Eliminate the need for mass inspection as the way of life to achieve quality by building quality into the product in the first place. Require statistical evidence of built in quality in both manufacturing and purchasing functions.
Dr. W. Edward Deming
When ISO 9000 first came out, the auto manufacturers turned their noses up at it because it did not call for statistical process control. After significant discussion QS 9000 arrived to save the day. It should have been called ISO 9000 plus. The standard listed the ISO 9000 requirement and then added what the automotive companies had learned from Dr. Deming. Things stayed that way until 2000 when the ISO 9001 standard underwent major revisions to focus on continuous improvement and promote statistics.
Converting an inspection based workforce to statistical savvy operators isn’t as hard as it seems. It takes common sense. Process control limits are as simple as deciding when to mow the lawn and how much to adjust the blades or how high a temperature to set a stove when cooking up dinner. If you can compare them to everyday things that don’t use numbers, even the most math-a-phobic operator will lose the fear and begin to apply the technique, but that leads to point #8 and this is point #3.
Have you ever converted a process from inspection to statistical process control? How did it go? I did, it was a fun experience and I’d do it again.
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