The Ultimate Guide to Layered Process Audits . sExecutive Summary Acknowledgments‘The 193uk upan Joss absence iss wesks long slream of troussnes. bf defective parts shipped ftom the plant £9 the company’s moss Impertant customers. Only nee the comnts start ling in does “anyone realzo the extont of the problem, costing tho company milions In tors of eor9p, sewark, warranty svete an future business In this seerario, at frst Inakit appears Je i doing a great service te tho company in eselvng thie issue. However, by adoing an extra stop without documentations prime example of what's called the hidden factory he's simely temporarily avoiding a qualty issue that wi happen whenever Joe Isn't present. A praduct Inspection alone Tant tkely t fine this typeof problem, Fighlgting the need for ongoing races verification, In another example, twice weesly maintenance Is nat lng carried ost ‘on anew muthmillon dollar robotic laser wading machine. Within « few sonks, parts are boing pieducad with micreseape cracks, hading Io ‘nuge downstream qualty sues and costs. The machine iteelt has aloo ‘been damaged as a veeut ofthe lack f mantenanea, Again a praguet Inspection may not catch the ieue unt eto late ‘The resut ls milons of dolars in addtional costs from serap, rework and returns, net ta mention the cast of rpating the welling machine ‘teal without essential pracess checks, manufacturers leave themselves ‘pen toa wide range of quay prebloms and cests—inclusing the loss ot oy business contracts, decning brand value and logal lables, ‘The salen, f many manufacturers, sto implement layered process ‘audts (CPAs) Using high-tequeney plant flea checks, LPAs reduce piorees var tion, resulting in [ewer otodustion celeste and costs wile creating daly habits that full culture of qualty In this guide, we @ What makes these auste diferent ana why campaniee eendust them + How to implement » surcese*ul L98 program eluding th pivotal rele oF management How to vrte LP& questions that works citical challenge for most Best practices for conducting auits and creating reaction plans + The tol of dgtal transformation in aderessing the sraitionalbarors teLPA success.Chapters Acknowledgments ecutive Summary - rer What Aro Layered Process Audits, (Chapter 2 Why Shoulé Manufacturers Conduct LPAS? [chapter 3 LOA Inolamentstion Process Overview, Chapter dc Managements Rel in LPAs hs 5: Top LPA Challenges (Chapter 6 How te Wrte LPA Questions: The Basics. Chapter 7 Types of Questions to heude. chapter B Bafore-andiAtter Examples of LPA Quastions [chapter @ Re ing Out LPAS te Your Pn chapter "0: vat Bast Practices... chapter Ih Creating the Jon ln 2 6 a 26 29 36 a8 “3 “6 8 [Chapter 12: Updating Your Question Library (Chapter 18: Strategies for proving LPA Results, Chapter igtal LPAs: How te Eliminate Paperwork and Prevent Qualtylesues with LPA Sof Chapter 15: How te Improve LPA Gheckste with LPA Software (Chapter 16: LPA Dashboards fr Management Letting ® Return en Your Ear [Chapter 1f he fle of Ls in Achioving Higher Loves of uslty Marutty. Ccesing Theushts About EASE ReferencesTable of Contents Acknowledgments .. Executive Summary... Chapter 1: What Are Layered Process Audits? who What LPAS Ave Not ‘0 CHAPTER 2: Why Should Manufacturers Conduct LPAs? Real Life: Using LPAs to Dive & Quality Turnaraund Variation: e's Only Natural 3 lon Defects, Comphints and CHAPTER 3: LPA Implementation Process Overview... CHAPTER 4: Management's Role in LPAs Communicating with the Team 2 Performing Au 2 laldng the Tear Account 2% Conducting Management Reviows. 2 CHAPTER 5: Top LPA Challenges .. CHAPTER 6: How to Write LPA Questions: The Ba 2 What Makes an Effective LPA Question? 30 1 Shouls Wir te LPA Questions? a Guestions 31 a Expert Take aCHAPTER 7: Types of Questions to Include Faeus on Hightalue Operati a ouraging htoraction 3 CHAPTER 8: Before-and-After Examples of LPA Questions. CHAPTER 9: Rolling Out LPAs to Your Plant...43 Trang Aude, 4 Certing Employees on Board. 46 CHAPTER 10: Au ow to Insite Canfermane er Ner-Corformance on the Best Practices. Phat oes a ow to Revere witigatiens - ar -skng Questions on the Plant Hoot 4 Explain the Wry - “a Soft Audi Stile: The Human Elemess “6 Managements Role in Conducting Audits 50 CHAPTER 11: Creating the Reaction Plan. Contarent Mitigation Coneetive Aetien Haman Error: What's the Real Root Caus6? CHAPTER 12: Updating Your Question Library When te Update Questions. Management Reviws.. Real ite: Engaging Qualty Leacors CHAPTER 13: Strategies for Improving LPA Results Monitring LPAEtfactiveness, overcoming ResistanceCHAPTER 14: Digital LPAs: How to Eliminate Paperwork and Prevent Quality Issues with LPA Software 63 Solving op LPA Challenges. es Real ie: How One Global Manufacturer Uses LP& Software to Salve Systems leu, 6 What's the Ral of LPA Sofware? _ es Lesaey Audit Prosesses Block improvement 6 Finding Flexible, Use-Frienaly Aust Software ea Avoiding Qualty Escapes and Reducing Complaints 6 Moving Forward with a Global Relout _ cy CHAPTER 15: How to Improve LPA Checklists with LPA Softwar 73 ‘Customizing Question Stope, * Uploading Photos. — *% Rerdomiaing Questions % Centralizing Audits — 76 Custom Question Tags *8 CHAPTER 16: LPA Dashboards for Management: Getting a Return on Your Effort 77 (Quality Metres te Review * LPA system Mtics 80 Reviewing Dashboard Data 80 Entorprieo-Lovel LPA Metrics to Tack, 80 eal Life: What Ave Realistic Audit Completion Rates? 