This article contains a summary of implementation of TQM improvement projects in the Manufacturing and Service Sectors over the last 5 years. It highlights difficulties encountered in using specific improvement tools as well as handling of the team members.
The TQM Improvement Methodology - D.A.I.C
Throughout these TQM improvement projects, a common methodology was used as a systematic way to Define-Analyse-Improve-Control the opportunity or problem. 7 QC tools are widely employed within this methodology
The DEFINE phase
In this phase, team members are required to identify improvement projects. Some tools commonly used to help members to select improvement projects are as follows :-
a) Brain Storming
b) Multi Voting
c) Selection Grid
d) Problem Statement
Upon completion of using the tools, team members will be able to select and agreed to a project which may be an opportunity for improvement or problem. A Problem Statement is used as a summary of this phase to state the nature of the project, boundaries of the process to be improved, goal and target, resource required and potential constraints
While this is a simple phase to accomplish, often team members are faced with difficulties for some valid reasons. Some of the common difficulties encountered are as follows :-
a) Team leader cannot decide whether to use the above tools to select project eventhough project is already assigned by the management
b) Team leader lack experience in directing team members
c) Lack of initial data to support decision making
d) Team members are not well verse with the subject matter
e) Lack understanding of the improvement tools
The ANALYSE phase
This is a critical phase where the current state of the subject matter as well as root causes will be analysed in detail. This analysis is done systematically and logically as follows:-
a) The scope of the subject matter
b) Current performance (problematic) trend
c) Identify possible causes of the opportunity or problem
d) Detail diagnostic to the root cause of the confirmed true causes
Certainly, these steps are performed using common improvement tools include 7-QC tools such as Brainstorming; Data collection; Trend Charting; Fish-Bone Diagram and why-Why Analysis. Team members use these tools selectively to dissect the problem into smaller junks and look at them critically. As expected, team members do not seems to able to grasp the use of these tools effectively. Often than not, team members make conclusion to the "root cause" too soon without factual data to support. The reason for this are several, some of them are as follows:-
a) Team leader dominate in team discussion
b) Some team members used past experience to make conclusion
c) Data collection is tedious
d) Lack data analytical skill
e) Lack focus during brainstorming on possible causes
f) Did not spend enough time to validate the possible causes
g) Too judgmental on the causes
h) Root cause analysis is often skip after possible causes is identified
The IMPROVE phase
There are two steps in this phase, namely; plan the improvement and Implement the improvement plan. Upon completed the Analyse phase, the team members would have some ideas what are some of the causes of the problem. And to some extend, the root causes of the problem is identified. Based on these causes, planning to improve them is the key objective of this IMPROVE Phase. There are several tools involve in doing so, namely:-
a) Brainstorming of action / solution
b) Selection Grid
c) Benchmarking
d) Cost-Benefit Analysis
e) Control lot and testing
f) Pilot the action / solution
g) Force-Field Analysis
h) Prevention Planner
Traditionally, when an action / solution is identified, often than not, they are implemented without considering the risk involved. Sometime when they are implemented, these action / solution causes different set of problem. During my consulting projects, team leaders failed to stay control of the "excitement of success" when action / solution is identified. Risk analysis was not enough or lacking before they are implemented. Some of the difficulties encountered by the team members during this IMPROVE phase are as follows:-
a) Action / solution taken causes other problem (Jump into the action without further evaluation of the risk)
b) Action / solution does not yield long term result (Member got over exited about the action / solution and forgot about the root causes.
c) Line workers refuse to abide to the new action / solution (Focus too much on technical aspect of the action / solution, forgot about the human factor. New action / solution involve change. Managing the change is often neglected)
d) Some action / solution are not carried out as expected
The CONTROL phase
This is the most neglected but critical phase to ensure action / solution put in placed are permanently yield expected results. It cannot be over emphasized the importance of CONTROL. Not only team need to control the improvement result but equally important the action / solution. These are the critical components of the whole Improvement Projects to ensure sustainability of the improvement. However, members tends to keep track of the result without realizing it is the action / solution that bring about the improvement of the results. Besides tracking and monitoring, it is important that new action / solution are standardized across the company with simple yet effective work instructions and Standard Operating Procedures. And they are periodically audited for compliance. That Management team has included these items in their operation review meeting until such a time they feel it is sustainable. They are some basic tools used in this phase, namely:-
a) Trend Charting
b) Control Chart
c) Documentation
d) Audit
e) On-job training
f) Re-certification
During this phase, least difficulties were encountered by team members. Perhaps it was due to the fact that most action / solution are taken placed in the work area they are in charge. However, there are cases where teams are set up for a cross-function project in which action / solution to be taken are in work areas not the responsibility of the team members. In which case, team members faced with the following difficulties :-
a) Action and solution are not carried out consistently
b) Some of the line workers are not aware of the changes
c) Tracking is focus on results but did not extend to the action / solution
The above article is a compilation of issues in several TQM projects facilitated by the author in various manufacturing and service sectors from year 2001 to 2006. These projects are categorized as :-
Sales Improvement Projects such as :-
a) Customer & Market Analysis
b) Reduction in Customer Complaints
c) Production Uptime
d) Delivery Cycle Time
e) Loan Processing
And Cost Reduction Projects such as :-
a) Quality Improvement
b) Process Optimization
c) Increase Boiler Efficiency
d) Reduce Material Losses
e) Reduce Electricity Consumption
f) Reduce Machine Downtime
g) Reduce Repair & Maintenance
h) Reconcile Insurance Policy Premium etc
This article deals with some common difficulties encountered during the implementation of improvement projects with regards to the use of tools, implementing action and solutions, sustaining the effort and so on. However, other aspects not included in this article are management commitment, sustainability and Reward & Recognition.
In summary, the above projects were completed and their duration varied depending on project complexity. Also, the cost of project, improvement and its related cost saving varied too. As an indication, the project saving ranged from few thousand to a million Malaysian Ringgit. Besides these tangible benefits, there are several intangible benefits too. To name a few; team member work well together as a team than before, gaining extra understanding to the processes, gain analytical and project improvement skill etc
D.A.I.C. (pronounced as "deck") is the methodology used in the above TQM Improvement projects. It is designed by the author based on a collation of best practices from TQM, Strategic Planning, 6-Sigma, PDCA, 7-QC tools etc . He welcomed feedback from readers of this articles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the Author : LM Foong
The author who holds an MBA major in TQM, like to confessed that the above article only provides a brief summary of the projects he has done. Not included was the detail D.A.I.C. methodology and its application of tools. He is in the process to publish these details articles including some templates for download in the near future. He seek reader's patient to used This Link from time to time to access to the these articles.
The author is a consultant and facilitator in TQM implementation. He provides consulting and training services specializing in Strategic Planning and Implementation. His key approach is Improvement Project focus on Cost Reduction. He publishes TQM articles, case studies which are made available at
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