Samadhan addresses the key challenges faced by the Corrugation Industry: Challenge #2 – Inconsistent quality of end-product

In our last article, we discussed about the revolutionary feature PDI (Product Design Interface) which takes care of dissatisfied customers and unprofitable business by helping them identify their specifications and requirements (boxes). In this article, we will talk about the second challenge faced by the manufacturers in the industry, i.e., inconsistent quality of end-product.

The challenge

Inconsistent quality of end-product – Based on our experience with corrugated box manufacturers, we understand that no matter how hard you try and how meticulous you are in your manufacturing processes, there always are rejections from the customer end that cost dearly to the units because there are only two ways one can address it, take back the product (which cannot be reused) or give discounts to the customers.

Either way it hits the bottom-line for the units and it affects customers' perception of consistent quality of the product adversely. In the absence of a well-placed and robust system, it is often very difficult for the units to trace back to the processes and material used to figure out what went wrong.

Since they are not able to identify this, bringing in consistency in the quality of end-product is very hard for the units.

The solution offered by our solution

Built-in Quality module – As you are aware, we had discussed in our first article of the series about how Samadhan has learnt from its customers on how to address this issue being faced by them.

In this article, we are going to discuss about a very integral and critical part of any solution (ideally) which should take care of the quality aspect of things involved during the entire lifecycle of items. We have created something in the same line, we like to call that as ‘Built-in Quality module’ that we have created, developed, and built specifically for the corrugation industry. This feature counters the above-mentioned challenge and provides great solution to the box manufacturers in the industry.

The following section explains this feature and how it tackles the challenges and gives the results to the manufacturers that they need.

The module takes care of the quality control at 3 stages. It comes into play whenever there is any purchase made and the company is expecting raw materials inside their premises. We are talking about incoming quality for the raw materials (main/associated) entering the premises which go into making the end-product to ensure that you receive the right quality material.

Then comes the in-process quality for the semi-finished or the work in progress materials/goods to ensure the production quality is being maintained as planned and finally, the pre-dispatch quality for the finished goods/end-product before the dispatch to ensure that the specifications as given by the customers have been met.

The Built-in Quality module has the following features which ensure the overall quality norms/standards are maintained during the incoming, in-process or pre-dispatch phases:

1. Quality setups – The quality setups like quality parameters, item specifications, plate and die status, vendor rating, and so on define the parameters to be used across item universe, item specification for an individual item, plate and die status for the plates and dies to be used for printing, etc and vendor ratings for rating the vendors on the basis of certain criteria. The basis of all quality inspection and their results lie in the concept of item specifications where all the attributes along which the quality of the item will be measured are defined. The same item specs are populated for the quality inspector every time them want to do the quality whether it is for incoming material, in-process material, or outgoing material. The quality persons just have to put their observations in the system against each of the attributes of the item and the system picks up the item spec value of that item and matches with the actual input and ultimately approves or rejects the item. This way, it is absolutely system generated and there is no manual manipulation possible, whatsoever.
2. Incoming quality – This part of the module ensures that the quality standards are met when the main raw materials (kraft paper) or any other allied materials are received in the premises. The quality is done via incoming lot inspection (paper) and incoming other item inspection. There is a facility where you could do the receipt before the quality or even after the quality (it depends on the company’s policies). It also applies to other materials like glue, ink, etc where you would look for the quality spec before/after receiving as they are also crucial to obtaining the right quality FG.
3. In-process quality – One of the most crucial part of the module is the in-process quality which is responsible for ensuring that the raw materials are undergoing the processes as planned and that they would come out of it as per the specifications of the FG. Corrugation in-process quality and conversion in-process quality are some of the quality checkups done during this module. During this, production order COA (Certificate of Analysis) is also generated which is required by the customers, and the final inspection is done before the item moves to the FG location for dispatch. Random batch-wise sampling is done for the in-process items and that forms the basis of approval/rejection of the whole batch. It further ensures transparency.
4. Pre-dispatch quality – Before leaving the premises, the final quality is done via the pre-dispatch quality feature of the module where the FG quality is once again done to be absolutely sure of the quality of the FG being dispatched to the customers. A detailed and stringent quality at this stage guarantees that the FG items leaving the premises for delivery are up to the customer-specified standards and that virtually there is no chance of a rejection on the part of customer. A well-done pre-dispatch quality would ensure a happy and satisfied customer every single time.
5. Return, Reclassification and Rework – Another feature within this module takes care of the returns, reclassifications, and rework. Assuming there is a return (even after trying so hard, there could always be returns) of the items dispatched, the company would like to go for digging out the reasons for return and also the resolutions for the same. The feature is quite capable of doing so. It manages all the returns against the quality standards and helps the user understand what went wrong (which quality spec didn’t match up) and also what could be the probable resolution(s) for the same. The feature is also capable of reclassifying the returned item as it may not be a total waste and may very well be congruent to the item spec for another item. You may also do some rework if that is possible to bring the returned item up to the acceptable standards and the same could again be dispatched.
6. Machine quality parameter and machine calibration – You will also find a very useful feature which takes care of the machine quality parameters and ensures that they are in proper working condition as per the set standards and that they are most likely to give the output as per quality. If required, machines could be calibrated to match their standards. Hence, we have really worked on this aspect of the quality, as we believe that if everything that goes into making of the FG is of a certain specified quality, the finished goods (boxes) most likely are going to measure up to the quality standards.

(The above video features incoming quality phase of the Quality module for Corrugated Samadhan)

Built-in Quality module –?The advantages summed up

• It ensures that the quality control is exercised throughout the material lifecycle and that the manufacturer is able to ensure the highest quality finished goods.
• This module is quite capable of capturing the quality specifications as intricate and detailed as they might be and help maintain the standards throughout.
• The built-in quality module also ensures innovation resulting in lower costs and less wastages.
• This results in very satisfied customers, less returns, and less wastages.

Watch out for our next articles to learn in detail about other facet of the solution

Hope you had a good read about another key challenge faced by the corrugation industry-inconsistent quality of end-product, and the solution provided by Samadhan with its Built-in Quality module.

In this series, we will be coming up with the next article, based around another key challenge-low capacity utilisation, and how Samadhan can help tackle it with another great feature created and developed by it.

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