GM Canada's 16th Annual Continuous Improvement Symposium was held on April 29th, 2004, with over 135 GM employees and 145 suppliers such as Lear, Decoma and A.G. Simpson in attendance. Guest speakers had the opportunity to address the audience and share real incident case studies that resulted in significant quality improvements, and share the methodology used to gain that improvement.
Since the events beginnings as a group of eighty at the Oshawa Car Assembly Plant training room, the symposium continues to grow each year. Representatives from General Motors' plants and administrative areas, as well as a diverse group of suppliers have participated in this event. Although the symposium has become an annual event, it really is a celebration of the continuous improvement process that is carried on every day, resulting in significant quality gains.
Objectives
The Continuous Improvement Symposium is a forum that brings together both GM and GM suppliers with the following objectives:
* Promote the use of common improvement methods and tools
* Increase and share knowledge
* Recognize those using continuous improvement methods
* Forum to network
This year the theme was Design for Six-Sigma and various speakers addressed the audience on this topic. Maryann Combs, GM Canada Director of Engineering and Steve Rose, GM Canada Director of Purchasing & Logistics, gave opening remarks and welcomed the guest speakers and attendees.
Throughout the day both GM employees and suppliers shared their case studies on real life issues that were resolved through continuous improvement methodologies, more specifically, Design for Six Sigma and Red X.
Design for Six Sigma (DSFF)
What is it: A methodology for driving process capable designs that satisfy the customer by identifying and optimizing critical design parameters.
Heart of Methodology: I.D.D.O.V.
I - Identify - identify the project through set criteria
D - Define - define the opportunity through the customer voice and JD Power Results
D - Develop - develop concepts and transfer functions through alternate designs
O - Optimize - optimize the design and balance with conflicting designs
V - Verify - validate results
Objective: The objective of the process is to improve quality, reliability and durability (QRD) on current and future vehicles. GM works with major suppliers within the QRD focus areas.
Red X
What is it - Red X is the GM accepted problem solving methodology that uses engineering skills, common sense and simple statistics to solve technical problems with statistical confidence.
Heart of Methodology: Red X, Green Y, Best of the best (BOB) and worst of the worst (WOW).
Red X - root cause or variable that is causing the greatest amount of variation in the product or process of interest.
Green Y - the failure mode or concern of the customer
Best of the Best (BOB) - best part, assembly or component made in a process as determined by the Green Y
Worst of the Worst (WOW) - worst part, assembly or component made in a process as determined by the Green Y
Objective: Red X statistical engineering identifies a set of tools first used to identify the Red X, and then to monitor the effectiveness of controlling the Red X.