Don’t Let Operator Issues Be An Excuse Not To Do Your Job!
I recently visited a client that is experiencing a number of quality issues both internally and externally with their customers. A large portion of their manufacturing process relies on operators doing their job properly. In reviewing their process, it was evident that operators were not handling material properly, not using process fixtures, and not following the methods they were taught....
Read MoreDoes Your Organization Continue To Have The Same Problems?
Continuous improvement is an on-going effort to improve products, services, and processes in an organization. It is typically conducted incrementally, i.e., making small frequent improvements versus breakthrough improvements where it is done in large steps. Many organizations use the kaizen approach to making incremental improvements. Key features of kaizen are: Improvements are based on...
Read MoreBase Your Problem Solving on Facts Not Data
Collecting the right data is important, but being able to turn that data into useful information is paramount in determining the right countermeasure to solve a problem. When defects are produced, and we find out only through data, we miss the chance to take appropriate corrective actions. Thus we may not be able to discover the true cause of the defects, resulting in our inability to take...
Read MorePreventing Bad Decisions: There’s No Such Thing as a No-Brainer
Making decisions is one of the hardest things most of us do as individuals, spouses, parents, leaders, and executives. Bad decisions can damage a relationship, a business, and a career, sometimes irreparably. So what causes bad decisions – the alternatives were not clearly defined, the right information was not collected, the costs and benefits were not thoroughly assessed. But often...
Read MoreIs Your Organization Too Smart to Make Mistakes?
How much do you think human error costs your company annually? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions? One thing for sure is the fact that we humans are all prone to make mistakes. So given our fallibility, how do you build systems that compensate for the likelihood of error? One method is to use checklists. A checklist is a informational job aid used to reduce failure by compensating for...
Read MoreImplementing a Problem Solution Requires Careful Planning
You’ve done a lot of hard work, analyzed your process, and have come up with a root cause and a viable solution. How do you proceed from here? What steps do you need to take in order to ensure the solution is properly implemented and the problem doesn’t come back. Here are some things you need to consider: First, have you piloted the solution. Have you conducted a trial run?...
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