Tools for Process Improvement

P i r z a d a
 .

What does it mean?

Process Improvement
Methodologies
Deming Cycle

Walter Shewhart
Deming Cycle

✔ Short-term continuous improvement

✔ Long-term organizational learning
Deming Cycle
Plan

⮚ Define the process

⮚ Describe the process
⮚ Describe the players
⮚ Define customer expectations
⮚ Determine historical data
⮚ Describe perceived problems
⮚ Identify the causes
⮚ Develop potential changes
⮚ Select most promising solution
Deming Cycle
Do

⮚ Conduct an experiment to test the impact of suggested

solution
⮚ Identify measures to understand the results

Study

⮚Examine the results

⮚Determine improvement
⮚Identify further experimentation
Deming Cycle
Act

⮚ Select best solution

⮚ Develop implementation plan
⮚ Standardize solution (New SOPs)
⮚ Establish a process to monitor performance
Other Tools

Creative Problem Solving

⮚ Understanding the “mess”
⮚ Finding facts How one
⮚ Identifying specific problems approaches
⮚ Generating Ideas problem solving
⮚ Developing solutions is not as critical
⮚ Implementation as doing it in a
systematic
fashion.
7-Quality Control (QC) Tools

1. Flow charts
2. Check sheets
3. Histograms
4. Pareto diagrams
5. Cause-and-effect diagrams
6. Scatter diagrams
7. Run & Control charts
Tools for Process Improvement
Basic Tools
Tool DMAIC Application CPS Application
Flowcharts Define, Control Mess-finding
Check sheets Measure, Analyze Fact-finding
Histograms Measure, Analyze Problem-finding
Cause-and-effect diagrams Analyze Idea-finding
Pareto diagrams Analyze Problem-finding
Scatter diagrams Analyze., Improve Solution-finding
Control charts Control Implementation
 1. Flowcharts

A flowchart or process map identifies

the sequence of activities or the
flow of material and information in
a process. Flowcharts help the
people involved in the process
understand it much better and more
objectively by providing a picture
of the steps needed to accomplish a
task.
 1. Flowcharts

Identifies:
1. Critical-to-quality issues
2. Selecting measurements
3. Root causes
4. Non-value added steps
5. How one fit into a process
6. Suppliers/ customers
7. Places of measurements or
8. Step addition or deletion (non-value added step)
 1. Flowcharts

Check:
1. Logic of sequence
2. Value addition
3. Bottlenecks if any
4. Resources required
5. CTQ issues
6. Measurements needed
7. Any interaction with the customers
(steps needed)
2. Check Sheets

Check sheets are special type of data collection forms in which

the results may be interpreted on the form directly without
additional processing. Further processing is generally necessary to
draw useful information
2. Check Sheets: Defect Map
A defect location check sheet (or a defect map or a measles
chart) The physical location of a trait is indicated on a picture, or
illustration of a part or item being evaluated.

Instead of just keeping track of the number of defects, the defect

location check sheet can sometimes reveal an area of the
product that tends to see most of the defects. Once this is known,
the team can go back to the process to see what it is about the
upper right-hand corner of the product that is causing the defects.
2. Check Sheets

The items to be performed

for a task are listed so that
as each is accomplished it
can be marked as having
been completed.
2. Check Sheets
3. Histograms

When the data are numerical.

When you want to see the shape of the data’s distribution,
especially when determining whether the output of a process is
distributed approximately normally.
When analyzing whether a process can meet the customer’s
requirements.
When analyzing what the output from a supplier’s process looks
like.
When seeing whether a process change has occurred from one
time period to another.
When determining whether the outputs of two or more processes
are different.
When you wish to communicate the distribution of data quickly
and easily to others.
3. Histograms

Graphical frequency distribution

Provides clues about the characteristics of the parent population

from which a sample is taken. Patterns that would be difficult to
see in an ordinary table of numbers become apparent.

[Condition of data collection should ne mentioned]

3. Histograms

Used when:

• Data are numerical.

• See the shape of the data’s
distribution,
• Comparing the outputs of
two or more processes.
• Communicate the
distribution of data quickly/
easily.
3. Histograms
4. Pareto Diagrams

Vilfredo Pareto (Economist)

A fairly consistent minority
i.e. ~ 20% of people, control
the large majority, i.e. ~ 80%
of a society's wealth.

This distribution has been

observed in other areas and
termed the Pareto effect.
4. Pareto Diagrams
Pareto Effect

Pareto charts are used to display the few

vital factors that are causing most of the
problems reveal themselves. 80% of problems
usually stem
Concentrating improvement efforts on
these few issues will have a greater from 20% of the
impact and be more cost-effective than causes.
undirected efforts.
4. Pareto Diagrams
4. Pareto Diagrams

Making a ‘Pareto Diagrams’

1. Arrange data in a decreasing frequency order.

2. Find percentage contribution.
3. Calculate running accumulate percentage.
4. Draw bar chart (frequency (step 1) vs. factors).
5. Draw accumulate percentage (step 3) vs. factors.
5. Cause-and-Effect Diagram
Ishikawa diagrams (also called fishbone diagrams, herringbone
diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams, or Fishikawa) are causal
diagrams that show the causes of a specific event.

Common uses of the Ishikawa diagram are product design and

quality defect prevention to identify potential factors causing an
overall effect. Causes are usually grouped into major categories to
identify and classify these sources of variation.
5. Fishbone Diagram Procedure

• Draw a fishbone skelton with problem in the head.

• Brainstorm the major categories of causes of the problem.
(Can use generic headings):
● Methods ● Machines (equipment)
● Men (HR) ● Materials
● Measurement ● Mother Nature (Environment)
• Mark categories of causes as branches from the main arrow.
• Brainstorm all the possible causes of the problem.
• Write sub–causes branching off the causes
5. Fishbone Diagram Example 1
5. Fishbone Diagram Example 2
5. Fishbone Diagram Example 3
6. Scatter Diagrams

Also called: scatter plot, X–Y graph

The scatter diagram graphs pairs of numerical data, with one
variable on each axis, to look for a relationship between them.

If the variables are correlated, the points will fall along a line or
curve. The better the correlation, the tighter the points will hug
the line.

Example: Effect on an element of hardness of an alloy.

6. Scatter Diagrams: Correlations

Positive correlation No correlation Negative correlation

Type of Correlations: Quiz

⮚ A __________
⮚ B ___________
⮚ C ___________
⮚ D ___________
⮚ E ___________
6. Scatter Diagrams: Examples
7. Run Charts and Control Charts

Run chart is a line graph in which data are plotted overtime, and
are used to track things as production volume, costs and customer
satisfaction indexes.
7. Run Charts and Control Charts

A control chart is simply a run chart to which two horizontal

line control limits are added: the upper control limit and the
lower control limit. The limits are chosen statistically. When
data points fall within theses limits, process is in control.

Control limits make it easier to interpret patterns in a run chart

and draw conclusions about the state of the control.
Other
Tools
Kaizen Blitz

Kaizen Blitz
Poka-Yoke

Mistake Proofing

Forgetfulness
Inadvertent
Mistakes Misunderstanding
Poor Identification
• Processing errors
• Setup errors Lack of Experience
• Wrong parts Absentmindedness
• Adjustment errors
Delays in judgment
Equipment malfunction
 Poka-Yoke: Mistake Proofing
Poka-yoke (pronounced PO-ka yo-KAY), is the use of any
automatic device or method that either makes it impossible for
an error to occur or makes the error immediately obvious once it
has occurred.
Poka-Yoke: Examples

• Interlocks
• Limit switches
• Alignment marks
• Go/no-go devices
• Cars beep if key is left in the ignition
Poka-Yoke: Examples

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety

Commission has recorded 105 deaths
that were caused by wheelchairs
rolling away from the person.
The response? A mistake-proofing
device that locks the wheelchair
when no one is sitting in it. An
unlocking lever on the handle allows
the wheelchair to be moved when
empty.
Process Simulation

An approach to building a logical model of a real process, and

experimenting with the model to obtain insight about the behavior
of the process or to evaluate the impact of changes in assumptions
or potential improvements to it.
Skills for Team Leaders

• Conflict management
• Team management
• Leadership skills
• Decision making
• Communication
• Negotiation
• Cross-cultural training
Skills for Team Members

The 100-mile rule for meetings

• Use agendas or projects is a mental tool for
• Have a facilitator deciding whether to interrupt a
person for a problem.
• Take minutes
• Draft the next agenda In a nutshell, if the issue is big
• Evaluate the meeting enough that you would call the
person back to handle it if the
• Adhere to the “100 mile” rule
meeting was a hundred miles
away, it is OK to interrupt. If
not, wait for a break or handle
the problem on your own