Talking about Quality Control: From "Arming-Chair Strategy" to "Real Battlefield in the Workshop"
I. The embarrassment of the Quality Department: It's not the "scapegoat" but the "night watchman"
When talking about quality, we first need to tear off the "emperor's new clothes" - the positioning of the quality department has never been "nitpicking", but rather "helping the company avoid greater losses". However, in reality, its situation is like the condiment dish in the canteen: when the dishes are bland, everyone shouts for it, and when the dishes are salty, everyone scolds the condiment dish for being meddlesome.
When there is a problem with the product, the quality department is blamed for "how could the first line of defense fail"; when the product is stable, the quality department is regarded as "idly checking things every day". What's even more absurd is the "leadership decision - making system" in some enterprises: "This batch of goods is urgent. Just send them first" and "There are a few flaws in the raw materials. Just use them first" - turning the "quality standard" into a "favor - based standard", and finally the whole department has to clean up the mess. I've seen the most outrageous case: A leader of an enterprise released a batch of "products with excessive appearance scratches" to meet the order deadline. As a result, the customers refused to accept them. The round - trip freight and rework costs totaled 200,000 yuan. In the end, the leader even scolded the quality department for "not stopping me".
The essence of quality is to "replace personal relationships with rules." The value of the Quality Department lies in transforming "potential risks" into "controllable processes" - but the prerequisite is that all managers must recognize that quality is not a "cost" but an "investment to avoid greater costs."
II. Basic inspection: Implement the "standards" in every process of the workshop
The bottom line of quality is to "check everything that should be checked." However, "what to check" and "how to check" are the core - it's not about "just taking a casual look," but rather "every action has a basis."
1. First, move the standards from on paper to in hand
The first thing I did after taking office was to overturn the "vague product specifications". For example, in the incoming inspection of ordinary products, in the past, we only checked "whether there were any damages", but now we need to check:
Magnetic properties: Tolerance ±0.02 Gauss (measure 3 points with XX model Gaussmeter and take the average value).
Dimensions: Diameter ±0.05mm (Measure the two ends and the middle with a micrometer and record the maximum value);
Appearance: The scratches shall not exceed 0.5mm and there shall be no exposure of the base (observed with a 5x magnifying glass under a light brightness of ≥500lux).
These standards are not formulated out of thin air. They are determined by referring to the regulations of three industry benchmark enterprises and combining with the company's three - year data on defective products. (For example, the standard of "scratches within 0.5mm" comes from the fact that "80% of the appearance problems in customer complaints are scratches exceeding 0.5mm".)
2. Inspectors: They are not just "gatekeepers", but "gatekeepers with the ability to think"
The training of inspectors has never been about "reading the procedure once". Our requirements are:
Work with a certificate: Take a closed-book exam on the "inspection regulations" every six months. For example, "How should we handle it if the magnetic properties of incoming materials exceed the standard by 0.03 Gauss?" (Answer: Reject the materials + notify the purchasing department to return them.)
On-site assessment: Select 10 samples each quarter for QC to judge. If there is more than 1 misjudgment/missed inspection, deduct 10% of the monthly performance bonus.
Learn to analyze: When the QC reports a defect, I always ask, "What do you think the cause is?" - For example, regarding "cracking of sintered parts", one can't just say "it's cracked". Instead, one should say, "It might be that the sintering temperature didn't reach 1200°C, or the holding time was too short."
Once, the QC reported that "the dimensions of the molded parts were out of tolerance" and said that "it might be due to mold wear". I asked him to measure the mold dimensions, and it turned out that the mold had indeed worn by 0.04 mm. We directly replaced the mold, thus avoiding subsequent 10 batches of defective products. The value of inspectors is not to "detect defects", but to "find the root cause through defects".
III. Quality awareness across the department: Transform "quality" from "the responsibility of the Quality Department" to "the responsibility of everyone"
Quality is never "supervised by the Quality Department"; it is "the result of every worker doing their jobs right". I visit the workshop twice a day. It's not to "catch slackers" but to "check for process loopholes" — an unreasonable process is more fatal than workers' carelessness.
1. Process optimization: Plug the "holes of inter - departmental wrangling"
For example, in the previous process from forming to sintering, when the semi-finished products were transferred to 3 workstations, a tracking card had to be filled out. However, the card was inserted on the edge of the basket, and workers would forget about it when they got busy – the defective rate of material mixing was 1.2%. I persuaded the production manager to change the tracking card to a hanging rope type and tie it to the basket handle. In this way, workers could fill it out conveniently when transferring workstations, and the defective rate of material mixing dropped to 0.3%.
