2008/08/06
2008/03/13
Pass Through / Passthrough / Pass Thru Characteristics
So now and then this type of characteristic shows up in discussion with your customer. What is it? Well, when a part makes it to your customer and your customer has some kind of trouble with it. With parts getting more complex and are often assembled into sub-assemblies. Your company does not make all the parts that go into the sub-assembly, but the parts are purchased. Some of the purchased parts have features (such threaded holes, pins, clips and in general Form, Fit or Function features) that your company does not check, but are key features for your customer. When one of those features is missing or damaged, your customer has a problem.
In short, pass through characteristics are those characteristics that have potential form, fit or function problems that will not be detected by your company, but will cause problems at your customer or customer's customer.
Think about an engine. When it arrives at a car assembly plant, many connections have to be made (radiator, air, gas, transmission, cables and so on). Many of these features come from parts you have purchased from suppliers. The stud or the clip is a pass through characteristic for you (you do not touch, make it or inspect it) and can create a serious problem for your customer.
You would say inspect it. In some cases that is possible or error proofed, in others it is not. For example it is not easily accessible or very expensive to inspect.
What do you do?
The characteristics must be identified all the way through the quality documents (Design FMEA, Process FMEA, Control plan). You always should inform your customer what the pass through characteristics are.
Key in establishing the pass through characteristics is that they should be developed during the development process (not after start of production). Your supplier should be fully aware and should have special controls in place to prevent defects leaving the suppliers facility.
What if you are already in production?
Review all your customer concerns (not just the official recorded concerns) and see which were form, fit or function issues that your company can not detect. Then take these to your suppliers and find out what how they are controlling these. You might find out that your supplier does not have controls. Here is your starting point.
Differenr approach?
Another approach you can take is to define any form, fit or function (or pierce points or attach points) as a special characteristics (significant characteristic) in your DFMEA and cascade those characteristics down to the supply base. In this case you would not need a pass through characteristics class.
In short, pass through characteristics are those characteristics that have potential form, fit or function problems that will not be detected by your company, but will cause problems at your customer or customer's customer.
Think about an engine. When it arrives at a car assembly plant, many connections have to be made (radiator, air, gas, transmission, cables and so on). Many of these features come from parts you have purchased from suppliers. The stud or the clip is a pass through characteristic for you (you do not touch, make it or inspect it) and can create a serious problem for your customer.
You would say inspect it. In some cases that is possible or error proofed, in others it is not. For example it is not easily accessible or very expensive to inspect.
What do you do?
The characteristics must be identified all the way through the quality documents (Design FMEA, Process FMEA, Control plan). You always should inform your customer what the pass through characteristics are.
Key in establishing the pass through characteristics is that they should be developed during the development process (not after start of production). Your supplier should be fully aware and should have special controls in place to prevent defects leaving the suppliers facility.
What if you are already in production?
Review all your customer concerns (not just the official recorded concerns) and see which were form, fit or function issues that your company can not detect. Then take these to your suppliers and find out what how they are controlling these. You might find out that your supplier does not have controls. Here is your starting point.
Differenr approach?
Another approach you can take is to define any form, fit or function (or pierce points or attach points) as a special characteristics (significant characteristic) in your DFMEA and cascade those characteristics down to the supply base. In this case you would not need a pass through characteristics class.
2008/03/06
Walkabout? Walk about?
Another great management tool. On a regular basis (sometimes every day), management walks from department to department and discusses with the department team the current state of affairs. Items discussed are productivity, scrap, customer concerns, status of improvement projects. This is the opportunity for the department team to speak and ask for help (more resources, remove road blocks and so on).
Indeed another great way to get management on the floor and for management to know what is going on.
Just like MBWA and LPA, no hiding behind the desk or email. And it works.....
Another great management tool. On a regular basis (sometimes every day), management walks from department to department and discusses with the department team the current state of affairs. Items discussed are productivity, scrap, customer concerns, status of improvement projects. This is the opportunity for the department team to speak and ask for help (more resources, remove road blocks and so on).
