Check Sheets

QualityGuru — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:11:34 +0000

Checklist

Check Sheets “record data on a form that readily allows interpretation of results from the form itself” (Hodgetts 89). As one of Ishikawa’s basic quality tools, Check Sheets are an effective means of gathering data in a helpful, meaningful way.

Kaoru Ishikawa is often credited with “democratizing statistics.” This relates to his desire to spread quality control ideas throughout the workplace. His tools make it easier to comprehend raw data, making quality improvements simpler. Check Sheets are a perfect example of this. Although they can vary a good deal depending on the type of data being collected, the purpose of the check sheet is always the same.

“The Check Sheet is used to facilitate the collection and analysis of data. ‘Garbage in, Garbage out’ is an old cliché, but it is true. Therefore, the purpose for which data is being collected must be clear. Data reflects facts, but only if they are properly collected. The number of defects and where they are found can be recorded and analyzed for causes” (Soin 297).

There are a few steps for constructing a check sheet. Since they are used for “determining the occurrence of events such as non-conformities, including the position in which they appear on the non-conforming item”(Bunney), the first step is to identify what problems, or “non-conforming items” occur often. The next step is to construct the table, which will become the actual sheet. Usually the defects/problems/”non-conforming items” are the titles of the different rows on the left side. The top of the sheet contains columns that usually are the time periods in which the problems may occur. Once all of the rows are ready, the only thing left to do is implement the check sheet in the workplace. This means checking off the type of defect that occurs when it happens. This data can then be analyzed for trends using histograms, Pareto analysis, or in obvious cases just by eye
Read full text on QTcharts.com

Three Hoshin Habits for Effective Execution

QualityGuru — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:56:35 +0000

One of the people I most respect as a business leader often repeats the phrase “go slow to go fast”. There is a nearly identical Toyota way principle which states that slow and deliberate planning will speed up execution of that plan greatly. The reverse is also true. Quick and shallow planning leads to poor execution with many delays and rework, and this is too often the case. Of course companies can have quick planning and a great culture of execution but this has a higher cost both in terms of effort and the organizational learning that fails to happen as a result of curtailed feedback to the next cycle of planning.

By faithfully following the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act) whether in problem solving or business planning, we can develop an organization that improves rapidly, that is self-correcting and that is sustainable. When PDCA is not practiced at the highest levels of the company, the realm of strategy and long-term planning, even excellent companies face decline or the inability to respond quickly to shifting conditions. One major element in the recipe for Toyota’s success may be the thorough practice of PDCA, both explicitly and implicitly. For the most part the leadership has gone through years of hands-on training and mentoring in the use of PDCA as a thought process and management method.

We could say that to have effective execution all we need to do is adopt PDCA and teach it to everyone. However this is much easier said than done. This requires much practical education and learning by doing, starting at the leadership level. The ideal way to do this is to adopt policy deployment (hoshin kanri) as a management practice. Using hoshin as a framework for implementing lean manufacturing or lean healthcare can also be a great way to test the limits of management commitment, the validity of the goals of the implementation and to create a regular review process for the implementation. But sadly since it is a strategy planning deployment method and only indirectly delivers business results, too many times leaders skip this step and go directly into implementing what may be hastily laid plans.

read full text on gembapantarei.com

Quality News » Quality tools

Check Sheets

Three Hoshin Habits for Effective Execution