From the course: Lean Six Sigma Foundations
Quality at the source
- Henry Ford expressed it quite well when he said that, "Quality is doing it right when no one is looking." To me, that's the essence of the concept of quality at the source. If you do it right, you do not need anyone to inspect your work. The inspection step is no longer needed in the process. A non-value added activity can now be eliminated, which further helps you to streamline the process. Stopping a production line is not something one takes lightly. Bringing production to a complete halt and then starting it up again is a very costly thing to do. Toyota's production system astonished the manufacturing world when they authorized any person on the assembly line to stop production if they saw a quality problem. Not the manager, not the supervisor, but the line operator, all he had to do was pull a cord. This ability truly allows quality at the source. Each individual is responsible for the quality of their work and does not under any circumstances, allow a defect to pass on to the next workstation. If something is wrong with any part of the assembly process, the entire line is shut down until the problem is resolved. This guarantees that the product meets specification requirements as it moves from one station to the next. Just as it is used in the Six Sigma methodology, mistake proofing is an important element of quality at the source. The Japanese term for this is poka-yoke, which means foolproof, and this is a commonly used lean expression. Procedures are put in place to make sure a mistake is not made and then passed on to the next station. The impact of quality at the source goes far beyond product quality on the shop floor. In fact, this is a key enabler of just-in-time capabilities for your company. If dedicated inspection steps are eliminated from your production processes, your throughput time is significantly decreased. This allows you to deliver your products to your customers quicker and with greater flexibility, allowing just-in-time delivery if requested. Quality at the source within your key suppliers also enables a just-in-time delivery of materials, components, and sub assemblies to your factory. Suppliers are not delayed by in line inspections, or by having to perform a final inspection before shipping to you. Because you are assured that everything is within specification limits, you do not require an incoming inspection when the items arrive. In short, suppliers deliver materials that go directly from your receiving dock to your factory machines in a true just-in-time manner. Enabling this capability with your key suppliers and customers, makes for a highly competitive supply chain. The widespread benefits of quality at the source make it one of the key elements of lean manufacturing.
Download courses and learn on the go
Watch courses on your mobile device without an internet connection. Download courses using your iOS or Android LinkedIn Learning app.