Indeed another great way to get management on the floor and for management to know what is going on.
Just like MBWA and LPA, no hiding behind the desk or email. And it works.....
2008/02/28
IMDS / MDS / Material Data System / RohS
Have you heard these terms before? What are they?
All terms are related to restricted substance management. Several substances (or materials) have been banned by OEMs and others.
There 6 main substances that are prohibited (for a complete list see www.gadsl.org) with some expections for some time. Some of the exceptions (lead in bearings for example expires in 2008) are still in force (lead in steel alloys for machining purposes).
The six are hexavalent chromium (Cr6+, chromium trioxide), cadmium, mercury, lead, pbb's and pbde's. So, heavy metals and two substances containing bromium.
What are application of these six? Applications include rust preventive, solder, batteries, TV tubes, paint, plastic additives and flame retardents.
What do they cause? Nausea, learning disabilities, carcinogenic and can cause death.
So, beware.... Have your suppliers declare that their goods do not contain these substances.
The MDS system (initiated by automotive OEM can assist to identify these substances).
We are working with a large manufacturer to get the MDS system setup. Another benefit is knowing what substances are in their products to assst with costing and hedging material cost fluctuation.
All terms are related to restricted substance management. Several substances (or materials) have been banned by OEMs and others.
There 6 main substances that are prohibited (for a complete list see www.gadsl.org) with some expections for some time. Some of the exceptions (lead in bearings for example expires in 2008) are still in force (lead in steel alloys for machining purposes).
The six are hexavalent chromium (Cr6+, chromium trioxide), cadmium, mercury, lead, pbb's and pbde's. So, heavy metals and two substances containing bromium.
What are application of these six? Applications include rust preventive, solder, batteries, TV tubes, paint, plastic additives and flame retardents.
What do they cause? Nausea, learning disabilities, carcinogenic and can cause death.
So, beware.... Have your suppliers declare that their goods do not contain these substances.
The MDS system (initiated by automotive OEM can assist to identify these substances).
We are working with a large manufacturer to get the MDS system setup. Another benefit is knowing what substances are in their products to assst with costing and hedging material cost fluctuation.
2008/02/27
Sudden customer requirements.... (PPAP, APQP)
Did you receive a phone call from your customer about new customer requirements that you did not know about before? What do you know?
We have been contacted by clients who face exactly this problem. What do you do?
One thing you could do is try to read/understand these new requirements. Of course your customer wants you to share everything you have.
What about intellectual property? Do I have to share all of it? What if my customer takes my information and starts shopping around with it?
As with most standards there is an offense and defense. As a supplier, you are playing defense. You want to meet the requirements and not give away the store. Is that possible?
Sure, it is. We have worked with customer and suppliers to protect both parties. The customer wants a guaranteee that your products work in the application. The supplier want their intellectual property protected. There is a middle ground.
Most recently, we were approach by some one (now a client) exactly in this situation. PPAPs were required to finalize a contract. We help this client to prepare a PPAP satisfactory to the customer and protecting the client. Win-Win.
What would you do in a situation like this?
We have been contacted by clients who face exactly this problem. What do you do?
One thing you could do is try to read/understand these new requirements. Of course your customer wants you to share everything you have.
What about intellectual property? Do I have to share all of it? What if my customer takes my information and starts shopping around with it?
As with most standards there is an offense and defense. As a supplier, you are playing defense. You want to meet the requirements and not give away the store. Is that possible?
Sure, it is. We have worked with customer and suppliers to protect both parties. The customer wants a guaranteee that your products work in the application. The supplier want their intellectual property protected. There is a middle ground.
Most recently, we were approach by some one (now a client) exactly in this situation. PPAPs were required to finalize a contract. We help this client to prepare a PPAP satisfactory to the customer and protecting the client. Win-Win.
What would you do in a situation like this?
