In the first part of this three-part series, I discuss quality management tools for identifying a problem, the root cause and its impact. In the second part, I dive into the quality management tool selection process. Next I’ll cover a key to quality management success: Communication.
Identifying a problem, its root cause, and the best solution to the problem is only a part of the quality journey. Communication about changes and resource requirements is arguably at least as important as identification of the problem to begin with. Here are a few areas where effective communication can unlock the door to quality management success.
Measurement
Peter Drucker, the world-famous management guru, is often quoted as saying, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” His meaning wasn’t that you couldn’t make improvements—more accurately, he meant you can’t know if you’ve improved it or added to the problem unless you know the baseline you started from.
The idea of measurement as the basis for improvement caught on, leading to a proliferation of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to measure virtually every aspect of an organization. Almost all the common KPIs are useful, but no organization should be adopting them all. It requires careful analysis of the available metrics to determine which ones align with the company’s organizational strategies and objectives, and then focus on measuring those KPIs.
Many companies use so many KPIs that they become meaningless, and in addition, improvement in some KPIs can sometimes automatically mean a reduction in a different one, leading to user confusion. Consider the engineer tasked with designing a product with both an extremely low cost and an extremely long MTBF (mean time between failure). Reducing the cost of components will almost always result in selecting a less robust part, which may (or may not) affect MTBF.
The key is to find a sensible balance between the two. In addition, companies should understand that the most appropriate KPIs for measuring performance may change over time as the company’s strategy evolves.
It is important that a company’s EQMS include a data analytics module to ensure that the chosen metrics can be easily measured without a great deal of manual intervention. Users should not have to reenter data into a spreadsheet for KPI calculation, and the system’s output should be easily accessible to those who need the information so they can take rapid, informed action.
Integration
An EQMS using IIoT to integrate directly with machinery and equipment can monitor and report on process variations. Rather than force the Quality Assurance (QA) pro to analyze every product run on every workstation after the fact—when it’s too late to do anything about it, the EQMS can highlight the processes that are approaching an “out of control” situation and send an alert, potentially eliminating or reducing scrap and rework.
An EQMS integrates seamlessly with a company’s existing business solutions, picking up the necessary information about warranty repairs and costs. It should also have its own CAPA (Corrective action / preventive action) module, a customer complaint module, and an ECN management module to identify potential problems and help prioritize issues by their cost and impact.
An EQMS should also integrate easily with other business systems such as ERP and SCM solutions, to ensure that data stays synchronized between systems without requiring a great deal of tedious, manual reentry. A standalone EQMS system, unintegrated with other business systems, will give rise to continuous discussions about the true status of an issue, and it also sets up an “us and them” dynamic between QA and other departments, when the reality should be that everyone functions as a team working toward common objectives.
Integration is an essential part of an EQMS because it can communicate process problems quickly, while the cost of containment is still low.
Line Workers
When line workers see the KPIs the company measures, they take pride in ensuring that the line meets the targets. When problems arise that make that difficult, line workers are more likely to call attention to the problem rather than work through it. They also have the most detailed insight into a process, so their corrective action suggestions may be the most effective. It is critical that line workers know the company’s KPIs and how their performance affects it. You can’t over communicate with the production line.
Managers
Managers must act on communication from the executive team and effectively communicate strategy, strategy changes and changes in policy to the workers who report to them. One of the areas that requires a great deal of attention is training and compliance.
An EQMS system should monitor required training, whether it is internal process training or government mandated training. The system should provide insight into employee compliance and send reminders directly to employees and managers when it’s time for recertification or qualification on new products or processes. Managers should be able to easily access a report helping them to understand their teams’ compliance with training requirements so they can follow up as necessary.
Executive Team
Another area where it’s better to over communicate than to keep silent is with the executive team. They need to understand the issues that are causing quality problems, whether those problems show up in components, unplanned production downtime, or high service and warranty costs. When they can see the magnitude of an issue and its direct effect on the company’s strategy, they are more likely to provide the necessary resources to resolve the problems quickly.
Customers
Most companies realize that part of ensuring a satisfactory customer experience is providing clear, easy to understand documentation. But only a smaller number realize that how they communicate with customers who have a problem may be even more critical.
An EQMS that includes a complaint management system can be extremely helpful for keeping track of complaints and the status of any resolutions, whether in progress or available. In addition to helping the QA team understand emerging problems and which are causing the most angst or cost, the customer complaint module can help improve customer satisfaction by providing insight into the complaint’s status. Whether that takes the form of sending information to the customer as the complaint is addressed or enabling them to login and see the most recent status, you can never over communicate with an unhappy customer if you are taking positive steps to resolve their issue,
EQMS: The Essential Tool
When it comes to the success of a quality team, communication may be one of the most important tools at their disposal, and an effective EQMS is an essential tool for communication.
Whether it’s providing required reports to regulatory bodies or keeping management up-to-date, customer updates or internal communication with line or staff employees, EQMS simplifies the process with tools like document management, regulatory reporting, CAPA and complaint management and tracking training compliance.
One of the most important parts of a QA pro’s job is helping the company understand its CoQ (cost of quality) so they can make effective decisions about product and process changes. An EQMS is the essential tool for this because it pulls together information from every aspect of the product’s life cycle, the production process, the user experience and the product’s service profile. Only with the full picture of all these aspects can management make the best decisions to achieve its goals.