80 Customizing Dashboards for Users. ® CHAPTER 17: The Role of LPAs in Achieving Higher Levels of Quality Maturity . 84 Level Operaterriven 85 Levelt Conteiimentin 88 Level 2: Corrections 86 Level Prevention co a Level: Improvement 8 Level Cukurs of Zoe Defects 88 Closing Thoughts... ‘About EASE Referencese0o000 What Are Layered Process Audits?The audits are meant ze completed in under 15 minutes, Using up te 10 yes er no questions specific to the ora area, Similar to @ pre-flight checklist, LPAS inputs at 1 10k at high-risk 1 start of each sh + to verify the procass is quality. King as i 1d and ensure first time corre: ‘The "yore vetert the stferont lave of th otganizaton who nde the audits with team bs “requently than pint managers. Reglenal ané business unit managers apd even OFOs should als participate when visiting plants ors performing auste mo Who Uses LPAs? ‘The automotive industry has long used LPAG, which ae a requirement {or cupplers to many a elude Ganaralotore ‘al equipment manutacturers (OEMs) that G9) and Fat Chrys cause of their ab ty tract aut hidden sourons of vaiaton, LPAs have ales been adopted ina growing rumbor of manu sing rdustries such a8 aoroepace, medal devices, chem cals, onsumer packaged goous and ethers ris [nat use Lean Sis Sigma and other process exci strategies se positioned wel te adopt LPs, wich stevie arse based strategy for continuous improvement that aligns withthe DanDe-CheckAct approach. Companies have spent time and money lo eptimize these programs, and LA hele ensure they ate lolowes LPAs provide a riskbased strategy that aligns with the Plan-Do.Check-Act approach * Greate toam + Write questions + Correct problems: + Add questions to sustain * Conduet audits + Enter findings + Report on findings + Wontify risksWhat LPAs Are Not Irs important te nate that LPAs do not inepect Anshed prosucts Inspections of fished products are inherently rearing, and can ‘only tnd defests that akosdy ons PAS. onthe other hang are uso ‘to revert defects before products a1e manufactured by vertying crtcalinputs et highisk pracosses. TY bevert ake “Leas should eatch someone doing something ight” Murray Sitteamer Lei LPs focus on at ts settings or behaviors where # noe conformance sous tosh in severe er costly auteome In thes words, [As address hghisk tems, rather than paperwere of minor comsllance check gant LPs are net sbout trying te eateh people making mistakes theyre about ealakersting an meaningful improvements. In adaten te helping prevent production defects, LPs ara 8 way te orovige ecaentil {eocback to operators and frontline eupery sors an what & 309 Ohl Phe are net done erly by she qualty department. They shauld be owned primary by operat ons, but every depariment shauld be involved Firaly, LPs are nat meant to be comerenensive. Sy defnten. tney can only capture a few items. Keeping them snert and quick and rotating questions in and outs what alows you to complete a lage umber of audits for better wsilty int your processes. a Download the Automativa dustry Aetion Group (AIAG) LP te bar move stout st practicesKey Takeaways: 7 LPAs are short, frequent audits to verify that the process adheres to the standard LPAs look at process inputs, not finished products Everyone in the organization should participate, from team leads to plant managers on up to the CEO—not just the quality department ‘Auditors conduct checks at a frequency corresponding with their level in the organization LPAs are used in automotive, aerospace, medical devices, chemicals, consumer packaged goods and many other manufacturing industriesWhy Should Manufacturers Conduct LPAs?‘A robust LPA program can transform quallty, driving improvements such as + Fewer production defects and complaints Lower serap rates and qualty costs + Higher productivity Improved culture of auslty and communication + fnerossed customer eaiefae + Fewer findings on key coriteation audits Ccompanise that execute LP&S correctly ean achive sigrificant Improvements n quality safety and casts in as tle a8 few months time! ‘Real Life: Using LPAs to Drive a Quality Turnaround ‘AFertune 800 aerospace supplr adcptod LPAs ta address pervasive ‘ualty issues impacting one ofits plant. The problem was that, ville LPs had the potential te delver huge value te the organzst an, twas impasa ole te comslote a large value of audits wsneut ‘everheling the qually team. ‘The plant implemented FASE te autemate LPA scheduling, flewup and repartng, allowing thom te achieve rosults such as 59% resuetion in customer defects © 3 reaction in internal PPM ‘8496 reduction in overdue corrective actions Even with small tam, the plant is now abo :o cemlate aver 160 1315 s month nating proactive wenilieat on ef pracess erors| and rks Real Life LPA Results °53% 74% 94% reduction in. customer defects reduction in nternal PPM reduction in overdue carrective actions “In two plants now we've been abe a step in whan Inacing naeatore was any shange te lagging metrics he Director of Qualty It’s only Natural Cover tine al systems tend toward disorder, also