Problem : Increased Number of Reject Panels Caused by Burr and other Rough Part

SPECIFICATION IS IS NOT DISTINCTIONS CHANGES

What Normal production ● Valenti, one of the

- Object Rejected Panels Accepted Panels rejection only 1-2 times employee, was
- Deviation - Burrs Nice and clean per hour and rose to 7- expelled due to the
- Other rough spot 12 times per hour unproven suspicion
of bringing bottles
Where The sheets that went to the factory area
- Object Panel Panther Panel Cheetah into line #1,#2,and #4 (Line 2) and
- Place Line #1,#2, and #4 Line #3 came out rough followed by the
withdrawn of
Valenti’s brother in
When ● One month before a Line 3
- Time Since Wednesday Before Wednesday new negotiation of ● The machine press
Line # 1 - 10.03 A.M. contract on Line 1 produces
Line # 2 - 09.30 A.M. ● A day after Valenti more noises than
Line # 4 - 11.20 A.M. had been suspended usual
by Farrell

How Much
- Trend Getting Worse Getting Better The defect has a rough The productivity of the
The reject ratio per hour The reject ratio was surface and burr. factory
was getting worse, from 1- neither remain the
2 times per hour to 7-12 same nor decreasing
times per hour.

Possible Causes 1. Machine error (K&E) The most possible causes:

2. Human sabotage (D&C) Sabotage done by the draw press operators
3. Raw material (sheet) is defect (K&E)
Verification 1. Restructure the role of Farrell’s
responsibility Reasoning:
2. Ask Valenti to return to work and conduct ● Possible cause number 1 “Machine error” is
conducive talks with the union. proven to be invalid after being confirmed by
Robert Polk the Production Chief in the
afternoon meeting
● Possible cause number 3 “Raw material
(sheet) is defective and is proven to be
invalid after being confirmed by Robert Polk
in the early emergency phone call with
Burger.

Has the Plant Plant Manager, Oscar Burger, has analyzed the situation correctly yet it could have been done more
Manager Burger efficiently in term of time
analyzed the situation
correctly? Good approach Area to improve

● Gathered to all the stakeholders to figure out
the problems by listening and observing each
other.
● Oscar Burger, the plant manager” did not map
the issues in order to analyze the issues / so that
he experienced difficulties in eliminating the
possible causes and determining the true
cause.

If you were the Plant Understanding the core problem would be paramount here which is “high number of defects” that is
Manager, how would uncommon to happen by also directly eliminating other irrelevant issues. Other than that, Burger could
you go about solving have directly focused on where the problem happened and where it did not, so that Burger could have
it? observed and justified if machinery can be the only possible cause or there might have been other possible
causes. According to the case, Burger did notice that there was a non-machine problem after conducting
the afternoon meeting where the defect rate had increased and must have caused higher losses to the
company.

Oscar Burger also had to look up into the labor union which also had a significant impact on productivity
by preventing them from striking due to the issues of the contract period. He also has to conduct the talk
with Valenti to observe the problem and what is happening at the moment, so it will enrich his perspective
on determining the solution.

Aside from that, a regulation to prohibit the supervisor to fire the operator without confirming to the manager
first should be governed so that every dismissal is considered carefully and supposed to be approved by
related manager.