Why the Quality Management (QM) Pillar is not Just Your Quality Department

Understanding the Quality Pillar

• The Quality Pillar in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) focuses on process quality rather than product quality, which often surprises quality managers who expect it to be centered around the quality department's usual scope.
• It aims to analyze and improve defects and scrap, addressing the root causes of issues that lead to customer claims and waste.

Goals and Focus

• The primary goals are to reduce defects and scrap, which translate into fewer customer claims and lower waste, thus improving operational efficiency and reducing costs.
• Unlike traditional quality departments that focus on product quality, the Quality Pillar emphasizes improving the stability and capability of manufacturing processes.

Key Concepts

• The pillar targets waste reduction and scrap management, identifying both material waste and inefficiencies in energy, labor, and time due to defects.
• It draws heavily on Six Sigma principles, focusing on understanding process physics, stabilizing inputs, and using statistical tools for decision-making.

Standards and Processes

• Establishing robust, stable standards is crucial; these standards should be easy to set, maintain, and monitor to ensure consistent process quality.
• The Quality Pillar promotes the creation of stable processes where defects and scrap are minimized through well-maintained standards and control systems.

Collaboration and Implementation

• Successful implementation requires collaboration from various departments, including technology, engineering, and production, to leverage their expertise in maintaining process standards and stability.
• The pillar integrates a broad skill set from different functions, ensuring comprehensive quality management by involving technologists, engineers, and line managers in the continuous improvement process.

Source:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqclpGTZIhA