both quality and efficiency lines cross each others so you can be performant. EL

You don't inspect Quality into your products. You build it in. Robust processes are crucial. You want to understand your process capability, and then be able to monitor your processes for in or out of control.

No sacrifices of quality can be tolerated. You can smartly though ensure that you are matching your internal quality requirements to the needs of customers and challenge via risk management some practices that are not customer quality requirements. In my experience though it is much easier to challenge these requirements prior to finalizing your validation than trying to challenge them later

Don't waste time with Six Sigma. Stick with the basics of Toyota Production System: kaizen. There is nothing outside of it that does something that you won't find inside.

Otimiza??o de processo é um dos pontos chaves para se ter uma melhor eficiência e uma melhor qualidade, toda otimiza??o/melhoria bem feita e liberada com todos os testes vai trazer uma melhor estabilidade e consequentemente uma melhor qualidade para a produ??o. Sempre manter um time focado nos GAPs e trabalhando na melhoria continua.

It is pivotal to achieve operational excellence in the processes in order to develop a more efficient and effective business process. I suggest the use of macro analysis for the detection of the main bottlenecks, attacking them through short and long term actions. Generate value by analysing incidents to reduce non-quality in process. Another very interesting factor is the commitment to modern technologies for the prediction of failures through the sensorisation of our machines and the application of modelling technologies, AI or digital twin to monitor the status of our machines. By controlling these three factors we will increase our operational efficiency while maintaining our quality standards.

When I first started out in manufacturing you had 5 wastes . Now I see within lean they class upto 9 . All of them need to be reviewed . The keys ones I worked on were transport, waiting times, inventory and over production . Smooth processes. Small movements between stations, and minimise inventory at each station.

I always advocate that a well-trained workforce can adapt more easily to new technologies, processes, or changes in production requirements. This flexibility helps maintain efficiency while adjusting to new standards or improvements. Investment in training can boost employee morale and motivation. Workers who feel valued and competent are more likely to be engaged and committed to their roles, contributing positively to both efficiency and quality.

One thing I noticed by being one of only a handful of people that has worked across multiple industries from OEM Automotive to manufacturing robotics for Drug discovery for Pharmaceutical Research is dependency on quality assurance is different. I loved the SOPs Automotive had along with just in Time but in reality it doesn’t hold a candle to a FDA inspection when they ask you for the names of all the people working in that clean room and they proceed to interrogate each for for info like are you trained in producing this specific product and if so who trained you and can I see the sign sheet that show you did learn how to run this process.

Are we still questioning or in need to reassure the importance of workforce training, in 21 century? This is unbelievable. A satisfying and efficient place to work is where we are constantly learning

I believe efficiency and quality are not opposing forces but complementary pillars of sustainable growth. Technology integration is key to achieving this balance. Leveraging advanced tools like robotics, AI, and IoT allows us to automate repetitive tasks, minimize human error, and gain real-time insights into production and quality metrics. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures consistent, high-quality output. By investing in the right technologies and fostering a culture where both quality and efficiency are equally prioritized, we can streamline production, reduce rework, and exceed customer expectations—all while maintaining a competitive edge.

Probably the most complicated part is the choice of technology to maintain a balance between investment and outcome. The vast majority of projects are long-term projects, requiring data capture, modelling and research, so the payback is long. In my experience, I recommend to soak yourself in the technologies, rely on the experience of other companies that have implemented these technologies to avoid mistakes during implementation, technology partners and suppliers.

Keep it simple. Avoid unnecessary digitalization for the sake of appearance. Great Japanese companies, very well managed, still do the basics with paper and cheap solutions. The target is achieve low cost high quality production, not to look cool.

One challenge in driving continuous improvement initiatives is sustaining the changes or the improvements implemented at ground level. Since there are going to multiple small improvements coming up through CI after sometime the initial improvements will go back to what it was before. To avoid this happening we need to empower and educate the process owners from the bottom to top in the hierarchy on the impact and the importance of even the smallest changes.

This is something I can relate to in my role as Manufacturing Engineering Manager. I often come across employees who suggest minor adjustments to machine settings that might help reduce waste or improve speed. They suggest these initiatives for two reasons - to be acknowledged, while making their tasks easier. It is always a win-win situation. Over time, these small adjustments lead to a more efficient production line with higher-quality output, as the combined impact of many minor changes enhances both speed and precision.