2008/02/15
Reporting Project Status
My preference for reporting project status is RYG.
Red = project is behind (timing, cost, resources). Team needs help.
Yellow = project is behind, but the team has a solid plan in place to bring project back on track and go green soon.
Green = project is on schedule (timing, cost, resources), maybe minor slippage that the team can correct quickly.
Important is for management not to shoot the messenger (the one that brings the red status to their attention). If the team turns the project RED, management must act and make a decision what to do about it.
Secondly there should be no fear in the organization, so that the team can score the project accurately. Management does not like surprises, however fear prevents the actual project status to be communicated.
Thirdly the team is usually proud of the work they are doing. Reporting RED would mean to them that the team is not performing (usually beyond their control).
I have seen instances where projects were green during all project phases. The product launched and it turned out to be failure (customer complaints, warranty, overtime, high scrap, expensive product and process changes after launch). The company lost about $10,000,000 and in the end stopped making the product.
Red = project is behind (timing, cost, resources). Team needs help.
Yellow = project is behind, but the team has a solid plan in place to bring project back on track and go green soon.
Green = project is on schedule (timing, cost, resources), maybe minor slippage that the team can correct quickly.
Important is for management not to shoot the messenger (the one that brings the red status to their attention). If the team turns the project RED, management must act and make a decision what to do about it.
Secondly there should be no fear in the organization, so that the team can score the project accurately. Management does not like surprises, however fear prevents the actual project status to be communicated.
Thirdly the team is usually proud of the work they are doing. Reporting RED would mean to them that the team is not performing (usually beyond their control).
I have seen instances where projects were green during all project phases. The product launched and it turned out to be failure (customer complaints, warranty, overtime, high scrap, expensive product and process changes after launch). The company lost about $10,000,000 and in the end stopped making the product.
2008/02/04
Feel Good Metrics / Improving Business Performance
Do your metrics not give you the results that you are looking? You have metrics, but your business is improving?
Did you know that there are plenty companies that use Feel Good Metrics? Feel Good Metrics are reported weekly or monthly to staff, departments and the work force. These metrics are always above the goal or have no goal. A chart with Feel Good Metrics shows the heights of the bar often near the maximum of the chart. During the meeting, every one gets a pad on the shoulder, look how well we did!.
This is not the purpose of a metric. A metric should be an indicator of your management system performance. There should be a goal that is somewhat of a stretch. Action plans with due dates and responsibilities must be in place to drive the metric towards the goal. When the goal is reached, the goal must be changed and new plans initiated.
An example of a Feel Good Metric is how mang gauges were calibrated during a month. The number of gauges calibrated varies month to month depending on a schedule that was created. A better metric for a gauge calibration system would be how many gauges came up missing, how many gauges were out of calibration, what % of due gauges were calibrated.
Do you have Feel Good Metric? Review you metrics and maybe you are willing to share it here. You can also sent me an email to review your metrics.
Did you know that there are plenty companies that use Feel Good Metrics? Feel Good Metrics are reported weekly or monthly to staff, departments and the work force. These metrics are always above the goal or have no goal. A chart with Feel Good Metrics shows the heights of the bar often near the maximum of the chart. During the meeting, every one gets a pad on the shoulder, look how well we did!.
This is not the purpose of a metric. A metric should be an indicator of your management system performance. There should be a goal that is somewhat of a stretch. Action plans with due dates and responsibilities must be in place to drive the metric towards the goal. When the goal is reached, the goal must be changed and new plans initiated.
An example of a Feel Good Metric is how mang gauges were calibrated during a month. The number of gauges calibrated varies month to month depending on a schedule that was created. A better metric for a gauge calibration system would be how many gauges came up missing, how many gauges were out of calibration, what % of due gauges were calibrated.
Do you have Feel Good Metric? Review you metrics and maybe you are willing to share it here. You can also sent me an email to review your metrics.
2008/01/24
Potemkin Quality Systems
Have you heard of Potemkin Quality System?
