This is Quality Control to Major Tom
Quality is not what you may think.
- We often think of handmade luxury goods as “High Quality”, but I would argue that more automated processes create “consistency” and therefore each part is more perfect. Could you imagine building an aircraft engine by hand without the use of machine tools and CNC technology?
- We also often think that Quality refers to the product or service that we sell, but I would argue that we must seek out Quality Control throughout our entire organization. After all, one dollar’s waste in accounting, is just as important as one on our assembly line.
- We often think that we can get everyone to be “more careful” or inspect every part that comes off the line to attain High Quality, but I would argue that is waste unto itself.
A long time ago I was tasked with Vendor Quality Assurance for a large company. When parts would arrive to our loading dock quality checks were made and when parts did not meet our standards, I was tasked with traveling to the Vendor to figure out what went wrong. My job was to understand their processes from start to finish by lunch time and solve the problem by supper time.
Once the problem was identified the Vendor would invariably say, “we will be more careful, and we will add an additional inspection to make sure you never get bad parts again”. To which I would ask, “doesn’t that make the part more expensive to produce?” They would admit that it did, but that they were willing to do it because our business was so important to them.
This discussion always took me to my favorite question, “what if we could change the process so that it would be impossible to make this mistake?” Rather than putting a Band-Aid on the problem why don’t we fix the problem with real corrective action so that my company is assured that we always get good parts, and your company can make more money?
And that is the approach we must all take with every process within our company; when a mistake is made, we stop and ask why this happened and what can we do so that this problem never comes up again. For it is not a sin to make mistakes, but it is a sin to repeat them.
Quality control is a very important aspect of any business, as it ensures that the products or services meet the expectations and standards of the customers or clients. Quality control involves testing, inspecting, and evaluating the quality of various factors involved in the production process, such as raw materials, components, processes, and final products. Quality control also helps to identify and correct any defects or errors that may occur during the production process.
There are many methods and techniques for quality control, depending on the type and nature of the product or service. Some of the common methods are:
- Statistical quality control (SQC): This method uses statistical tools and techniques to analyze data and monitor the quality of a process or product. SQC helps to detect any variations or trends in the data that may indicate a problem or an opportunity for improvement. SQC also helps to set limits and specifications for the quality of a process or product.
- Taguchi method: This method is based on the principles of quality engineering and focuses on optimizing the performance and reliability of a product or process. Taguchi method uses a systematic approach to design experiments, collect data, analyze results, and implement improvements. Taguchi method also considers both customer satisfaction and cost-effectiveness as criteria for quality improvement.
- 100% inspection method: This method involves inspecting every unit or batch of products or services before they are delivered to the customers or clients. This method ensures that no defective or faulty products or services are sent out to the market. However, this method can be very time-consuming, costly, and wasteful if there are too many defects or errors in each unit or batch.
- Lean principles: Lean principles are based on the idea of maximizing customer value while minimizing waste. Lean principles identify seven types of waste: inventory, motion, processing, overproduction, waiting, transportation, and defects. Lean principles aim to eliminate these wastes by applying various tools and techniques, such as value stream mapping, 5S methodology, kaizen, kanban, poka-yoke, etc.
- Six Sigma: Six Sigma is a data-driven approach that focuses on improving the quality and reliability of a process or product by reducing variation and defects. Six Sigma uses statistical tools and techniques to analyze data and monitor performance. Six Sigma also follows a structured methodology called DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) to identify problems and implement solutions.
- Just-in-time: Just-in-time is a production system that aims to deliver products or services only when they are needed by the customers or clients. Just-in-time reduces inventory costs and waste by synchronizing production with demand. Just-in-time also requires close coordination and communication between suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and customers.
Quality control and the elimination of waste can benefit businesses in many ways, such as:
- Improving customer satisfaction and loyalty
- Increasing productivity and efficiency
- Reducing costs and expenses
- Enhancing innovation and competitiveness
- Improving employee morale and motivation
Quality control is not only beneficial for businesses but also for customers and clients who want to receive high-quality products or services that meet their needs and expectations. Quality control can also enhance customer loyalty, satisfaction, trust, and reputation for a business.
While these principles were developed on production lines around the world, they can be used throughout any business whether a financial institution, internet company, service organization, and even in non-profit companies.
I will leave you with a few of Skip’s truisms about Quality:
- The further down in a process that a mistake is found the more exponentially expensive it becomes.
- You cannot inspect quality into a product or process, at best you can weed out a few of the bad ones.
- Make every job idiot proof, or Skip proof, if you prefer. Make it easy for me to do it right and difficult for me to make a mistake.
- Quality is everyone’s job, in every department.
- Effective Quality Assurance can save a company more money than the value of the product they produce.
- Quality is about consistency; not how posh something is. Old Toyotas have more miles than old Rolls Royce’s.
- Productivity, Elimination of Waste, and Quality Control are all directly related to Profit.
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