Quality Tools and Techniques

Quality Tools and Techniques

Practicing quality techniques
Author: Dr Rhys Rowland-Jones

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Session plan
Demonstrate the differing types of quality tools/techniques attributed to the Japanese. Illustrate the applicability of tools and techniques of quality improvement. Describe individual applications of appropriate quality tools.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Continual improvement
Continual improvement is a type of change that is focused on increasing the effectiveness and/or efficiency of an organization to fulfil its policy and objectives. It is not limited to quality initiatives. Improvement in business strategy, business results, customer, employee and supplier relationships can be subject to continual improvement.
Source: IQA. 2007

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Basic steps in problem solving

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Define the problem and establish an improvement goal. Collect data. Analyze the problem. Generate potential solutions. Choose a solution. Implement the solution. Monitor the solution to see if it accomplishes the goal.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Traditionally, a Japanese Samurai carried seven tools into battle.

After World War II the Japanese adopted 'quality' as a philosophy for economic recovery and, in line with this traditional approach, sought seven tools to accomplish the economic rejuvenation. The seven tools chosen were:
Histograms Cause and Effect Diagrams Check Sheets Pareto Diagrams Graphs Control Charts Scatter Diagrams

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Quality Tools and Techniques

The seven tools

Control Chart Pareto Chart

* * * * * * * * * Scatter Plot

Data Collecting

Ishikawa Chart

Stratification Histogram Standards in Action

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Techniques For Improvement.

Scatter Diagrams

Inputs

Outputs

Input-Output analysis Flow Charts

Cause-Effect Diagrams

x x x x x x x x

Pareto Analysis

Why - why analysis Why? Why? Why?

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Cause-and-Effect Diagram
Methods
Cause
Cause Cause

Materials
Cause
Cause Cause

Environment
Cause
Cause Cause Cause

Effect
Cause
Cause

People

Equipment

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Check Sheet
Billing Errors
Wrong Account
Wrong Amount

Monday

A/R Errors
Wrong Account Wrong Amount

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Pareto Analysis

Number of defects
Off Smeared Missing Loose Other centre print label

80% of the problems may be attributed to 20% of the causes.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Statistical Process Control (SPC)

A process by which a product/service is checked during its creation using certain set parameters and statistical techniques to measure and analyze the variation within the process. WHAT IS IT USED FOR: To monitor the consistency of product/service quality and maintain processes to a fixed target as designed. To drive improvement actions within an organization.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Control Chart
1020 1010 1000 990 980 970 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

UCL

LCL

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Run Chart
Diameter

Time (Hours)
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Tracking Improvements
UCL UCL UCL

LCL LCL LCL Process not centred and not stable Process centred and stable Additional improvements made to the process

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Process Variation

Process Variability
Variations due to:

Natural Causes:
Temperature variation Material variation Customer differences Operator performance

Special Causes:
Machine is breaking Untrained operative Machine movement Process has changed

Must be monitored
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Early and visible warning required

Quality Tools and Techniques

What can be controlled using SPC?

VARIABLES.

Variable Measures are those that can be measured on a continuous scale, for example length, time, weight....

ATTRIBUTES.

Attributes are characteristics that are assessed by judgment and are dichotomous, i.e. have two states such as right or wrong, looks OK or not OK.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Quality at the source

The philosophy of making each worker responsible for the quality of his or her work.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Genichi Taguchis theory of Quality loss

Quality is a predictable degree of uniformity and dependability, at low cost and suited to the market. Losses begin to accrue as soon as a quality characteristic of a product or service deviates from the nominal value. Once the specification limits are reached the loss suddenly becomes positive and constant, regardless of the deviation from the nominal value beyond the specification limits.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Taguchi Loss Function

Traditional cost function
Cost

Taguchi cost function

Lower spec
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Target

Upper spec

Quality Tools and Techniques

Quality Function Deployment

The House of Quality

KEY
weak (1) strong (3) very strong (9)

Design Characteristics

Customer Perceptions

1 2 3 4 5

Customer Attributes

Absolute Weight

attribute weights x relationship strength

Sales Points Feasibility Evaluation

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1= weak; 10 = strong 1=easy, 10=difficult (AW x SP) / Feasibility

Quality Tools and Techniques

QFD The House Of Quality.

Engineering Characteristics Customer Requirements Parts Characteristics Engineering Characteristics Key Process Operations Parts Characteristics Production Requirements Key Process Operations

The QFD methodology has been developed into a continuous process, and it can be applied equally well to service or manufacturing environments
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Quality Tools and Techniques

Summary
We have looked at a range of quality tools/techniques for improvement. Statistical process control. Taguchis theory of quality loss. Quality Function deployment.

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