Preventive Action (PA) - Employee Suggestion Box, Engineering Change Order?

[CarolX]

OK- Fellow Covers,

Here is my list of items we use in our PA program

EMPLOYEE SUGGESTION BOX - actually used
ENGINEERING CHANGE ORDERS - Employees fill out when they find a better way to do things, or a way to prevent a potential problem.
PROTOTYPE REVIEW - A documented checklist for any department to report any issues during the first run of a part.
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE - equipment and calibration
CUSTOMER INPUT - they control design

Thoughts????

Pitfalls?????

Anything just plain stupid????????? (LOL)

Thanks all,
CarolX

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Hi Carol,

This seems like a good topic. Ok, I see nothing wrong with what you have...

How about Process audits / reviews?

/Claes

[Howard Atkins]

Good list,
FMEA is also one of the basic tools as it talks about potential faults.
What about training?

I have seen some people claim that contract review is also PA

Claes-
Process audit I whoyuld have thought is not PA but rather Corrective as you deal with faults found.

[Claes Gefvenberg]

In Reply to Parent Post by Howard Atkins

Good list,

Claes-
Process audit I whoyuld have thought is not PA but rather Corrective as you deal with faults found.

Yes and no. I can agree to that, and perhaps I shouldn't have used the word audit, but in an audit you could just as easily deal with potential for improvement found (I know I do).

I suppose it depends on how you look at it. Let's call it process review then, aiming to find potential for improvement? That would also be a great opportunity to use FMEA.

/Claes

[noboxwine]

In Reply to Parent Post by Howard Atkins

Good list,
FMEA is also one of the basic tools as it talks about potential faults.
What about training?

I have seen some people claim that contract review is also PA

Claes-
Process audit I whoyuld have thought is not PA but rather Corrective as you deal with faults found.

On the $$$, Howard. FMEA's have unequivocally been the most powerful tool I have ever used to unconver potential failures. Incredible when reps from all functions get together and shoot holes in the process. I say run with this one every chance you get and if anyone needs help putting one together, let me know. I use a myriad of tools that have helped in the efforts.

CX: Nothing at all on your list stupid, hun ! Good job ! You don't give yourself enough credit ! If you can drive the employee suggestion gig, you'll have a real winner.

Claes / Howie: I think product audits / reviews can be used as PA. Though audits should be conducted per a guideline, it's gets you out in the process where everything is happening, and, a good auditor will look outside the guidelines for improvement opportunities.

Good thread, all. Have a day !

[Claes Gefvenberg]

I think we derailed this thread a bit with our discussion about suggestion systems. I split those posts to the separate thread Suggestions for Suggestion systems

I think both subjects were equally interesting and deserved a thread each. Please, proceed...

/Claes

[wkl]

We also use Inventory of supplies and spare parts as a preventive action tool.

[Kevin Mader]

How about the parts of ISO -

-As stated earlier, PM and Cal programs
-Doc Control
-Design Control (Design models more specifically including risk analysis tools as pointed out by Howard)
-Process Control
-Internal Quality Audits (audits of any kind, when not done as part of a corrective action or appraisal process, are preventive in nature and are included in Preventive Costs as a part of CoQ reporting)

I have used a similar approach in the past to capture the type of CO being processed as Carol does, and I have found this to be a good metric to report at Management Review. It is a great indicator of company culture (Detect and Correct/Predict and Prevent).

Good thread.

Kevin