Who is responsible for 100% Inspection (QC) activities?

Q

Quality-Geek

#1
I would like to know which department is responsible for any QC activities involving 100% inspection of an in-process or finished product.

Here where I work, anything that involves product quality gets pushed onto QA. I feel that this leads to a removal of responsibility from Production and places it entirely on QA. This would be less ironic if we didn't have banners all over the place saying that everyone is responsible for quality. I'm trying to push for Production to accept responsibility for the 100% inspection activities so those of us in QA can actually do our jobs instead of babysit.

We are a stamping, welding and light assembly plant, Teir 2 automotive supplier. The parts that are inspected are either robotically MIG welded (checking for weld quality) or have a history of quality problems such as incomplete process.

Bekki
 
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GStough

Staff member
Super Moderator
#2
I would like to know which department is responsible for any QC activities involving 100% inspection of an in-process or finished product.

Here where I work, anything that involves product quality gets pushed onto QA. I feel that this leads to a removal of responsibility from Production and places it entirely on QA. This would be less ironic if we didn't have banners all over the place saying that everyone is responsible for quality. I'm trying to push for Production to accept responsibility for the 100% inspection activities so those of us in QA can actually do our jobs instead of babysit.

We are a stamping, welding and light assembly plant, Teir 2 automotive supplier. The parts that are inspected are either robotically MIG welded (checking for weld quality) or have a history of quality problems such as incomplete process.

Bekki

Hi Bekki,

In a previous life, we had the end-of-the-line inspectors who 100% inspected a certain number of pieces from a bundle (textiles) before folding and sending to packaging. These inspectors reported to the line supervisors and returned pieces to operators for repair when necessary.

The QA check of this process was performed by "in-process QA auditors", who roamed throughout the production process, checking each operator's work as the assembly was being done. These "in-process QA auditors" reported to the QA Manager.

There were a few issues that cropped up from time to time, but for the most part, this worked for that company.

I'm not sure if this is helpful, but maybe it will give you another point of view, at least. :)
 
P

Peter West

#4
Hi Bekki

Well I suppose it depends on people's perspective of the Company QMS. The Quality Management System that your Company operates should include the procedures governing the varying roles, including the responsibilities of each department/employee.

If you redraft a procedure, that covers checking the parts, to clearly state the responsible party (Production), and detail how that fits in to their daily operations, then communicate this (electronically, hard copy, or by presentation and training) then at least you can demonstrate to upper management you have done all possible to enforce this.

Training should go a long way for those members of Production who view QA incorrectly. If they understand better the actual purpose of your role, they may be less inclined to expect you to check their work.

Saying that i suppose there are untold number of stories concerning a part of a company have little idea, or interest in the QA process. That will be the hardest part.
 
J

John Nabors - 2009

#5
Bekki-

I guess the best answer is to tell you how I have seen this issue evolve. When I first moved into quality in the late 80's you probably would have seen all 100% screens performed by personnel from a QA department. Over the last 20 years I have seen the trend be to gradually move the responsibility for this sort of thing out to the point of production and make the machinists/fabricators/whatever more responsible for the quality of their own work. Actually, in my next to last job (in a 2-person QA dept.) we rarely picked up a gage, our job was to monitor indicators of the robustness of the process and maintain records of those indicators. Where I am now (another defense contractor) the inspection responsibility of the QA department is to be the 'goalie', the last line of defense against an external spill, and in the rare instance that a 100% screen is indicated, that screen is performed by the person who was the escape point of the internal spill; in other words, the person who screwed it up in the first place.

Different companies have different takes on this issue and I am sure there are still companies out there addressing quality by throwing waves of inspectors at the processes, but from what I have seen and heard, the trend is definitely away from this and toward empowering and then holding accountable the process owners.

Regards -John
 
P

prototyper

#6
I would like to know which department is responsible for any QC activities involving 100% inspection of an in-process or finished product.

Here where I work, anything that involves product quality gets pushed onto QA. I feel that this leads to a removal of responsibility from Production and places it entirely on QA. This would be less ironic if we didn't have banners all over the place saying that everyone is responsible for quality. I'm trying to push for Production to accept responsibility for the 100% inspection activities so those of us in QA can actually do our jobs instead of babysit.

We are a stamping, welding and light assembly plant, Teir 2 automotive supplier. The parts that are inspected are either robotically MIG welded (checking for weld quality) or have a history of quality problems such as incomplete process.

Bekki

Hi Bekki, I have worked in the same field as you for a lot of years and have encountered the same arguements. If production don't have accountability, they will continue to focus on numbers and not quality. The only way I found to get supervisors, etc. to take notice is for them to feel the "pain" of these sorting activities.
If they have to supply operators to sort, productivity goes down and that is what they are measured on. This will probably only happen a couple of times before management start to realise there is a problem and address the root causes.
Naturally the initial problem for you is how to convince management that the responsibility for sorting lies with production in the first place. Your best arguement is that the organisations reputation suffers every time defective product reaches the customer, demanding a sort, and that your time could be better spent on improvement and addressing the underlying issues. :2cents:

Good luck with the battle ahead!
 
Q

qualityboi

#7
In my experience, I have worked for 4 American companies employing > 10K employees, the companies where the quality was spit off had less quality related issues (product, customer, and process). Sorry to say it seems to indicate that the American companies I have worked for were not mature enough to handle an integrated quality process.
 
T

tjwoolno

#8
We have production personel perform 100% Inspection. We feel this is the only way that they will become aware of the issues that prompted the sort. In my past I have worked at companies that had Quality perform 100% inspection but they had a small group that was responsible for all sorts.
 
Q

qualitymoron

#9
Bekki

In my experience of similar metal/engineering/manufacturing businesses there will always be a certain amount of friction between quality and production. Production are judged on how much goes out of the door - quality is judged on how much they chuck away or gets returned by the customer!

I have found the answer to be management buy in. If you can convince management - be it the Md, the line supervisor, departmental manager that everyone IS envolved in quality it will eventually filter down.

Too many people remember the 'good old days' when they did indeed have a kindly inspector wandering around checking their parts/components for them as if it relinquished them of any responsibility.

Be warned though, once people start taking responsibility (and they will if you get the right commitment from those with the power to influence) you might find all sorts of opportunities for improvement crop up which will keep you busy!
 
J

justncredible

#10
I worked in a stamping shop. TS and tier1, they had weekly groups responsible for sorting. Sorting in stamping is just part of life. We did make sure they knew what defect to look for, even marking acceptable parts. 1 week you had quality doing the sorting, the next was engineering, the next was production. Everyone did it, everyone grabs a box and sorts.

Well some of the older upper people would claim to have meetings or something.
 
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