Manufacturing Quality Systems
Manufacturing quality systems refer to the organizational systems, vision, procedure, and work instructions that manufacturing companies must have. Once people are convinced of the need to improve and are motivated to collaborate to reach the goals of productivity and mutual satisfaction, they need a system that supports them and provide feedback as to how they are progressing.
It is of paramount importance that an organization has agile and understandable procedures for all those involved in employing manufacturing quality systems. This includes from the General Manager to the maintenance person, and from the client through the stages of design, raw materials, manufacturing to distribution, delivery, and satisfaction of the end customer.
It is also important to establish a system that tells each member of the team what to do and how to do it, and that provides feedback and recognition when excellence is achieved. Manufacturing quality systems that unite the mission and effort of each department and each group in a synergy of results towards productivity must be established. However, the objective of this is the transformation of groups into work teams within an organization to maintain its competitiveness and fulfill its mission of production,
In an organization, there are different groups, which in turn can be made up of quality circles. These teams must have their vision perfectly identified. They must understand where they are going and what their mission is. It is also important to recognize the reason for a team’s existence, strategies, paths, or alternative means to achieve its objectives. These must be, in turn, congruent with the other teams in the group and in the organization.
This continuous process of excellence is the purpose of establishing manufacturing quality systems. This is achieved through the implementation of continuous improvement processes as the basis of any Quality initiative. In recent times, organizations more than ever must be willing to measure their competitiveness against the best in the world in their field and learn from their experiences.
In a quality conscience manufacturing operation, this process should be oriented mainly to well-devised and planned educational and training initiatives
Finally, professionals must be aware that manufacturing quality systems bring with them inherent happiness due to the fact that through a company’s services the needs of our clients and other stakeholders are satisfied.
Adopt the new philosophy to manufacturing quality system
The new challenge requires learning to comply with responsibility and to be in the change to be made, you should not tolerate more than the currently accepted levels of errors, inadequate material defects, or used spare parts not in accordance with the requested service, people who do not know which in their work and they are afraid to ask, damage by manipulation outdated methods of delivery and formation of work orders inadequate and ineffective supervision, direction not rooted in the organization.
Delays and mistakes increase costs alarmingly and this has an impact on the price of the product or services.
Stop relying on mass inspection
Conscientious manufacturers should stop relying on mass inspection to achieve quality. Statistical evidence should be required to demonstrate that manufacturing, from its first steps, has been done with an eye towards achieving high quality. Routine inspection to improve quality is equivalent to planning defects. That is, Quality is not made by inspection but by improving the service process of all processes, which includes discovering problems and taking corrective actions.
End the practice of doing business on the basis of price
End the practice of doing business on solely the basis of price; the price is meaningless without a measure of the quality of what you buy and sell. Acting upon the lowest price more than often translates into low quality and high costs.
One of the objectives when buying tools and equipment should be to minimize the net cost per hour. To achieve this, it is necessary to think in the long term and not only consider the purchase price today. The figures that indicate initial cost while maintaining the duration of the life of each important tool or equipment must always be analytically at hand. This information is critical to establishing costing policies. The purchasing department must understand that it is about minimizing the long-term cost of operating and not the cost of spare parts or materials.
Constantly and continuously improve all processes in manufacturing quality systems
It is necessary to constantly and continually optimize planning processes to improve service quality and productivity. Doing this enables manufacturers to cut their costs.
The purpose of manufacturing quality systems must be understood by all from the initial stage of the process of service once the plans are executed. Introducing a quality system in later phases of the process would not produce the desired results. That is why it is important that the design of the system be the result of teamwork.
The improvement of the system indicates that the desired improvement begins with an idea that is formulated by a company’s governing body or its top-level decision-makers. This idea is then translated into plans and specifications in an attempt to achieve the desired quality result for the consumer.
Improving the process means making the best use of a company’s workforce by making a good selection of personnel and task assignments. It is also important to train and offering them the possibility of increasing their knowledge and developing their skills further.
Implementation of training.
In order to effectively train its employees, the organization needs its staff to have an in-depth familiarity with the company, from the spare parts and materials that are used in manufacturing to the customers who are the end-users of the product that is produced. One of the most important wastes that there is the no Take advantage of the skills of the staff, this causes frustration and has pernicious effects on the worker.
The organization must consider that the money spent on training, education and does not appear to be reflected on the balance sheet and therefore does not increase the net worth of the company as would be the case with the acquisition of inventories, tools, and equipment.
Adopt and implement leadership.
The administration must be distinguished by its leadership capacity, it must become a promoter of improvement and make a manufacturing quality system an integral part of all their company’s activities.
As authentic leaders, executives must intimately know the work they supervise in order to help their staff improve their own performance and remove the barriers that prevent them from doing their jobs in the best way possible.
Leaders not bosses required
Authority will be in crisis when the appointed leader is content to be a “chief administrator” without deciding to take full control over the operations.
To develop and maintain quality true leaders are required to commit themselves to the organization and to its workers. They inspire confidence in their actions and make ordinary people extraordinary team members.
Eliminate anxiety at work
No one can give their best if they do not feel safe. Workers should not be afraid to express their ideas, ask questions, or learn new ways of doing their jobs. Fear at the workplace ultimately results in economic loss, so it is necessary to create an environment that encourages security in personal performance.
Knowledge is a very important element that enables staff to perform assigned tasks more efficiently. However, it is not uncommon to encounter resistance to its acquisition. If fear apprehension is present, the best interests of the organization cannot be served.
Eliminate interdepartmental barriers.
The personnel of other areas must be aware of the problems that concern the different phases of the manufacturing process. If they work as a team, they can eliminate the interdepartmental barriers that, due to selfishness and negligence, cause delays in information and, of course, in customer service. An important part of a manufacturing quality system incorporates mechanisms by which different departments can share information and coordinate production activities.
Upgrade procedures using a manufacturing quality system
Most errors do not have their origin in the action of workers. They emanate from imperfect quality systems. For this reason, it is important to review and refine production procedures. It is essential that leadership create a roadmap for workers to follow so that they can constantly improve their quality and productivity.
Photo credit NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
