Why Go From Quality Control to Quality Management

QM, QA and QC

• Quality Control (QC):

  • Product-focused approach centered on measurement and control.
  • Involves activities such as inspection, testing, sampling, and calibration.
  • Relies on the science of measurement (metrology) and lab/testing-related functions.

• Quality Assurance (QA):

  • Process-oriented approach emphasizing process development, documentation, and validation.
  • Organizational-wide activities involving coordination, facilitation, and teams to establish effective SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).
  • Involves audits and reviews to ensure efficient process control.

• Quality Management System (QMS):

  • Performance-oriented program focused on system-driven control and measurement.
  • Includes KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), performance reviews, and improvement projects.
  • Incorporates a business-oriented approach to address organizational deficiencies and uses tools like balanced scorecards and risk assessments.

• Relationships among QMS, QA, and QC:

  • QMS is the broadest concept encompassing QA, which in turn includes QC.
  • QC deals with product measurement, QA deals with process measurement and control, and QMS focuses on organizational performance measurement and control.

• Tools and Focus Areas:

  • Tools like statistical process control are utilized in QA, while QMS may employ tools like balanced scorecards, risk assessments (e.g., failure mode and effect analysis), and setting quality goals aligned with vision and mission.

Quality Organization and functions

• Overview of Quality Department: Florian discusses the structure of a typical quality department in companies, highlighting eight main sub-functions.
• Customer Quality Engineers: Directly engage with customers, identifying issues and solving them collaboratively to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Warranty/Field Quality Engineers: Monitor products in the market, addressing field failures to enhance customer satisfaction and prevent financial losses.
• Production Quality: Focus on maintaining quality levels within the company's production, ensuring products meet standards before leaving the factory.
• Testing Department: Conduct tests and analyses to verify product quality, providing expertise and guidance on testing requirements.
• Supplier Quality: Collaborate with suppliers to ensure incoming materials meet quality standards and mitigate risks associated with the supply chain.
• Quality Planning: Assess risks in new product development, aiming to prevent errors and guarantee products meet customer requirements.
• Auditing and Certification: Conduct internal audits to ensure adherence to standards, also preparing for and obtaining external certifications like ISO.
• Quality Department with Tools and Methods Specialists: Utilize advanced statistical and computer-aided tools to analyze and solve complex problems efficiently.

Florian emphasizes that while companies may vary in how they structure their quality departments, these functions play crucial roles in ensuring quality, customer satisfaction, and adherence to standards.

Quality Management Pillar Overview:

• Continuous Improvement Focus: Emphasizes the role of quality management in perpetuating continuous enhancement within industrial settings.
• Holistic Quality Approach: Goes beyond product quality, encompassing process efficiency and effective material utilization.
• Expert Group Responsibility: Drives quality management within factories or organizations, ensuring adherence to specifications and customer demands.

Understanding Quality in an Industrial Setting:

• Customer-Centric Quality: Aims to deliver products meeting customer expectations and specifications.
• Efficient Material Utilization: Strives to minimize material wastage to control production costs and meet customer pricing expectations.

Establishing Stable Processes:

• Predictable Outcomes: Aims for stability by sourcing consistent materials, maintaining uniform machine parameters, and standardizing processes.
• Lean Six Sigma Focus: Quality Management Pillar central to Lean Six Sigma, focusing on stable processes and minimizing variation.

Material Loss Categories:

• Identification of Loss: Analyzes over usage, process scrap, quality defects, non-conformities, and customer complaints as distinct material loss categories.
• Analytical Framework: Classifies material loss to facilitate structured analysis and targeted improvement efforts.

Tools and Methods in Quality Management:

• Parameter Identification: Emphasizes identifying crucial quality parameters for consistent product outcomes.
• Stability Checks: Utilizes "five questions" methodology to ensure stability in quality conditions for consistent results.
• Measurement Systems Analysis: Evaluates measurement systems' precision, accuracy, and calibration reliability.
• Statistical Process Control: Focuses on proactive intervention and corrective actions in the face of process deviations.

OK, but how do you organize your Quality initiatives to go from reactive Quality Control to Proactive Quality.  Well, let's understand the 4 focus areas, and then the journey will be more clear. 

Defect Analysis and Loss Intelligence

• Understanding Quality Issues: Analyze where and why quality issues occur within the process, focusing on both defects and scrap.
• Root Cause Analysis: Conduct thorough analyses to identify the root causes of defects, rework, scrap, and claims.

Quality Control System

• Defect Detection and Containment: Implement robust systems to ensure defects are detected and kept within the company, preventing defective products from reaching customers and causing claims.
• Monitoring Product Quality: Develop a comprehensive control system to monitor product quality and filter out products that don't meet specifications.

Process Control

5. Maintaining Stable Processes: Ensure process parameters are stable and optimal to reduce defects and minimize scrap.
6. Consistent Standards: Ensure machines, materials, methods, and manpower are consistently within specifications and standards.

Process Optimization

7. Redesigning Processes: Use methodologies like Six Sigma and failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) to redesign and optimize processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
8. Pushing Performance: Aim to push performance to the next level once basic process stability is achieved.

Sequential and Simultaneous Focus Areas

9. Prioritizing Defect Management: Focus on keeping defects in-house and understanding their origins before moving on to process control and optimization.
10. Targeted Improvement Events: Address urgent quality issues through targeted improvement events like Kaizen or DMAIC, while building a robust support system for sustained improvement.

Course Forward:

• Interested in leading a Quality Management pillar, sub-pillar, or project team? 
• Learn more about our Quality Management Leader coaching program!  See the benefits below, and find more details in this link.  https://www.beltcourse.com/quality-management-leader-course-page