Implementing Operator Product Self-Inspection

[Warburton182]

In Reply to Parent Post by sal881vw

And how can you be certain that inspectors are not recording false results?

Hey Sal.
Good Point. Inspectors are just as capable of recording false results or trying to hide the fact that they have missed a quality problem that they should have picked up on. Again as Jim said, this is down to fear of being battered for making a mistake. I believe if you've made a mistake, hold your hand up and admit it. It's far better to take a yelling at now than getting the sack for trying to hide it when you are found out.

[JadeS]

In Reply to Parent Post by sal881vw

I total agree....quality is produced not checked.

This is where the role of quality assurance comes in and as such the quality department becomes a service provider overseeing the Quality Management System.
All quality control functions have to be delegated to the production units. Therefore a training programme has to be made and the necessary training given by competent personnel to ensure that quality control of the process and product are able to be performed by the production units.
A simple structure is as follows.
The production supervisor is responsible for the process's first and last off samples and any non conformities have to be corrected before production release.
After production release ( in process) it is the operators responsibility to inspect to a product control plan/ work instructions the products produced. Records are kept of the measurements (variables and attributes) take every number of hours or units produced, on a works order form with all product parameters. Samples related to this effect are left for the production supervisor to quality control, thereby verification and validation of these samples is performed. Any non conformities have to be reported and segregated through out the whole process. Once the run is completed a last off sample is produced and compared to the first off sample any discrepancies shall be scrutinized and corrected as necessary and the tool/work process preserved for the next run.
Records are kept of,
First off....to include sample and any statements if necessary.
In process quality control results
Last off...to include sample and any statements if necessary

Your comments are well stated. Each of our Operators are responsible for their process from start to finish. This has been implemented for about 7 years. It works basically the same as you have identified.
The Production Supervisors have the overseeing authority. There are a few quality personnel on site as part of the design and engineering groups.

Regards,
Jade

[lukaslukas]

Hi,
For past 8 years of watching operators controling their own work I have experienced:
- recording results from never performed measurements (found by audit done by QA eng)
- preparing special samples for measurements (extra careful operation to get good results)
- measuring until 3 good samples are collected > recording only good results > continuing production
- pulling just-out-of-spec measurements into specification
- preparing samples for measurement few days in advance
- building samples from previously selected materials
- not following measurement instructions/frequencies
- and I am sure many other deviations I am not aware of.
The motive is efficiency, material consumption linked bonus and yield linked bonus. Operators try to hide problems for their short term benefits.

Please consider this and implement preventive measures before you implement self-control. These can be:
- regular audits by independent (non production bonus driven) QA people
- regular quality awareness trainings
- discipline actions for people who intentionally do not follow clear rules
- I have lately implemented Control Plan measurements to be done by Quality Inspectors for 4 weeks in one production line. I will collect the data and compare with what operators recorded previously. I am going to analyze collected data and decide what to do further (extensive training for production and re-implement self-control, implement Quality Inspectors for other production lines).