Hello:

I was looking for some input on how to measure outgoing quality for a job shop. We manufacture complex material handling systems at several different sites. Although there is some limited repetition in manufacturing, the systems are generally custom made depending on site needs. In many cases a checklist is used to verify the quality of the final product. My boss wants me to develop a measurable of outgoing quality for ecah of the manufacturing sites. He doesn't want it to be number of customer complaints or warranty issues. He wants it to be a measure of how well we feel the quality of outgoing is. Does anyone have any thoughts on what sort of measurable I could use? Could I somehow use the checklist we are currently using as a measure of outgoing quality? I appreciate any thoughts or input you can provide.

Thanks,
Bill

How about the acceptance rate on initial inspection at final inspection?

Thanks Carol;

The problem with such a rating is that the number is going to close to zero. There may be literally hundreds of parts going into a system; assuming even just a couple of potential defects per part means there could be thousands of potential defect opportunities in the system. The probability that any system passes initial inspection is probably extremely small. Your thoughts?

Bill

Earlier you said,
<The boss> wants it to be a measure of how well we feel the quality of outgoing is.

Don't you always feel the outgoing quality is what it should be? Do you knowingly ship "bad" product?

The probability that any system passes initial inspection is probably extremely small.

But it passes some final inspection, no? If you think everything is OK (and so signify by shipping the product) but your customers sometimes don't, then you have yourself a yardstick. There's just know way to measure anything without objective criteria, and if the boss wants to know something about the efficacy of outgoing inspection, you need to count how many times it works, and doesn't.