Tools For Improving Quality PDF

17/10/2023 TOPIC 8: TOOLS FOR CONTROLLING & IMPROVING QUALITY Prepared by: Nurliyana Binti Mohd Shazali Senior Lecturer FSPPP UiTM Kampus Seremban...

17/10/2023 TOPIC 8: TOOLS FOR CONTROLLING & IMPROVING QUALITY Prepared by: Nurliyana Binti Mohd Shazali Senior Lecturer FSPPP UiTM Kampus Seremban 1 Learning Objectives  Able to elaborate the tools used in quality control & improvement effort.  Able to illustrate the tools used in quality control & improvement effort. 8.1 Introduction  Focus on a variety of tools and techniques to help organisations in continual process improvement projects.  Numerous methodologies for improvement have been proposed over the years. 1  17/10/2023 8.2 Creative Problem Solving  Problem: any deviation between what “should be” and what “is” that is important enough to need correcting: 1. Structured – Just follow the instruction (Installing a cupboard). 2. Semi-structured – Using a custom-made solutions or ready made solutions or both. 3. Ill-structured - Must be dealt with using custom- made, non-routine solutions. Invent a solution and hope it will be successful.  Creative Problem Solving: the activity associated with changing the state of what “is” to what “should be” in a new/novel way – using creativity. 8.2.1 CPS Strategy 1. Understanding the “mess” 2. Finding facts 3. Identify specific problems 4. Generating ideas 5. Developing solutions 6. Implementing solutions 8.3 The Deming Cycle (PDCA / PDSA) Act Plan Customer Satisfaction Study/ Check Do 2  17/10/2023  A Part of Kaizen philosophy.  To guide & motivate improvement activities.  Promoted by Edward Deming.  Originally found by Walter Shewhart & called the Shewhart Cycle but renamed as Deming Cycle by the Japanese in 1950.  The “Check” was changed to “Study” in 1990 by Deming with the argument that “Study” is more appropriate; with only a “Check” one might miss something (but still, many people use “Check”). 8.3.1 PDCA / PDSA Explanation  Plan : Recognise an opportunity, and plan the change  Do : Test the change  Check / Study : Review the test, analyse the results & identify learning  Act : Take action based on what you learned in the check step. If the change was successful, incorporate the learning from the test into wider changes. If not, go through the cycle again with a different plan. Plan 1. Define the process: its start, end, & what it does. 2. Describe the process: list the key tasks performed & sequence of steps, people involved, equipment used, environmental conditions, work methods, and materials used. 3. Describe the players: external & internal customers and suppliers, & process operators. 4. Define customer expectations: what the customer wants, when, & where, for both external & internal customers. 5. Determine what historical data are available on process performance, or what data need to be collected to better understand the process. 3  17/10/2023 Plan 6. Describe the perceived problems associated with the process; for instance, failure to meet customer expectations, excessive variation, long cycle times, & so on. 7. Identify the primary causes of the problems & their impacts on process performance. 8. Develop potential changes or solutions to the process, & evaluate how these changes or solutions will address the primary causes. 9. Select the most promising solution(s). Do 1. Conduct a pilot study or experiment to test the impact of the potential solution(s). 2. Identify measures to understand how any changes or solutions are successful in addressing the perceived problems. Study / Check 1. Examine the results of the pilot study or experiment. 2. Determine whether process performance has improved. 3. Identify further experimentation that may be necessary. Act 1. Select the best change or solution. 2. Develop an implementation plan: what needs to be done, who should be involved, & when the plan should be accomplished. 3. Standardize the solution, for example, by writing new standard operating procedures. 4. Establish a process to monitor & control process performance. 4  17/10/2023 8.3.2 Key Idea The Deming cycle focuses on both short-term continuous improvement & long-term organisational learning. 8.4 The Seven QC Tools 1. Flowchart 2. Run chart & control chart 3. Check sheet 4. Histogram 5. Pareto diagram 6. Cause-and-effect diagram 7. Scatter diagram 8.4.1 Flowchart  Shows unexpected complexity, problem areas, redundancy, unnecessary loops, & where simplification may be possible  Compares & contrasts actual versus ideal flow of a process  Allows a team to reach agreement on process steps & identify activities that may impact performance  Serves as a training tool 5  17/10/2023 Most flow charts are made up of three main types of symbol: Elongated circles, which signify the start or end of a process; Rectangles, which show instructions or actions; & Diamonds, which show decisions that must be made. 8.4.1.1 Key Idea  A flowchart or process map identifies the sequence of activities or the flow of materials and information in a process.  Flowcharts help the people involved in the process understand it much better & more objectively by providing a picture of the steps needed to accomplish a task. 6  17/10/2023 8.4.2 Run Chart  Monitors performance of one or more processes over time to detect trends, shifts, or cycles  Allows a team to compare performance before & after implementation of a solution to measure its impact  Focuses attention on truly vital changes in the process 8.4.2.1 Key Idea  Run charts show the performance & the variation of a process or some quality or productivity indicator over time in a graphical fashion that is easy to understand & interpret.  They also identify process changes & trends over time and show the effects of corrective actions. 7  17/10/2023 8.4.2.2 Control Chart  A run chart with two horizontal lines, called control limit.  Focuses attention on detecting & monitoring process variation over time.  Distinguishes special from common causes of variation.  Serves as a tool for on-going control.  