krawn a8 anrony Macnines break down, Humane take eharieuts or forget hat thay learn. Poope forget azoul halo eotrect ve actions in place. Varation gineuitabl, making engong vor eatin af erticaltequalty loments neceseary.W's cnly natura for poonle 12 nevitably make mistakes or ore workarounds when performing the same tasks overs long pring, Ps help proactively denty when ths accurs and needs tobe fixed botorait affects qualty and proauetivity.n arta situations, they can alsa Folp Gently when these shoriculs enould be neorporles inte the process. Wren you conduct regular checks, peopls have more respect fer what youre asking them lo, LAs alee snow respect Io operators and Provide eitiel ‘ecognstien of thelr effrts Reducing Production Defects, Complaints and Costs ‘There's no question that i caste ks ta manufacture erogucts st the frst Line. By verifying sresese pute, LPs nolpenere fretine correct qual. Checking process adherence close to the point of Ianufaeture ie what enables teams to fn and fx erable days weeks befere they impact customers For examsle if a temperature setting onan ijesten meliing process le 00 law, catching early ie a mun smaller problem when diecaverad internally tthe pratlem -aaches the custome, t auld mean tens of {thousands of sollars for more) in santainment ane earrectien costs, Preduet development velves lrge amounts of tne fray and money spent to develop tne optimum process. LPAs heb ensure ‘ompanigs adhove (a Una process, gelvring more val for investment in advaneos prosuet eualty planning (APQP) GQ Eevee rake Pople dent do what you expect but wat you inspect! ~ Lous V. Gerstner J, Former enarman of BM Improving Productivity Reacting te probleme diverts ent cal resources “tom productive workflow, atfcting metrics tke throughput and overall equipment offectieness (OEE) Its alo las expensive, more efficient and mere procuctive to manufacture products right the frst time. Compare this with having te spend extra time meeting with custemers, paying for sort ng Ine stoppage ‘ees and other costs, and i's clear that process stencersizaion mare than cays far teal Enhancing Communication and Quality Culture (One lg benefit ef LAAs is that they provide a framework for vesting culture of quality. This process works in severalways + Voritying process adheronce: LPAs determine whother cpsrstors se folowing standard work instivetions, ako checking that eontole and corrective actions are n place, + Promoting communication and engagement: LPAs provide regular sppertunies er managoment and operators to interaetfaeo-te +2c0. This nebs fam lari leadership with slant Foor pracesces, bul :rust with emplayoes and spark conversations about quay. + Getting more ayes on the process: LPAs ensure many peosle are seeing processes up clase, making it easier to uncover problems hile bring'ng trash perspectvas to solving them. Tho rings the concept of erosslunetional teams lee + Closing the loop on problem: PAs hele maritereravious ieaues and corrective actions to ensure youre helkig gains and minimize ne enance of reeurtenes,+ Making quality an organization. wide gost: LPAs rake qualty pa of everyone's joo doser sie ental pila of balding a cute of aly + Recognizing quality: LPAs shew respect and pr for frontline operators, promoting sersensl nin + Raising the profile of quality: LPAs make manag. fostering 0 3 eukure of excollnee. than any (Qualty Fist slogan. Ae ett 3 ually and away (rom sin froighting Stand Out with Customers Helping Supplie OFM aerate alin zero defects and 00% ensime lor suppliers whe f8 PRs mato good supaliers bot a relies (rom ali correctly Aiferontate themselves in a rowel dscape of supolrs Demonetrating welrun LPA gregram te customers paler suit, for example—can pay dividends in torm store salistastion, nereasing confidence and showing ue tment to qual, Key Takeaways: 7 LPAs reduce defects, complaints and costs LPAs minimize quality risk LPAs lead to higher productivity and improved quality culture LPAs make quality part of everyone's jab description 8LPA Implementation Process OverviewExperts at The Luminous Graus have developed a Vi-step imalementation roadmap based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act aparoach. Below is a high-level overview a this proven imalementation process, which mast companios can complete in two to four weeks? a Plan 1. Form the LPA Team ‘The fat etap of implementing LPAs ie creating the toa, Your team should include a gous of three to ek peosle that incl + AnLPR program champian that leadership respects—and whe ean hold shose leaders accountable forthe key rele in LPAS Representatives from diferent functional areas, nelusing qulty operations enginoering, human resources (3, Hance and aomiietration Indiv duals fom management a¢ wall as frontine empyees | Best Practice LPs shauld be ewned by operations not the {ualty dapartmont, sree they have dract Invelvorent with plant floor processes. 