Earlies in the week, I had a discussion with some other Quality professionals. During this discussion, some one dropped this name.
Potemkin was a Russian minister / military leader and he build store front villages back in the days to impress his empress Catherine. He wanted to show off his accomplishments and increase his standing with her after he conquered the Crimea. The name Potemin Village was created.
In later years, the name Potemkin villages was also used to joke about the Soviet Union and their accomplishment (some of which were clearly for show only and the impress the west).
A company with a PQS is a company with a quality system as a storefront only. The quality system is designed to impress the customer and the external auditor. In actuality, the quality system is not bringing any benefit / added value to the company. It is a store front only. Without the customer demanding it, there would be no quality system, back to business as usual.
Quality Management system can be value added, drive continuous improvement, used to bring company weaknesses to the surface and so on.
If you think your company' quality system is a Potemkin Village, it is time to take action and start building some real bricks to build an effective quality system.
Does your company have a PQS?
Earlies in the week, I had a discussion with some other Quality professionals. During this discussion, some one dropped this name.
Potemkin was a Russian minister / military leader and he build store front villages back in the days to impress his empress Catherine. He wanted to show off his accomplishments and increase his standing with her after he conquered the Crimea. The name Potemin Village was created.
In later years, the name Potemkin villages was also used to joke about the Soviet Union and their accomplishment (some of which were clearly for show only and the impress the west).
A company with a PQS is a company with a quality system as a storefront only. The quality system is designed to impress the customer and the external auditor. In actuality, the quality system is not bringing any benefit / added value to the company. It is a store front only. Without the customer demanding it, there would be no quality system, back to business as usual.
Quality Management system can be value added, drive continuous improvement, used to bring company weaknesses to the surface and so on.
If you think your company' quality system is a Potemkin Village, it is time to take action and start building some real bricks to build an effective quality system.
Does your company have a PQS?
2008/01/14
Outsourced / External management of your quality systems
Are you dealing with these kind of problems?
- audits are not viewed as an improvement tool (we do it, because the standard requires it)
- your internal auditors cancel audit at the last minute (more important things to do)
- difficult for your internal auditors to keep informed about standard changes and interpretations
- high turnover in your internal auditor ranks (attrition, reassigned)
- retraining auditors all the time in standards and core tools
- problems never get really fixed (poor root cause analysis, corrective actions are not effective)
- follow-up does not exist
Think about this as an alternative:
- bring in experienced professional auditors
- get benchmarking information
- get recommendations for improvement.
- optionally guide and train your internal auditor, if necessary
- independent from any one in your organization
- auditors who understand customer satisfaction
- auditors are up to date with latest requirements
- help you get ready for certification or surveillance audit
You can get all these things if you bring in an outside internal auditor. Your "audit pain" will be gone in no time.
Contact me if you are in need of this alternative. Click here
- audits are not viewed as an improvement tool (we do it, because the standard requires it)
- your internal auditors cancel audit at the last minute (more important things to do)
- difficult for your internal auditors to keep informed about standard changes and interpretations
- high turnover in your internal auditor ranks (attrition, reassigned)
- retraining auditors all the time in standards and core tools
- problems never get really fixed (poor root cause analysis, corrective actions are not effective)
- follow-up does not exist
Think about this as an alternative:
- bring in experienced professional auditors
- get benchmarking information
- get recommendations for improvement.
- optionally guide and train your internal auditor, if necessary
- independent from any one in your organization
- auditors who understand customer satisfaction
- auditors are up to date with latest requirements
- help you get ready for certification or surveillance audit
You can get all these things if you bring in an outside internal auditor. Your "audit pain" will be gone in no time.
Contact me if you are in need of this alternative. Click here
Sharing files and blogging
I created an account with www.4shared.com to upload files that you can view and download. There is one file uploaded. To view it click:
Dilbert
See if it works.
Dilbert
See if it works.
