Are Inspection Operations Value Added?

[WCHorn]

I recently hosted a second-party audit to standard ISO requirements. We were in a discussion about final inspection and during that discussion, I identified inpsection as a non-value added operation.

The auditor was taken aback and said inspeciton is a value added operation. I'm not going to take issue with the auditor, I just want to know your opinion for my own benefit.

Inspection, Value added or Non-value added?

 

[Steve Prevette]

Re: Value Added Operations

There is a category out there called "Non-value added but Essential". This covers things like - the customer isn't going to buy it unless it is inspected. Or the government oversite requires the inspection.

For example http://www.mmt-inst.com/vavsnonvatasks.htm

 

[Marc]

Re: Value Added Operations

Yup - Depends upon the product. Inspection points should be identified during the quality planning stage of the product. Over time with some products some in-process inspections may be eliminated based upon data such as customer returns and other failure mode data. Even final inspections may be eliminated on some products.

We have a recent thread here about an in-process functional test of an electronic assembly. Removing Inspection (Functional Tests) from a Process Step What comes into play is how many fail the functional test, and what the costs are if the completed assembly is essentially scrap if it fails.

I see inspections/functional tests as "the cost of doing business" rather than just value added or not if the quality plan for the product was done well and updated as necessary based upon data.

 

[jfrqualitycontrol]

Re: Inspection Operations - Value Added?

As long as you agreed with your client with the acceptable quality level then you can remove inspection at some points. Ideally, yes inspection is non value adding. But in actual process it is part of ensuring quality which is very much important to clients. In order to make it value adding you have to built it in the system where you do not need a separate process just to do it.

 

[somashekar]

Re: Inspection Operations - Value Added?

Inspection is the CHECK process for the product, very much like the CHECK process of PDCA, the basis which is used to evolve a system or product to meet the requirement. It adds value on the assurance front rather than on the build.
Off course, since it is not changing the product like the production or assembly process, you can build into more than necessary inspection which becomes a non-value added task or less than necessary inspection, which becomes a risk element.
Judicious inspection operation is assurance based value add.

 

[tori2432]

Re: Inspection Operations - Value Added?

Inspection is only 80% effective but still a good idea. If you caught 80% of defects, then that is 80% the customer didn't get. You can also track defects found and implement corrective actions to reduce.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Re: Inspection Operations - Value Added?

Welcome among the posters, jfrqualitycontrol

It adds value on the assurance front rather than on the build.

Yes, and since a product can also be part or entirely intangible, I suppose it is the customers view that counts... as usual.

 

[Helmut Jilling]

Re: Inspection Operations - Value Added?

Inspection is only 80% effective but still a good idea. If you caught 80% of defects, then that is 80% the customer didn't get. You can also track defects found and implement corrective actions to reduce.

We need to put this 80% number to rest.....it is an ancient rule of thumb. Nowadays it is much higher, but still not necessarily perfect.

There has to be a method to ensure that the customer gets good parts. Whether that method is inspection, prevention, or some other means, it must be sufficient to meet the customers expectations, and approval.

 

[PaulJSmith]

Re: Inspection Operations - Value Added?

As with most things, it depends on how you choose to define "value." Is it adding physical value to the product? No. Is it adding perceived value in the eyes of the customer? Absolutely.

I voted Neither, because it's really kind of both, as Steve alluded.

 

[Bev D]

Re: Inspection Operations - Value Added?

In my organization we use the Lean definition of 'value-add': Is it adding value to the product. the answer is NO. We also discuss two sub qualifiers to this definition: there are necessary inspections based on regulatory and/or legal requirements and there are VALUABLE inspections. if I have defects, an effective inspection can reduce the effect on Customer disatisfaction and cost to correct - this gives it value to the organization; but it doesn't add value to the Customer as they buy product that they expect will work.

A valuable inspection is one that is capable of detecting defects that can exist. Given this we've eliminated a lot of non-valuable inspections and added a lot of valuable inspections. My Customers don't believe in the allusion or illusion of value from an inspection, the want actual value: product that will in fact work. Some of my regulatory agencies are fully committed to the allusion however.