2, Perform a Gap Analysis, In this step, menutacturers should examine thei voricatin processes to ass0ss what's missing. During this process, 1 leo important to lock at customer requkamonts ta see where they ae for cart) being met. current audit and 3. Mdentity Where to Begin Plante te the entire plant Diforent approaches to this decison focus on starting wth an area that already runs well eran area in reee of rmoravemont that can debver sarly wins, oul ches 7 2708 to pilot LPs betere raling thom out 4, Identify High-Risk Trends Nest, manufacturers must determine what drives r2kin the process, laces te leok Include + process falure made ane ctfects analyse (PF MEA) Conversations with operators = Quality and threughput sues in + Customer complaints the spect wark area Scrap reports + Hlmmonte that vary hou or daly 5. Develop Audit Checklists CChecklsts should dractly addrass risks identitedn stap 4. Chaptors 6 ‘orough @ of thi aude deal more rscopth with how £9 write effective questions, whien is one ofthe mast iF suk (ard yet foundat onal sspecte of PA success. sevens MY3 Do {6 Determine Who Will Conduct Audits Auditors should come from every lvelof she organization incluaing frontine operators, team leaders, plant management and ever ‘xeculives, 6 uly robust LPA program draws ausiters fom avery opartment across the organization, eluding Operations Shipping Mantensnee: amiletiation, HR and france 7. Determine Audit Frequency This step should focus on ensuring coverage and sistributing workboad, Audit frequency should correspond tothe individual’ layer orlevelin the organization Layer 18 Layer 2 (eupersisorsh Daly Ieaash Every shit + Layer 3 (plant mange": Weokly Laver 4 (upper management Manthly or quarterly {8 Establish a Management Review System anagement revi fe ascential to LPA offactiveness, eetabl sing ‘relies (or analyse ane eealing 4 ceed cop system thal ensures sobloms uncovered are fuly resolved, Chapter é of ths guise lseusses management reviews in mare deta ‘8, Document the LPA Process Teams must document the LPh pracess to suecessfuly ral tut to other aeas, The procedure shoulé dacerine how LPAE integrate with other systems such as PEMEAs, contol pins snd eotractive actions 10, Train Auditors alters shouldbe trained on the vale of LPAS ang how to conduct ‘hem effectively, neluding aust bact practices to faster engagement (Phapler @ provides ilormalion on aud lor trang. 11, Communicate with the Workforce Like anything new, iolementing PAs is they to meet resistance. Top management can help adstees this by communicating the value an objectives af LPR, and mest mpertartly by active partiination in audits, inthe felowing chapter, we explore management’ role in LPs in greater depth, 12, Begin Audits (onee your team i sid. youre ready te start your aucts, The role ofthe suitors to corset process nenwcoformances, provide helpful feedback and slit deas for improvement—nat to blame operators fr mistakes, Chanser 10 provides practical strategies for concucting 4usits, while Dhaplee 1 focuses on key elements othe reaetien plan Inthe case of nonsconfarmance13, Monitor and Adjust LPAs Thie step represents th eet cycle, Things to lock at include and Ret’ parte of te Plano Adding new questions based an corrective actions (2hantar 1 suena ait completion rate ontine aust fon closure tines (C ‘6, Cascade LPAs Throughout the Plant 4 36 rest of the plant, o ater artments His 2h hasing and scministration. Gre preven sirategy hart 81 ter aacuee how ta hveragKey Takeaways: 1 tion includes lanning, writing que: training auditors and rolling out audits in stages tions, 2, Ideally, operations should own LPAs, not the quality department t with known issues when —————— inning to write questions Learn More 4, Every department should eae mere about participate in LPAS iw to Kk OF PA Ine ston vith 9 KaeManagement's Role in LPAsIt would be difficult te of management. in the success of LPits. Leadership sets the tone, and witheut thei ctive participation, LPAS are likely In adattion to creating the implementation team, top le rating LPA vale, cojectives and results with the tear Actively patiipating in schedules audits Felting pecrle scoountaee far aust an mitigation compilation Conducting management review ‘These activites are crucial to cemenstrating management's commiment to LAs, hi 7 mambors need '9 e8¢ bolore eye wing to buy ne she s1eee Ce a) Cao tny Riera Poa aa Ue pe Chee ors Ce) rer 19 an nostmert of time, elfert and new respons bil fo akeady busy employees, When management doesn't engage in send a clear message that [PAs vwhole—srenit valued y loa ion to wha ther ere intative Strategis include Sharing specif problems solved withthe team Discussing she value of LPAs regularly cegrizing individual fr ding things gh Performing Audits Al loves of management ane even cempary executives shouts LPs peri ust vwookly whl « O might eoneuct an aust during a qu plant manage low thor oa unimpertant and ove 1's se inportan het they bing unl poropective ard example, 2 plant m inlay to one another process area, sharng a solution that might erwis have Bean consiasred\é@) People see leaders out there doing audits daily, and when someone points out an issue, management makes sure it's fixed. Seeing their feedback matters and that we're solving problems they bring ¢ up makes all the difference. s et mec eS tiscoaching ans feeabecke stko hey toro of management Batiepation, When management and operators have the chance to Key Takeaways: speak ne-erone,ensleyees feel ther eoncerns and ideas Ie alse