There is also a rule of "the next process supervising the previous process": If the next process fails to detect the defects in the previous process, the defects in the current process will be borne by the next process. For example, if the "mold mark" is missed in the molding process and the sintering process fails to detect it, all the defects in the sintering process will be included in the performance assessment of the sintering workers. After this rule was implemented for 3 months, the undetected defective rate of the previous process decreased by 70%. It's not that the workers became more careful, but that "responsibility" turned into "direct interests".
2. Use performance appraisal to force out quality awareness
Quality awareness is not about "shouting slogans", but about "being written into the salary". In our performance appraisal, quality indicators account for 30%:
- Operator: "Operate according to the work instruction" accounts for 10%, and "No undetected defects from the previous process" accounts for 10%.
- Workshop supervisor: "The defective rate in this workshop ≤ 0.5%" accounts for 15%, and "Suggestions for process optimization being adopted" accounts for 10%.
- Department head: "Number of times of cooperation in quality improvement" accounts for 10%, and "Decrease in the number of customer complaints" accounts for 15%.
Once, the production manager said, "The proportion of quality indicators is too high." I showed him the data: after the implementation, the defect rate in our workshop dropped from 1.1% to 0.4%, saving 80,000 yuan in rework costs every month. After that, he never said a word again. The essence of quality awareness is "interest binding".
IV. Personnel, materials, machines, methods, environment, and measurement: Transform the "six elements" into "daily weapons"
"People, machines, materials, methods, environment, and measurement" are the "Six Meridian Divine Swords" of quality control, and the core is "implementing every step".
1. People: Let those who "can do it" do what "should be done"
"Certification required for special processes": Operators of processes such as smelting and sintering need to pass exams on "the three nodes of the smelting temperature curve" and "the method of adjusting the atmosphere pressure during sintering". Those who pass will be issued a "Special Process Operation Certificate" - those without the certificate are not allowed to touch the machines.
"Leave a trail" in inspection records: When conducting inspections, fill in "ambient temperature and instrument calibration time". For example, if the magnetic properties of a certain batch of products fail to meet the standards, by checking the records, it is found that the instrument was not calibrated, and the root cause can be directly identified.
2. Machine: Keep the "equipment" in a "combat - ready state" all the time
For new equipment, Use it only after the samples pass the inspection: When a new molding machine arrives, 10 batches of products should be trial-produced. It can be officially put into operation only when the pass rate of 3 consecutive batches reaches 100% — to avoid the situation of new equipment = new problems.
For equipment inspections, "check records and also question the workers": During quarterly inspections, randomly ask the operators, "Who maintained this sintering machine last week? Did they clean the carbon deposits on the furnace door?" - Records in the ledger can be falsified, but the workers' answers cannot.
3. Approach: Strengthen control at the source to avoid having to clean up the mess later
Suppliers are audited "once a year": For suppliers of major raw materials, both the "system (ISO9001)" and "products (three consecutive batches of samples pass the inspection)" need to be audited. —— If the magnetic properties of the samples from a certain supplier fail to meet the standards, it will be directly removed from the list of "qualified suppliers", even if its quotation is 10% lower.
For the purchase order, "specify the technical requirements": The order should state "magnetic property ≥ 1200 Gauss" and "dimensions ± 0.05mm". When the IQC inspects the incoming materials, they can directly check against these requirements without having to call the purchasing department.
Traceability – Each batch has an ID card: The product batch number, for example, 20240512-Molding-03 (the 3rd batch molded on May 12, 2024). If there is a problem, it is possible to trace back to raw materials, operators, equipment, and environment.
4. Method: Transform "assignments" into "acting according to the script"
Process classification labeling: For the key process (electroplating), hang a red quality control point label, with the requirement of measuring the film thickness every 1 hour; for the special process (sintering), hang a yellow control point label, with the requirement of recording the atmosphere composition for each batch.
The work instruction manual is "illustrated with both pictures and texts": The forming instruction manual is accompanied by a photo of "adjusting the mold pressure", with a mark saying "when the pressure reaches 30 MPa, the pointer points here" - Workers don't need to guess and can just follow it directly.
Early warning of control charts: For variables data, use the x - R chart (mean - range chart); for attribute data, use the P chart (fraction non - conforming chart). —— If the non - conforming rate of a certain process exceeds the control limit for 3 consecutive points, stop the production line immediately and check whether the mold is worn out and whether the raw materials have changed.