Gemba / What is reality?
This is an interesting topic. On many occasions I have seen engineers and managers making decision without knowing what is going outside their office. They are afraid to leave their private space.
One great tool is what the Japanese call "Gemba" and Larry Bossidy calls "what is reality". Leave your office or cubicle and wander out and see what real life is in your building, on a different floor or on the shopfloor. Talk to the people that do the actual work. This applies to manufacturing, service organizations, hospitals, schools and universities.
I recommend the 5W2H and 4P approach. (5W = what, when..., 4P = people, process, product and procedures). More about this later.
One great tool is what the Japanese call "Gemba" and Larry Bossidy calls "what is reality". Leave your office or cubicle and wander out and see what real life is in your building, on a different floor or on the shopfloor. Talk to the people that do the actual work. This applies to manufacturing, service organizations, hospitals, schools and universities.
I recommend the 5W2H and 4P approach. (5W = what, when..., 4P = people, process, product and procedures). More about this later.
2008/01/13
Manage the Change / Risk management
Managing changes is an important responsibility for any quality management system. There are inherent risks involved with change. Proper planning, implementation and validation must be part of the manage the change process. It depends on the change, how much effort is needed. You have to manage the risk, of course.
If your customers do not require their approval or notification, there are still risks. A failed change can become very expensive. Risks of change include loss of business, losing your customers, bad press (including newspaper, review sites, etc). A change should start with justifying the business case and a Process FMEA (your risk analysis of the change).
A manage the change checklist must be developed and become part of your quality management systems. You should audit if the change process is followed and needs improvement.
For example Ford Motor Company has a process called SREA (supplier request for engineering approval). This is a good start if you are looking for a manage the change process.
See me a note if I can help you out.
If your customers do not require their approval or notification, there are still risks. A failed change can become very expensive. Risks of change include loss of business, losing your customers, bad press (including newspaper, review sites, etc). A change should start with justifying the business case and a Process FMEA (your risk analysis of the change).
A manage the change checklist must be developed and become part of your quality management systems. You should audit if the change process is followed and needs improvement.
For example Ford Motor Company has a process called SREA (supplier request for engineering approval). This is a good start if you are looking for a manage the change process.
See me a note if I can help you out.
2008/01/06
Management by Walking around (MBWA)
MBWA is a tool that managers, engineers and also executives should use to keep in touch with what is going on outside their office. Leave your office (your "secure zone") and spend time with associates in the office or on the shopfloor. You will be amazed how much you will learn first hand. I have been tempted in the past to "run" my responsibilities from my office and by email.
In general I would say, that there is not enough MBWA. Some of my clients have the management office far away from the shop floor. The first time I heard the term MBWA was around 1986. The managing director of the research centre I was working for back then used the term and was an active believer in it (thank you, Ian).
In general I would say, that there is not enough MBWA. Some of my clients have the management office far away from the shop floor. The first time I heard the term MBWA was around 1986. The managing director of the research centre I was working for back then used the term and was an active believer in it (thank you, Ian).
2008/01/01
What will you be reading in this blog?
My intention is to publish my thoughts on the world of management systems and quality tools. Management systems includes the quality management standards (ISO 9001, TS 16949), enviromental standards (ISO 14001), health and safety standards (such as ANSI Z10). Quality tools include the 7 basic quality tools, automotive core tools (APQP, FMEA, PPAP, MSA, SPC) and Layered Process Auditing (LPA). Other topics include internal auditing (ISO 19011), root cause analysis, 5 Why, 5P, lean manufacturing, six sigma and Demings PDCA cycle. There will some information about specific topics such as IMDS (international material data system, http://www.mdsystem.com/) and REACH (European materials regulation).
There are too many topics to list here.
You will be able to download tools or presentations that are referenced in my blog, such as SPC using excel spreadsheet.
There are too many topics to list here.
You will be able to download tools or presentations that are referenced in my blog, such as SPC using excel spreadsheet.
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