gives leaders the opsartunty te coach ront.ne eneleyees 7 timate, his enhanced communication is erucat aaltyouRure Management must actively participate in LPAs and Holding the Team Accountable communicate wins Conducting suds on time sets tne tone for he team, ut management mst also hold employees accauntble fr thelr 2. Leadership must allocate LPh.resporaibiltes, Tat means drcelly questioning those wne Peeatrmest oaietnch neler onet compbte ther ausits (or implementing other apropriate consequences) so that employees kaw they can't ust skip audits 3. Data should be reviewed monthly jement Reviews. to assess findings and Management raviows are a key part of closing the loop on LPA LPA health findings, These review meetings shoul take place monthly, and ‘even mate frequertl it the early phases of melementarion, ‘Conducting Mar anagement revisits shoul lock at elements suchas Whether solitons te nnconformanees are effective Enauting problems are nat recurring Metrics that show the heeth of the LPA system inching audt comeloten rates High frequency and hiss severity Issuesme “5 CHAPTEF Top LPA ChallengesPAs are a powerful tool for resting out sources of variation and produ +09 five challe PA programs are: cts, Internal survey data show that the 1, ‘Tracking follow-up items: Hentifving nonscanforman 6 3, Leadership participation: Management must complete audits on mmparies need a way te clse the lop on time olen eredinlty to LPas and set the tore that qualty is sion sefecte. The ri toam that the auditeare't just & 4, Audit completion rates: Comloting a lage number of audits ean be aificl, especially when raling on paperbased proces sion rates ate alee an e2ue when leadership en LOAe derit delver value or ar treatee 2, Pencil whipping: 12 a mosringless rement ope wil ush through pat he audits and ust chock the Box without nvestigating issues he recut ig unvelable data and pervasive qualty problems ngage. 5. Accurate reporting: Gertng good data from (PAs requires ausitors eck the bax as well as a process for begging and 8 ina timely mann. ‘ton an aust program that gives cost eut net vale Current LPA Challenges Lavra Broce As PA)7} It's a staggering comparison going from seven [audits] per year to 100 every month. Of all our indicators, auditing Mm Ute TL Peace NZ with quality. BT ee keen eee acather comm strugales Resources required to manage soreadeneetbaned Key Takeaways: Lk proaram Questions that are low-value and related te minor complance items 1. Paper-based LPAs present ike peperwerk challenges around administration [Chocks that ari ills enough te the process to oever real and tracking vale Inthe fl 2. Audit completion rates are a top now manufact.ze's can elfectively address them to gel better results issue that impacts the abilty to wth LBA find problems 3. Preventing pencit-whipping is essential to data quality and value 4, Teking LPAs digital can helo address many of these challengesHow to Write LPA Questions: The BasicsWriting LPA questions and developing checklists are undoubtedly one of the most difficult—yet impertant— aspects of a successful LPA program. Trey are so important because they are used every shift, every day. IF questions dor't focus on werk elements that matter most, 4austors and employees wil be frustrate, ans the entire srearam willbe vowed as a waste of time, fo leverage the offer na positive way t's essential t take tine to earn and develop mean ngful uestions, Ihe most important thing to know about writing effective L9 questions ie that they must be laserfccused on process inputs, not supporting systems, eaperviers arena praduct. t's ale critical that haoklsts be taibted 9 the insivdusl are, rather than using the seme questions at every work sea aerons the pnt, ‘Anatomy of a Good LPA Questicn an effective LPA question nas & parts 1. The question itself: Questicns chould ben yes/no format, with @ “pat answer triggering folon-ue, Avoid vague Ler tke "propery or ‘coreetl 2. An explanation of the question: This step nales audtors from tlter seat of the plant understand the resson why asking the question is imgortant, such a fit eame out of previous customer complaint ‘What Makes an Effective LPA Question? (Quvstions hauls be targeted ae clas ae peas ble te the petental point of fare. LPA questiens should 1. Identify process nes and steps within those Ines that have the most rik isk being defined as toth severity ane probablty of ceecurrones) 2, Feeus en inputs rathar than Snished praduet apecifestions| vesine format, where ane" triggers the reaction plen Be spec fete the process, rather than a generic questien meant te be usec across the plant 5. Be objective rather than rohing on interpretation 6, Specify what evidence should be observed to verity canfermance 2. Encourage interaction betweon auilters and eperators The reaction plan for identified non-conformances: Esch question needs 4 presslatlshes sot of slope to folow to correct any no ‘conformance, ‘he Countermeasures: The gusstion should ako epeciy any immediate countermeasures (part ofthe eaction pla), for exam if ontairment i needed for suspected nonsconformng pateWho Should Write LPA Questions’ ‘one common mistake is mating the qualty aepartmont responsible ‘e° LPhe Instead, oxerstons choule avn them and be closely involved lw th eroating the questions, see they have iehang knolesge of haw process ints atest quilt. With deep understanding of sroducts and key steps impacting Felatilty, she engineering department should ale play a ale 9 developing i PA questions. Where te Find LPA Questions LPAS lok at inputs that can vary on an hourly or dally basi, causing ‘waste or avoidable east, Rather than measuring finshed products, ‘er example, PAs lok at process Inputs auch as the order in which ‘an operator tghtons a sries af bolts Manufacturers should roviow a numberof inputs to identify aspects of ‘the manufacturing pracess that requre angoing vescaton including + Veriod r20t causes (rom problem solving ropots (9. 