Quality Facilitation
At Quality Associates International, our facilitation experts have been instrumental in the pioneering and implementation of advanced techniques resulting in proven facilitation methods for "difficult to master" processes and quality tools. Our body of knowledge encapsulates all of the tools in Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and Lean Process. Additional methodologies include Eight Disciplines for Problem Solving (8D) and Robust Design Tools.
Our years of experience in facilitation have led to many innovations:
- The first Ford Motor Company™ facilitation process called FMEA Express (trademark of Ford Motor Company).
- QAI jointly developed the current best practice in risk assessment and mitigation for the Department of Defense (DoD) with Lockheed Martin.
- Lean FMEA process combining a matrix approach Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Failure Mode Analysis (FMA) and traditional Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) into a fast and thorough FMEA output saving up to 70% of development time over traditional FMEA processes.
Broader facilitation services include:
- Corporate supplier base compliance with internal and ISO requirements by prioritizing the supplied product into specific component and supplier risk categories, and subsequent supplier development activities.
- QFD deployment and requirements / specifications cascades
- Problem resolution (8D)
- Collaborative Product and Process Design (CPPD)
- Cascade Failure Mode legacy information for future prevention
Our facilitation experts can adapt methods and techniques suited to the unique demands of organizations in many areas of design, development and manufacturing. Whatever your facilitation needs, QAI can provide a service tailored to meet your specific requirements, and thereby provide outstanding value.
FMEA Leadership and Facilitation Services
QAI provides expert facilitation and leadership services for FMEA, special characteristics selection and APQP within Caterpillar worldwide. Our services currently are used at over 10 Caterpillar facilities on three continents.
QAI is pleased to provide a description of the key benefits to Caterpillar for using the FMEA facilitation services.
FMEA or Failure Mode and Effects Analysis is a valuable tool inside the product development processes of many industries. Its’ value has been documented from the mid 1940’s in the optimization of Jet engines and rocket technologies. The value in FMEA is primarily in finding Failure Modes early in the Design process so that one of three actions can be taken:
- Can the design of the product or process be error proofed?
- Can the product and process be made more capable through CPPD?
- Do we need to develop special controls for special characteristics and verify effectiveness via control plans?
QAI provides structured facilitation processes which help teams locate and react to failure modes and their respective causes earlier in the product development process due to our Lean FMEA technology.
The Lean technology involves the inclusion of a criticality matrix which links danger or (severity) with probability (occurrence) based on the combinations of severity and occurrence, the team is driven to take actions to achieve the three goals stated above. This process takes the typically slow and tedious FMEA process, performed horizontally, to a more efficient vertical approach. This approach is also deployed from system to subsystem to component instead of the component only approach.
The key reason for systems cascade of FMEAs is to allow for systems interfaces and noise factors, driving specific causes to the component level. The need for component FMEA on every single part is negated or significantly diminished based on the low risk of many of the parts to systems performance.
Some of the benefits of the Lean FMEA approach and using QAI as a professional resource:
- 70% less development time than typical teams (hours instead of days)
- 30% less FMEA’s on components due to reduction of the numbers of components contributing to systems performance risk.
- More efficient use of design engineer's time since less time is spent filling in forms
- Typical savings can be calculated as 3-5 engineers saving 70% of their time of FMEA development or 6-10 man days per FMEA.
- Lack of Time is often the enemy in product development.
- (Assumes 3 days per FMEA going down to 1 with Quality Associates' Lean FMEA facilitation)
- We drive a consistent process for Special Characteristics Development 1E2966 or equivalent. Special characteristics carryover to manufacturing and assembly activities in the Collaborative environment.
- CPPD team support and tie in to APQP activities.
- Linkage of results from various tools of DMEDI and APQP
- Action classification and follow-up for timely completion
- Expert knowledge of the process of product development.
In summary, QAI is an innovator in product development and the CPPD process. We are known within the Caterpillar world as expert resources for APQP, FMEA Training and FMEA Facilitation. Our service to Caterpillar has resulted in better designs and processes with reduced warranty, ensuring successful launches and prevention of many issues that could have been but were not. It is all about prevention to Quality Associates International.
Need more information?For more detailed information on this topic please email our qualified staff , contact us by phone at (248) 280-4800, or fill out our Contact Form.