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QUESTION:I have a problem. A very serious problem. I work for a company that
manufactures car parts, and the process I am responsible for is falling
apart. I am trying to improve it. I need a strategy, here is my
situation.
I am a quality engineer and customer relations
rep. The machine I am concerned about is falling apart, variation is
extremely high. The machine is scheduled for overhaul and rebuild in
August. We are ramping up production, and have been for the last 2
months. The machine will be down for an estimated 3 weeks. The machine
makes the most expensive part in our entire facility. The parts are die
cast aluminum and we cast them only, machining happens at our customer.
The defectives we encounter are primarily porosity and soldering / non
cleanup.
Detection is almost non-existant for porosity
and very subjective for soldering. A ship ahead regime is our only
detection method and many shifts of parts may be made before any
defectives are found. We have limited changepoint control.
I have worked for this company for 6 years, going on
7. I can see clearly the path it must take to improve, but it will take
alot of investment and a major culture change.
The customer has been somewhat patient, but this won't
last for very much longer. Countermeasures have been lame as of late,
always claiming August as the magic time of change. Te machine will be
overhauled, which is a good thing, but what of today? The customer is
running parts we produced a month ago. Some very significant
countermeasures have been implemened, yet left unproven. Half-assed
analysis has been the norm for so long. We have had countermeasures for
porosity making the soldering worse and countermeasures for soldering
making the porosity worse.
I am about as frustrated as they come, I need a
strategy to combat upper management ambivalence, middle management
neglect, and operator apathy. Not to mention quality / customer
relations burnout. My process is flawed, out of control, and incapable.
I am about ready to start writing my resume, but I hate to quit! I need
a strategy, a tactic. Any ideas?
ANSWER: Whirlwind and others in various websites have been back and forth with
ideas. Some good, some bad.
Based on all of these conversations, and the fact that Whirlwind is still
asking for a strategy... I think most of us who consider ourselves
manufacturing professionals, will say that he really needs to play round of
golf with a VP with power and influence and gain the sponsor he needs to
champion this change through the system. He needs to have the word spread
that he is the VP's champion and thus untouchable. Then, and maybe then, he
can get things done.
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