The conversion in the quality departments continues!

The focus is on cost savings. The security of the product quality by a permanent QS run control in the production halls was and is very justified for many managing directors a red rag and was also set in the predominant production processes in Germany.

Thus, it will continue with the job cuts in quality assurance (QA). Vacancies are no longer filled with qualified personnel. The Q-team for quality assurance in the plants is streamlined.

And it's true: The costs go down. The team at the shop floor is challenged to implement their task "always produce quality" directly on their own. Unfortunately, what often does not happen in return, is the support of the Shopfloor team in overcoming their problems.

Here are two examples:

- Not sufficiently stable processes always cause repeating problems and hinder the actually good flow in the production (flow). Combined with a change of personnel at a critical production workstation, errors are easily created. In the case of missing or insufficient final inspection, these faulty products are then quickly delivered. The customer react quickly and require additional and immediate measures, for example a further control of the final inspection and an implementation plan for eliminating further possibilities for error.

- Products are constantly evolving. Consequently, product / material costs will be reduced. Further cost savings then continue with the necessary new tools for the new product. Machine processing steps are summarized by investing in new machines. Time is known to be money and too often the new machines have to start without sufficient process stabilization and manufacturing capabilities in production. The further optimization of the machine and process capability is to be carried out by the shopfloor team. The goal "always to produce only fault-free products", to harmonize processes, to keep inventories small and to further reduce the quality costs remains. Certainly not an easy task alongside the daily job.

I encourage every company to build a "cross-functional team" and qualify as "an efficient and complementary success team". This should necessarily be practice-oriented and extra-occupational to your own processes and products.

The need for project and problem solving teams has grown in recent years and will continue to increase. There is already an action team in almost every company: improvement, remodeling, relocation and launch projects, but also e.g. to customer complaints and to improve effective and sustainable process and quality assurance.

The future world will be much strengthened by teams and targeted "missions". Think of a volunteer fire department in a village and far away from any city. When it burns, expert help can be provided. One is prepared and through training and assignments one improves the "success rate" and the practical knowledge.

In my experience, an in-house qualification program for the above-proposed "cross-functional team" includes e.g. the following elements: Lean Production, Lean Inventory, CIP, 5S, some statistical process control, some Six Sigma, knowledge and tools on how to perform a process and machine capability analysis.

The training of problem-solving methods is very important, to find root causes. Existing skills of the individual should be further strengthened, such as analytical thinking, thinking outside the box in terms of processes (value stream), how to evaluate and present measurable improvements. Furthermore, I would like to list from my experience: Moderation skills, occasional active participation in the shop floor boards and the process of continuous improvement throughout the entire plant and along the supply chain.

Before a company sets training content, a requirement analysis would be helpful. Please remember the volunteer fire department: Depending on your needs (present and future), environment, experience and risks, equipment, tools and trained procedures differ.

I look forward to a feedback.

Best regards

Bernd Harengel