8) relates Kahigheost eevee + Customer-specite requiromants Pies and process contol sans Work netructions Customer comphints + Warranty claims Conective actions + Functionality of erranpreoting deviees er procedures Expert Take “questions are the eae ofthe LPA system’ -FASF customer global sulomotive suppler R bh adation to these high-rirty areas, companias shoul also leo athey documents such a8 + Serap, rework and downtime reparts + Proventatve maintenance plans + dob setup and ool change procedures © Traning materiale Fly i's important to consult operators about what te ask Experts at The Lumincus Group recommend getting ths information by asking qusstions Ie + eadership had only afew minutes each day to review the praceos hich items should they chock? + Hhyouwere te train someone on ths process, what would you watch + What is the mest important par of your jb? + How ean you tellt te previous shift was doing a good job? Checklist Best Practices Another common mistake to avoid is using gorse cheoklsts acroce the plinc.Cheeldsts shouls be speatic to each process ares, gang into specife process elements that adéress the root causes ef wataton and asfecte,Companias should make sure questions are Questions tke ire work nstuctions posted?” de nothing to improve the process. Abetter question would be "I the operater loading parts as specified n the work instructions ™ ‘ld vague corms that are open to interpretation, since audters wor't necassarly be experts in the process. Dont ask unboundes questions lke “reall setup parameters in spee?" Coneiderg that an injeeton ming prose ‘an have up te 800 paramaters, trie typeof question could easily ake an hour to fly anawer ‘There must be clear evidence that the prec in conformance. For example, ls the hose onthe rack?" Questions hauls be so easy le unaerslans tnat anyare nthe company could de the aud Photos of right and wreng cone tion ean help clay ‘expoetatons fr the auditor (ave Chagter 5 for mere on adding photos! hon eomaiing your checklt, t's ingortant pot to make it too Fong. ‘uss should take ne mare than 10 to 18 minutes, Checete that are ‘09 org make t impossile to complete a large volume of auits, also rovenling leams (rom ‘ocusing on wnat is mest important. Instoad of inching @ wide-ranging st of loo fev highsvalue items you havent nad down, I adatcn to faciating sus complet on, koeping checks shert ane feeused an highs sues means peosle are less Ikely to question the value of Ps ris, LPR ae fortheKey Takeaways: 7 An effective LPA qu countermeasures jon includes an explanation, reaction plan and Questions should the area Questions should avoid vague words lke “correctly” and "properly" Standards, complaints and other key documents are all patential question sources:Imagine if you had only 30 seconds to verify the conditions on a manufacturing line at the i¢-]a me) mae ne two things would you check? Those elements are the start of effective LPA questions.” SS Comat aera)6s — ly. Types of Questions to Include23, Method: How is the to PA questions focus exclusively on pr 1g the work? Far instance, ae they ‘ening bolts in the order deserbed nthe werk instructions? write your 4, Environment: the environment st up to eneur exam quality? Thee ss ‘vestions 1 specie element 5, Material: Do materiale meet qualty stan: verify informatio de? Hore you might a5 whether a palmer has excited o's 1. People: Is the oper thin the ne-mal humid Are tnay weatng the presarbed po tive equoment (eae? 6 Mi uals te perform safe, higwqualty work? surement: Is the gauge beng used accerding io the gaugin 2, Machine the machine reacy to produce quality parte? This type fstructions? ave the pats se sndars? of question could vr Jetting is eoreet an plastic mjction maliing machines. y. fer sxample, whale” tho mel venation being us The Fishbone Diagram can Help Focus on the Causes of Qualtty Prob : Element : sort ' $ 6 —__1_ i» ite j 2 yf : otFocus on High-Value Operations (Questions should addross tho top causes of prebloms, focusing on Figh-value operations. I's easy to ask, ls the serap bin inside the red square? Even though this Fis under tre umbrela of 95, i provides a value tothe operation, Nowevas, f maxing of gous and bad parts is san ie2ve, thie wouls be ar aoa te ene Encouraging Interaction Ged LPA questions encourage nteraetlen withthe operate. Abad questin might ag, le the chack gauge “or fled out?" This question doesnt tol you whether the check gauge is warking-—only that somecne Sled out 8 farm saying i -Abatter