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Why LPA’s?

– LPA’s can provide low cost system for finding

problems and making improvements in Safety,
Quality, Delivery, Cost and Morale when used
effectively.
– LPA’s help management: fix system problems, instill
discipline, encourage work force involvement in
process improvements, show appreciation for work
done correctly and effectively control production
systems.

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What do you want this program to
deliver?
• What are LPA’s good at addressing?
– Repetitive issues involving known solutions
– High risk / liability items involving known solutions
– Items easily verified without special training

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Possible Targeted Items
• Safety
– Proper PPE / Guarding
– Completion of required daily inspections
• Morale
– Bring focus and voice to operator issues/concerns.
• Cost
– FTQ goals
• Quality
– Proper product identification
– Error proofing verification (i.e. the rabbit test)
– Improved work standardization
– Calibration
– Training
– Control of Non-conforming Product

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Key Items for Success

• If plant management isn’t driving it, you won’t

succeed
• Keep it manageable
• Include all functions and levels of
manufacturing
• Phase implementation and customize to fit the
organization / business you have
• It is not a simple roll-out and implement --
continuous monitoring and improvement is
needed

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Benefits
• Reduced OSHA injury rates
• Improved DMR rates
• Increase ability of detecting product or
process problems internally
• Highlighted variances in set-ups and driving
to improve standardization
– Training gaps identified
• Verification that process controls are being
followed
• Bring all areas of the organization into
operations

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Definition
• Layered Process Audits is a process to ensure
compliance to procedure for shop floor standards
and standard work
• It is a series of audits done by multiple layers of an
organization to reinforce standards and standard
work
• The audits are completed by levels up to and
including top plant management
• Results of these audits are measured for
completion % and compliance %

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Why do we do layered process
audits?
• Ensure key procedures are being followed
• Instill the importance of following procedures on
the shop floor
• Monitor the execution of corrective actions
• Ensure a high level of process control by
identifying &controlling high risk/significant
process elements
• Identify opportunity for improvements and provide
a process for effective follow up
• Encourage people involvement in quality,
leadership and shop floor
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How LPA’s link in the Quality System

– Quality
• Ensure the corrective action for previous quality issue is in
place and functioning as desired
– Error Proofing Verification
• Ensure the EPV is being used and is working
– Control of Non-Conforming product
• Ensure specific CNCP procedures are being followed
– Standard work
• Ensure work being done to established standard
– Process control
• Check process control compliance to PCP
– Fast Response
• Entry criteria to FR as well as a exit criteria

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Minimum Requirements

All production departments are audited a minimum of once per shift.

Documented audit schedule is prepared and available that includes all
layers of audits.
Upper layer audits (above lowest level) are scheduled on all shifts
Each plant or sub-plant staff member performs minimum of 1 Layered
Process Audit per week.
When

Audits at middle levels are performed at appropriate frequency based on

plant organizational structure.

Additional Comments/Observations:

How many of your plant managers do a detailed process

audit weekly?

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Minimum Requirements
Executive
Managers
/ Directors
As
Quarterly
available/
minimum
• Every shift
Plant
Plant
Manager
staff – Team leader
1 1time
time/week
/ month
• Weekly
– Department supervisor
Dept.
Managersupervisor/mgr
/ Engineers
21 times/week
time/week
• Weekly
– Plant staff member

Supervisor
Team/ Team
LeaderLeader
Daily
Every
/ Weekly
Shift

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Minimum Requirements
All auditors must have backup (to consistently complete all scheduled
audits regardless of absences).
Audit content is owned by manufacturing. Audit system is facilitated by
Quality
All upper level audits (above lowest level) are reviewed with the department
representative immediately following the audit.
Best practice: audits are completed with department representative
(department manager, team leader, LMA).
Who

Best practice: other pre and post production operations are included in LPA
process and audited (shipping, production control, engineering, launch
processes, receiving inspection)
.
Additional Comments/Observations:

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Step by step-Develop a checklist
A list of high risk items to be verified during Layered Process
Audits shall be established. Minimum elements to include
are:
– Gages functioning and calibration confirmation
– FTQ
– Past corrective actions and repeat issues.
– Process parameters
– Work instructions
– Training effectiveness
– Product identification / control of non-conforming product
– Documentation/record completion
– Customer feedback
– Error Proofing Verification
Layered Process Audits shall verify appropriate Quality
documentation. Always think about high risk items!

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Step by step
• Develop LPA work instruction and form

• Develop a check list of high risk items to be verified during audit

process

• Schedule audit and visually display onsite

• Conduct audit and display the results

• Ask corrective action and follow up (report nonconforming of

high risk items in Fast Response

• Summarize audit finding/metrics and track actions

• Update checklist as appropriate

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Example Audit Questions

• Avoid non-specific LPA questions

– Are scrap procedures being followed?

• Specific LPA question

– Check scrap containers in line 3 and each machine’s
gage stand and reject chute. Are all scrap
procedures being followed for ID tag, proper
containers, and location?

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Example Audit Questions

• Avoid non-specific LPA questions

– Are all required quality checks being completed at
this operation?

• Specific LPA question

– Review one workstation’s quality records (operation
sheet and verification log). Have all required quality
checks been completed correctly in last 8 hours?

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Example Audit Questions

• Avoid non-specific LPA questions

– Are all machine settings correct per the operation
sheet?

• Specific LPA question

– Review the set-up screen on 3 machines (Push “Set-
up”, “Characteristics”, “Part Settings”). Do all 6 part
settings exactly match those in the posted operation
sheet?

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Audit Questions

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Step by Step- Conduct audit and
display the results
LPA results must be visible at the location being audited (line or
department)
There is a consistent audit form (single audit documentation) throughout
the plant **
There is a consistent audit findings visual display (one week audit
summary) in each department throughout the plant **
Findings identified with consistent marking
O = conforming
Format

X = nonconforming
? = nonconforming but corrected
All LPA corrective actions taken during the audit are documented on the
audit form (single audit documentation).
There is the same LPA content for all audit levels.

Additional Comments/Observations:

How can the visual display of findings be used?

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 Step by Step- Ask corrective action and
follow up

The following must be fed into Fast Response on a weekly or shorter basis
Any High Risk finding

Any non-conformance that was not corrected at the time of the audit
Follow-Up

Any systemic non-conformances (at the defined discretion of the plant).

Additional Comments/Observations:

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Step by Step- Summarize audit finding
and track

Completion % and Compliance % are measured for each audit area

(department or line)
There is a monthly management review of metrics.
Documented monthly completion goal is 100%.
Results and Tracking

Monthly compliance by plant or sub-plant is 90% or better.

There is a documented action plan for compliance less than 90%
There are visibly posted results and goals.
There is a monthly audit findings/violation summary. This is used to identify
systemic issues. **

Additional Comments/Observations:

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Key Learning Points-Take away
• LPA is a process to ensure compliance to procedure
for shop floor standards and standard work
• LPA process involves all levels of plant management
performing the same audit
• LPA results are measured for completion and
compliance
• LPA is an input to Fast Response, Fast Response
exit criteria include LPA
• Do it step by step

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Key Learning Points-Step by step

• Develop LPA work instruction and form

• Develop a check list of high risk items to be verified
during audit process
• Schedule audit and visually display onsite
• Conduct audit and display the results
• Ask corrective action and follow up (report
nonconforming of high risk items in Fast Response
• Summarize audit finding/metrics and track actions
• Update checklist as appropriate

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