Continuous Improvement Techniques

What I do to satisy Continuous Improvement requirements....I have concentrated on manufacturing processes...we have recently upgraded some machinery...I was able to glean unscheduled downtime numbers before and after the conversions, from our PM programs.....saw an average decrease of MTBF of 50%....with a corresponding increase in run efficiency....translated this into $$$$$$ for management review....the auditor in our very recent Third Edition upgrade surveillance loved it. He told me the focus (and intent, ultimately), of the CI requirement is to be able to quantify the improvement with cost savings, etc.

Hope this helps.....



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Bryon Simmons
ASQ: CQE, CQA; CQMgr

Anyone see any change(s) in the evolution of the definition of continuous improvement?

Does anyone have a stand-alone Continuous Improvement procedure?

Also see: https://Elsmar.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000036.html
and https://Elsmar.com/ubb/Forum31/HTML/000023.html

[This message has been edited by Marc Smith (edited 17 October 2000).]

Mark,

I emailed you a stand alone. If it didn't go through, email me and I will use another account.

Regards,

ASD...

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Al Dyer

I got it and did send you a thanks via e-mail. It looked like a different e-mail than you usually use.

In a way, I guess this wasn't the appropriate forum to post this in. As much as anything else, I'm wondering how many folks have 'stand alone' procedures for PA. But, I was thinking ISO which is not as strict as QS here. I've never used a stand-alone in an ISO registration. Tricky situation coming up. Have a client who will be going through the registration audit with an RAB witness. The registrar has never registered this kind of business (insurance) and so there's going to be a lot of 'checking it twice' going on. But by that token, I'll bet the RAB witness hasn't either.... Hopefully we'll work out all issues during the pre-assessment.

[This message has been edited by Marc Smith (edited 18 October 2000).]

During our continuous assessment to QS this week, I ran into an interesting one. The auditor was asking about 4.2.5 Continuous Improvement. After looking for a separate continuous improvement project to address quality, service, and price he asked if we had any special characteristics. We have a few (3) internally identified on the control plan but not customer requested, so I said yes. Then he asked for a continuous improvement project on a special characteristic. Well, we do not have any currently open, so that is how we answered. This resulted in a minor finding (No objective evidence of CI in special characteristic) which then led into a "lively" discussion where several things were said that concern me. First, the auditor said he had to see an open active project, we could not show a project closed in the last year. Then we asked if the special characteristic has a high cpk of say around 6, then would he still need to see a project and he said yes, we can always improve. We asked could we show a prioritized plan for CI and indicate that the project was not feasible due to high cpk and focus on another product characteristic that was also stable and capable but not as high a cpk and he said no. I had interpreted the standard to say shall have CI on product characteristics and then the ones that are special move to the top, but the auditor said that the standard clearly says shall have CI on special characteristics.

So now I am trying to figure out how to respond. If we had 15 special characteristics would we need a CI project open on each one? If we open a project, then it has to have highest priority, so then we work on it first, close it and have to immediately open a new one.... isn't that a perpetual loop where no other CI projects would get addressed.

What do you think? How have some of you addressed this requirement? I know the best thing would be to get rid of the special characteristics but I doubt I can do that. We have talked about appealing but I am trying to figure out if the standard does not make sense or the interpretation by the auditor. Any ideas on how I should respond?

Thanks,
Vamoore

Hi there!

I have gone through the discussion and I wish to draw attention to some more aspects…..

QS9000 requires… continuous improvements to be extended to product characteristics with an emphasis on special characteristics…

This does not mean only SCs to be considered for CIP and hence does not isolate other characteristics from being considered if it makes a business sense!

Further the improvements have to be in quality, service and price…
( cost elements to be one of the key indicators..)

The examples given in the standard for continuous improvement projects can definitely be used as guidance…Page no.19 of QS9000.

Meeting the required process capability is a basic requirement for such activities to be classified as continuous improvements.
However, there will be many situations which do not have process capability tracking.. e.g. unscheduled down time, machine changeover time. Less than 100% first run capability..etc.

The intent is meet the basic requirements first before the same can be called “continuous improvement”.
Thus, wherever the operations are tracked by SPC studies and are below par, those have to be corrected first to meet the minimum specified requirements and then further improved thereon…

Now to some thoughts on this issue about implementation…

You may have, as an organization, some focus points e.g. excessive cycle time reduction

Now for this, in your company you may have an MIS implemented for tracking the cycle times of various operations.

The data generated over a period can be analysed....

Use various statistical techniques to identify the opportunities for reduction of the same..
Target those processes ..
The continuous improvement project can take birth as above ….

Now use appropriate statistical tools to decide about the actions required to be implemented…
Implement the actions and use further aspects as what are normally done in case of a continuous improvement project

The balance can be left to the team.
I close here.

Thanks
e.s.deo

The term used in ISO 9001: 2000 and ISO/TS 16949: 2002 is not not 'continuous improvement' but 'continual improvement'. Clause 3.2.13 of ISO 9000: 2000 defines continual improvement as 'recurring activity to increase the ability to fulfil requirements'. Finding the opportunities for improvement is a continual process. Inputs for this can be identified in audit findings and audit conclusions, analysis of data, management reviews, customer complaints and feedback, quality policy, quality objectives, corrective and preventive actions.

One of the ways to achieve continual improvement is taking up small-step ongoing improvement projects conducted within existing processes by existing people. The continual improvement process includes establishing objectives for identified improvement with an action plan with specified monitoring and reviewing activities. The resources are also identified, provided and their effectiveness evaluated at specified intervals.

The key to establishing an effective continual improvement process is that every improvement project should have total commitment of top management and concerned personnel. It goes beyond the mere complaince of QMS to respective standards.

I have recently been training my Managers to tie continual improvment to their goals. For instance - we developed facility specific intranet home pages so when a manager signs on he sees statistical information regarding his facility....
Service
# of nonconforming(delivery exceptions)

There were specific goals set for each Mangaer/facility by their Regional Manager. These goals are directly listed on the page and beside them are their current measurements as they relate to each goal. They are beginning to understand that when their is a variation between the two columns, it should become a continual improvement target (We also provided a place on the page for them to identify thier target and and their method of analysis - it is beginning to work quite well.

C Emmons said:

I have recently been training my Managers to tie continual improvment to their goals. For instance - we developed facility specific intranet home pages so when a manager signs on he sees statistical information regarding his facility....
Service
# of nonconforming(delivery exceptions)

There were specific goals set for each Mangaer/facility by their Regional Manager. These goals are directly listed on the page and beside them are their current measurements as they relate to each goal. They are beginning to understand that when their is a variation between the two columns, it should become a continual improvement target (We also provided a place on the page for them to identify thier target and and their method of analysis - it is beginning to work quite well.

Click to expand...

Yes, that is one sure way of achieving continual improvement.

Marc said:

Anyone see any change(s) in the evolution of the definition of continuous improvement?

Does anyone have a stand-alone Continuous Improvement procedure?

Also see: https://Elsmar.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000036.html
and https://Elsmar.com/ubb/Forum31/HTML/000023.html

[This message has been edited by Marc Smith (edited 17 October 2000).]

Click to expand...

I combined mine - "Data Analysis and Continual Improvement"