5. Ring: Turn the environment into an ally of quality
For the special process of "controlling the environment": Electroplating requires the "temperature to be 20 - 25°C and the humidity to be 40 - 60%". Before going to work every day, measure the parameters and record them in the "Environmental Monitoring Form". Once, when the temperature reached 30°C, the air - conditioner was immediately turned on to lower the temperature to avoid "the peeling off of the electroplated layer".
5S is not about cleaning up: Raw materials are placed in the yellow area, semi-finished products in the blue area, and waste products in the red area. This way, workers don't need to look for things, reducing the mistakes of picking the wrong raw materials.
6. Test: Transform "inspection" into an "early warning radar"
The inspection procedure "has a basis for each item": For finished product inspection, check "magnetic properties, dimensions, appearance, and packaging", and mark "inspection method, sampling plan, and judgment criteria" for each item. For example, "wrap the packaging with 3 layers of bubble wrap", which comes from the fact that "60% of the damages in customer complaints are due to insufficient packaging".
In handling exceptions, "treat minor issues as major ones": Minor accidents (losses)(< 5000 yuan) —— la will find the reasons within half an hour; major accidents (batch scrapping, customer complaints) —— stop the production line to hold an ad - hoc meeting, write an 8d report (8 - step problem - solving method), track the implementation of measures, and finally report to the general manager.
V. Quality system: Integrate "what is done" with "what is written"
ISO9001 and TS16949 are not tools for obtaining certificates but frameworks for integrating daily management and control into the system. The core lies in three consistencies: consistency between what is written and what is done, consistency between what is done and what is recorded, and consistency between what is recorded and what is improved.
1. The system documents are not for show
In our "Quality Manual", all the requirements of "personnel, materials, machines, methods, environment, and measurement" are included. For example, "operators of special processes must be certified" and "equipment should be inspected quarterly". These are not "slogans" but "things that must be done".
2. Review should not be just for show
Internal audit: Check whether "what is written is consistent with what is done" - for example, if the procedure requires "recording the ambient temperature for each batch", is there any omission in the actual recording?
External audit: All non-conformities identified in third-party/customer audits shall be included in the "Continuous Improvement Plan". For example, if an external audit finds that "the work instruction for a certain process has not been updated", immediate actions such as revision, training, and re-inspection shall be taken.
3. Management review "is not a mere formality"
Management review is to "summarize problems and set goals". For example, if the major non - conformities in the previous year were "out - of - tolerance dimensions", then set the goal of "reducing the out - of - tolerance rate of dimensions by 50% in 2024", and break it down into "calibrating the molds monthly" and "training the operators quarterly". The management system is not "static", but a "dynamic cycle".
VI. Customer Service: Turn "Complaints" into "Opportunities for Improvement"
Customer service is never about "apologizing"; it's about "seeing one's own problems through the customers' eyes". Our rule is: respond to customer complaints within 24 hours and provide a solution within 48 hours.
Quick response: When the customer says "the magnetic performance fails to meet the standard", first check our inspection records. If it is our problem, immediately say "We will bear the rework cost and resend the qualified products within 3 days."
Root solution: Once, a customer complained about "scratches on the appearance". We sent an engineer to the site and found that it was caused by the handling in the customer's warehouse. We didn't blame the customer. Instead, we jointly decided on a plan of "packing with customized foam boxes" to avoid subsequent problems.
Take the initiative in communication: Visit key customers every quarter and ask, "What improvements do you think our products need?" - For example, if a customer says, "The delivery time should be shortened by 2 days," we optimize "the time for changing the forming mold" (from 1 hour to 30 minutes). This way, we can meet the customer's needs and improve our efficiency.
Finally: The essence of quality control is "doing every little thing right"
After talking so much, there is no secret to quality control—it is simply doing every small thing that should be done correctly:
- The operator tightens each screw according to the instruction manual.
- The inspector checks the dimensions of each product.
- The equipment maintenance staff oils the machines on time.
- The purchaser shall clearly write down the technical requirements for each order.
- The department head includes quality indicators in the performance appraisal.
Quality is never an "aloof theory"; it's "every detail in the workshop" - if you pay attention to the details, the details will be responsible for your quality.
Just as I often tell the workers, "If you tighten a screw half a turn less today, the customer will receive a loose product tomorrow; if you miss checking a scratch today, the company will have to spend an extra 1,000 yuan on rework tomorrow. Quality is not 'someone else's business'; it's 'the work in your hands'."