Provides a common language for discussion process performance. * * * * * * * 8.4.3 Check Sheet  Creates easy-to-understand data  Builds, with each observation, a clearer picture of the facts  Forces agreement on the definition of each condition or event of interest  Makes patterns in the data become obvious quickly xx xxxxxx x 8  17/10/2023 8.4.3.1 Key Idea Check sheets are special types of data collection forms in which the results may be interpreted on the form directly without additional processing. 8.4.4 Histogram  Displays large amounts of data that are difficult to interpret in tabular form  Shows centering, variation, & shape  Illustrates the underlying distribution of the data  Provides useful information for predicting future performance  Helps to answer “Is the process capable of meeting requirements? 9  17/10/2023 8.4.4.1 Key Idea  Histograms provide clues about the characteristics of the parent population from which a sample is taken.  Patterns that would be difficult to see in an ordinary table of numbers become apparent. 8.4.5 Pareto Diagram  A Pareto distribution is one in which characteristics observed are ordered from largest frequency to smallest.  The line above the bar – cumulative values of defects.  Basically, Pareto Diagram is a histogram but it shows the distribution from the largest frequency to the smallest.  Based on 80/20 rule: separate the important from the trivial (unimportant).  Juran (1992) – “vital few and useful many”. 10  17/10/2023  In 80/20 principle – high proportion of quality issues resulted from only a few causes, i.e. 80% of the issues comes from 20% of the causes.  E.g. 80% of the sales comes from 20% of loyal customers.  Benefits of using Pareto Diagram: 1. Helps a team focus on causes that have the greatest impact. 2. Displays the relative importance of problems in a simple visual format. 3. Helps prevent “shifting the problem” where the solution removes some causes but worsens others. 8.4.6 Cause And Effect Diagram  Enables a team to focus on the content of a problem, not on the history of the problem or differing personal interests of team members.  Creates a snapshot of collective knowledge and consensus of a team; builds support for solutions.  Focuses the team on causes, not symptoms. Effect Cause 11  17/10/2023 Cause Contributor to the Cause Effect 8.4.6.1 Key Idea A cause-and-effect diagram is a simple graphical method for presenting a chain of causes and effects & for sorting out causes & organising relationships between variables. 8.4.7 Scatter Diagram  Supplies the data to confirm a hypothesis that two variables are related.  Provides both a visual & statistical means to test the strength of a relationship.  Provides a good follow-up to cause & effect diagrams.  3 correlations – positive (increase in x is related to increase in y), negative (increase in x related to the decrease in y) & no correlation (variables have no linear relationship). * * * * * * 12  17/10/2023 8.5 Kaizen  Definition: gradual & orderly continuous improvement.  ‘Kai’ = change & ‘Zen’ = good change for the better.  Improvement in all areas of business, ex: cost, meeting delivery schedules, product development, etc.  For a successful kaizen program: 1. Operating practices – new improvement opportunities e.g. Just-In-Time (JIT). 2. Total Involvement – Top Mgt, Mid Mgt, Supervisor & Employees. 3. Training – self-development programs that teach problem solving techniques, small group activities. 8.5.1 Kaizen Implementation Tools a) Checklist – includes: personnel, work procedures, equipment tools, work techniques, time, systems, materials, work methods, facilities, software, plant layout, production level, inventory paradigms. b) Kaizen FIVE-step plan = 5S:  The 5S are often useful to firms beginning to implement quality improvement or just-in- time processes.  The primary focus is to create a culture of waste reduction and minimization.  The 5S are to be implemented over time – from 6 months to 2 years – and sequentially. Implement the first S, then the second S, and so forth. 13  17/10/2023 b) Kaizen FIVE-step plan = 5S: 1. Seiri - straighten up (organising and throwing away things you don’t use). 2. Seiton - put things in order (neatness in the workplace). 3. Seiso - clean-up. 4. Seiketsu - personal cleanliness (standardisation). 5. Shitsuke - discipline (repeat the above step). c) 5W & 1H: 1. Who – Who is doing? Who should be doing? 2. What – What is being done? What should be done? 3. Where – Where is it being done? Where should it be done? 4. When – When is it being done? When should it be done? 5. Why – Why is it being done? Why do it that way? 6. How – How is it being done? How should it be done? d) 5-M checklist – Man, Machine, Material, Methods & Measurement. 8.6 Benchmarking Definition: ‘Measuring own performance against that of best-in-class companies, determining how they achieve those performance levels & using the information as a basis for own company’s targets, strategies and implementation.’  What is best practices? Refers to approaches – technology, HR, recognized by customers/industry experts.  What are the reasons for benchmarking? 1. Helps to identify performance gaps. 2. A process of continuous learning (sensitive to customers’ changing needs). 14  17/10/2023 8.6.1 Types of Benchmarking  Competitive benchmarking - studying products, processes, or business performance of competitors in the same industry to compare pricing, technical quality, features, & other quality or performance characteristics of products & services.  Process benchmarking – focus on key work processes – to identify the most effective practices in companies that perform similar functions. 8.6.2 Barriers of Benchmarking 1. Lack of motivation to adopt the practice. 2. Inadequate information about how to adapt the practice & make it work. 3. Lack of absorptive capacity, the resources & skill to make & manage the change. 8.7 Engaging the Workforce in Process Improvement  Technical skills  Shared vision  Behavioral skills 15  17/10/2023 8.7.1 Skills For Team Leaders  Conflict management & resolution  Team management  Leadership skills  Decision making  Communication  Negotiation  Cross-cultural training 8.7.2 Skills For Team Members  Effective meetings  Shared decision making 8.7.3 Key Idea Compared to the technical tools for gathering and analysing data, the “soft skills”— those that involve people — such as project management & team facilitation, are more difficult to teach and learn. 16