option woul be to ask, ‘Can the operate demonstrate ‘tho procedure fer chockg the part?" This type of question is what parks a onvoreation, The assee ate mghl point out how hata i 1c load the part, lading you to rework the process, ‘one ofthe biggest conefite ef LPAG is eroating onpertunites Best Practice Many manufacturers strugele te write effectve LPA questions t the sama time, questions are the foundation af [Pas ae a whole istates tobe sure to veld include + Overly general or subjective questions + Nat involuing operators n wrting questions + Using the same questions sveryiwhore in the plant + Looking at fished product specs * Checking paperwork + Assessing lowvalue items that frustrate austere and operators Questions that requis teehnicalknowledge te answer {or coaching ard foadback. I management cen conse tho aud standing 20 yards back tom the ares, that wont happen. Write our questions so that auators and eparatore have fo interact. Learn More owas our fre Pa coocula Temolete for starter Meas and questionsKey Takeaways: 1, Design questions around process inputs, not products or outputs Focus an Questions should encourage interaction 4. Avoid generic que involve operators in writing questionsBefore-and-After Examples of LPA QuestionsIn this section, we look at examples of comman LPA questions usec by manufacturers and how to improve om them. Before: Dore the operator know how to handle non-conforming After Con tne operator demonstrate each step ofthe non conforming rater process accorang (othe qually manual? ugh te datarmina whether or nat the operater actualy folows the non ‘The fst question i eusy to pencil whi, asi isn't specie ‘conforming material process, Rather than asking whnethe: an employee snows something i's more useful te determine whether they ean execute Y process, Before: Are the work instructions posted? After: Gan the operator demonstrate each step ofthe most recent varsion of the work instructions avaiable atthe work station? ‘The ariinl version of the question isan example of verifying baperwors whichis not the purpase ef LPAs. Tne gol of LPAS is to verity proates conformance, Here, te ertieal to verity tht ‘operat’ setions ‘all the work instructions 1 adsition to ver'yng ‘hat the auaiter has a standard to reference '$0 9001 clause 85: and IATF "8849 clause B12 both rater to ‘Secumented information bang avalible ane accessible nthe work 8 Howevey, for LPs tobe efaetve, you will want to go a step furthar to determine wnether they are actualy being fellowes. Before isthe machine running propery? [ters the screw oo the press running between 600 and 620 rem? ‘Properly’ iss vague term that's dificult to aeaese “or someone: Unfamiliar withthe process. The second version stovidos clos evidence fer determining whether the equipment Is in conformance, Before: Have 1d tage been completed correctly? After: For parts with ared serap ticket, does the ticket have the part umber, date, quantity, defect and deserption? ‘gan, ths sn exam of provoing clar evlconee as oppesed to Using ran-apecife term lke “orreety? Anyare, even a nent, should te able so verity whether a gven piece of scrap has bean labeled right based an the question. Before: isthe machine set up coreetiy? [Aftor:Doos tho operator install tho gear using tho 12gear alignment tool placing the tue edge at a 45" ange to the base? “The frst question i mare Lely to leas to confusion on the part of the aud tor. The socend question provides spectis far verifying conformanes, Before is tho op fr tihtaning the bolts inthe right erdor? After: Does the operator tighten the bolts in th order specifod onVV you dent specify the order in hich the operator shoulé be tightening te bolts many ausitors won't be aoe t tll whether ‘they're dong it right. The resus they'e more Maly to just check ‘yes’ proving no vist inte whethor the eporater folowing wark inetructons. 1s the employee wearing personal protective aquement (PPE)? [Afters tho omployoe woaring a hard hat, hearing protection and safety passes? ‘The second question provises veritable enters to determine whether ‘he operator has the necessary PPE too their job safely. By using ‘the blanket 'PBE"Cerm the “est question is not specie sreugh to determine cortermance vs.non.conformarce with safety pracedutes, Bofore: Does the poka yoke dovice werk? After: 00s the errorprooting devi indicate 2 defective part as falied? bh this exam, the frst question is toe vague te vaify whether ere rooting device is in working order. "ne second version gives cleat Inatructone on haw te actualy verity thi, Before: Was tho voltage motor caltrated 3 the frequency specified in tne werk instrustion? [Afters Can the operator perform the ealtration, neuding the documentation of the recoraing of tho eslbrstion boing completed? ‘Someone unfam Far with the process wont knew what the right Toquercy I, Ihe socend quest on ll bo mete helpful for determining If the veltage mater is out of caleraton Before: Ave stray parts and components idntiedaperocriataly? After: 00 al laoce parts and components have an sentation tag comelote with part type, operator name, time, and dato? aiid specifeity n the second ve'son ofthis question means anyone can easily determine whether lagse parts are tagged ‘appropatel’— lor whatner thoy are Hey 19 booome mixed with Hr shed parts Before: Uo al materials contain lot tracoabity information? After: Q0es each part's trace tag contain alot and batch number matoning the raw material labo!” “Lot traceabilty information’ ft clear encugh Fer nan-expert ‘making them mere ily ta just skip aver the question er markit as passed without cooper examination. Botore:'s the operator following ac bath procedures? [Atr: ts tho operator double-checking the amaunt of acid being put Into the acid bath? ‘The example highlahte » epecite step forthe audtar te check. rather than expecting them to understan ane verity every step of the procedure, this helps keep the aust shart, so you can complete more audits,Before: Daas the operator use correct torque setting? ‘After; Goes the setting on the toraue gun match what's specie in tne current work nstruston? The fest version af this question uses the vague 'eortoet’ term, whieh 1 «often a source ef canfusion for austere. The seeand version gives the auditor speciic standard to verity agenst. 2, Before: Are qualty alerts posted? ‘After: Can the operator describe how their werk relates tothe qualty ait? 3 ‘The frat question vanes slece of paperwork, The second question {gets tothe heart ofthe matter wnich s whether qualty alerts are boing used effectively 4, fore: Dees the sheet nthe clpeoard shew thatthe fiter was ‘hanged inthe lst 2 hours? After: nth the operator’ initia, the fop of the fer box attached to the elisbosrd and signed and time? Here's another exer that spoeife task was eemplted In the be’ote version youre only looking at pecs of paper. The after version varies physeal evidence ‘hat te titer wae changed, of verifying cheek shoot versus verifying Key Takeaways: ‘Avoid terms like "properly" or ‘correctly’ Make questions simple enough for anyone to understand Don't check paperwork or finished product Be specific about criterisRolling Out LPAs to Your PlantOnce youve got key planning elements in place such 4s your starter chocilists, audit schedule and process: documentation, i's time to start roling cut LPAS to ‘he plant. Training Auditors ‘aditors in an LPA program shoule caver a wide erosesection of ‘emloyeesinclusing operations staff ge well az functions fe ehippna Finance, human rescutens and administration, Vrinng doesnt need to be extensive, but you should cover + Tho philosophy behind LPAS: I's imzortant to discuss why your ing LPs and what you intend to achiev, organization «momen + Checklist overview: oul wart to spend time gcing over the *yses of ausetons auditors vil eo, chowing how to mark eaporsee correctly onthe paper checklst or software + The audit process: What do employees need te da when t's tme for their aust? For paperbased systems, youll want to cover where poorls can find checklists and where te enter findings when theyre finished. For automated aystems, yell want to pravde an overview of how to use the cotter, + Mock audit: Haining should include « mock slant flae* aust to determine whether nd vieuas are ready te ump inta cha schedtled audits Auditors enguld be trained to show respect and inate conversation with she person Being aulted. Moe infermatien on aut sks ean be feund in the nest ena Creratars and others being audited should be noiiog ofthe upeeming changes, xelinng + How LPAS werk at to expoct during an audit + The raasen for conducting LPs How Ls help ll operations “un mare smeathy While you dont necessarily need ta sit operators dawn fara formal presentation, i's important that your team understands why youre Implementing LPs and what you nope to acniave with them Emglayoos shoul te invited to give Feedback and ieeas for cont auous Improvement during the aust. Be sure te make it clear that PAs are mont te 08 a swe-way Canvoreation te improve preoacees—not to blame operators As with any maar henge, you can expect cesstanee, batn from those tuhe new have new aszensiift ss ae wll ae thoes boing auctes Slicsing to the plan car help rch some early wae, whch ultimately is one of the best ways to get your team’s buyinKey Takeaways: am buy-in is critical to LPA success 2. Give audit P a chance to tice with mock audits 3. Focus on LPA value to get people on board Encourage feedback from operators being audited ri where to beg x foe 2° three simple stops lo geting starlesp 2 Audit Best PracticesIn this chapter, we explore best practices around how to conduct auaits themselves, including how to record non. ‘confermances and mitigatione as wall as best practices land soft skils for performing aucits. How to Indicate Conformance or Non-Conformance on the Plant Floor During the audits, auditors must be sure te: + Ask and lsten: Simi to the popular management by waling arcund’ approaen, auctrs shouleIsten 80% of te time and talk ro moie than 208, Look for evidence: Audtore must decument any evidence af nor confermanee an shoul ako lec far evidence of people doing things right. Pay attentlon: Management shoul oak fer and ask about other issues that seem a ferent or problematic, If youte using mobile audit software, you might consider requiring ‘auditors te upload a phate te document evidence af the conetions ‘ound in the audit bath g20e and bad. Prats evidenes ofa na: