We all go into business with the idea of providing a quality product; otherwise, what’s the point? Pride of production in meeting or exceeding customer expectations is the measure of our performance as conscientious manufacturers or job shops. And, while our success in being able to produce a quality product time and again is the reason for the growth of our business, we also understand that we must continually improve if we are to remain competitive. This is why we set out plans to ensure quality.

Once we’ve set the standards for achieving quality in reoccurring work orders, sustaining quality is usually a simple matter of the spot check or routine inspection. However, shop projects, by their idiosyncratic nature, bring about their own unique criteria for what is meant by a quality outcome. Therefore, in any shop project, a Quality Plan specifically designed for that project should be written. Such a plan takes into account not only what standards are to be met in the project, but by what measures and methods of measure (the metrics) these standard will be ascertained.

The thoroughness in the preparation of a Quality Plan is what is meant by the term quality assurance, and it is here where the shop in general, and the project team specifically, hang their hat in terms of customer satisfaction. Furthermore, you may also find the more robust enterprise resource planning software systems (ERP) will contain modules that make such quality planning much easier than starting from scratch.

A good Quality Plan will contain:

1) Guidelines that describe both the overarching management responsibility of the organization, as well as what documentation exists regarding the quality management system already in place and support by management;

2) Methods by which product designs, specifications, and changes are managed. Reviews of such design elements, as well as means to document the signing off of management on these elements, is clearly outlined in the Quality Plan;

3) Processes by which documents that flow into and out of the project are controlled;

4) Purchasing requirements for the materials/parts used in the project. Sub-contractors and external processes are validated and documented to ensure quality is maintained through elements out of the direct control of the project team;

5) Means for inspection, nonconformance reporting, and corrective action procedures. Inspection testing that results in acceptance moves the product along, while nonconforming pieces result in predetermined corrective actions. Having these quality procedures already in place eliminates wasted time, if not wasted material and/or the embarrassment of customer rejection;

6) The methods by which Quality Records will be maintained, and Quality Audits executed. A means of data storage must be outlined that ensures Quality Records are kept during and after project completion. Quality Audits should, of course, be planned for each project phase and this schedule met by team members.

To the extent that a Quality Plan is put into place in advance of the project start, team members can be given adequate time to provide their own suggestions as to what will determine quality in the project. This sort of investment in the process by non-management personnel is vital to the success of any shop project. Insofar as such input results in a better product that also exceeds customer expectations for quality, the manufacturer or job shop benefits greatly in terms of growth of both their customer base and their all-important bottom-line.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 14th, 2008 at 9:00 am and is filed under Shop Floor, Quality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.