Quality control is the key to success in the modern business world. However, quality management programs are not cheap. In fact, an ISO 9001 certification can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This comes in the form of application, registration, assessment and annual audit fees. The good news is that companies do not need a formal quality program in order to reap the benefits of quality control. Below explains 4 affordable ways to increase quality.
Housekeeping
While this may fit better under the ISO 14001 Environmental standard, housekeeping is still an important part of quality control. Production environments can produce large amounts of dust, residue and waste. Be sure to require employees to blow down machine and properly clean up at the end of the work shift. Having an organized, well maintained work area will reduce potential problems and confusion. Regular preventative maintenance and machine calibration will ensure that products are manufactured correctly.
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
The goal behind this lean method is to maximize machinery effectiveness through engaging employees. That is, train machine operators on preventative and corrective maintenance. This will reduce the burden on the maintenance department, which often struggles to keep up with their constant workload. Learn more about Total Productive Maintenance on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website.
Equipment Improvement Team (EIT)
This is a group of employees that focus on improving the standards for machine care. This is a unique quality control committee that adjusts, improves and restores equipment functioning. This will increase machine reliability and performance. Consider involving different departments (operations, maintenance, and management) at different employee levels to increase diversity. Also ensure that EIT’s use well documented corrective action plans that specify accountable parties, deadlines and desired goals.
Spare Parts Quality and Inventory
Just one minute of downtime at an auto production facility can cost over 20 thousand dollars. Unplanned production downtime costs money, wastes time and puts pressure on employees to meet production deadlines. Having an active preventative maintenance program is of no use without having the critical parts on hand. Be sure to have an inventory software system that provides real time data while allowing management to accurately forecast demand for critical parts.
One of the best ways to control and improve the quality of your process and product is to start from the ground up. A specialist from a St. Louis machine shop recommends making sure any machine parts you use are made according to your specifications and maintained on a regular basis. Starting your process with high-quality parts and supplies makes it easier to generate a high-quality final product.
In conclusion, effective quality control processes and standards are something that every company can affordably implement. Some examples include housekeeping, Total Productive Maintenance, Equipment Improvement Teams and accurate spare parts inventories. Consider creating an internal quality control program based on the ISO 9001 standard by using the strategies listed above to control costs.
