Beacon Quality Blog

Imagine you’re a supplier seeing a troubling spike in returns over a component with high failure rates. After a lengthy investigation and millions in warranty costs, you discover certain workstations haven’t been heating a product element to the right temperature.

Having already distributed tens of thousands of faulty components, you realize the problem is far from over, putting your most important contracts at risk.

How does this happen, even with a robust system of product audits? The simple fact is that product inspections don’t always catch process issues responsible for defects. And while quality checks in manufacturing tend to center on product audits, process audits are just as (or even more) important to quality. Let’s look at the difference between product and process audits, and how they work together in the big picture of quality.

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Famous businessman Robert Half once said, “Asking the right questions takes as much skill as giving the right answers.”

It’s true whether we’re talking about interviewing and hiring—Half founded one of the largest global staffing firms—or whether we’re talking about quality management. The need to ask thoughtful questions to gain valuable information is especially critical when it comes to creating layered process audit (LPA) checklists.

In an LPA program, multiple layers of management audit high-risk processes at varying intervals, conducting daily checks that systematically reduce variation. These process audits are powerful because of their high frequency, and their ability to provide a real-time snapshot of shop floor processes critical to quality.

As for whether a company can achieve the biggest benefits from LPAs? That all depends on whether you have well-written questions—and how frequently you update them.

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First, the good news: You've just landed a contract with a major automaker, an opportunity that promises to be a huge game-changer for your organization.

Now the not-so-good news: the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) requires you to implement a layered process audit (LPA) program across your plant. LPAs are a sub-type of process audits that apply multiple layers of checks to process inputs known to affect quality. LPAs verify that operators are following standard procedures every shift to minimize variation, defects and costs.

Implementing these high-frequency audits is a condition of doing business with leading automotive OEMs, but they also build the foundation for quality culture. Here we discuss the main steps of implementation, including planning your LPA program, conducting audits and ongoing improvement.

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If you needed to complete 200 audits this month, would your quality team be able to handle it alone? For most companies, the answer is no, and it’s one reason why companies new to layered process audit (LPA) programs struggle.

LPAs are a type of high-frequency process audit involving all layers of management, from team leads to executives. Repeat checks of high-risk processes prevent defects and foster continuous improvement, providing the best results when companies draw auditors from across the organization.

In our experience, however, not all companies find it easy to get other departments involved. Let’s take a look at why cross-functional teams are so important to LPAs, plus some strategies for increasing participation.

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Layered process audits (LPAs) get their name from the multiple layers of the organization that check high-risk processes on a daily basis. LPAs require companies to put significant effort into writing questions, scheduling audits, tracking audit completion and following up on findings.

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If you could reduce defects by half in just a few months, what would that mean for your company?

It’s possible with a layered process audit (LPA) program, but the complexity involved with these audits means many companies don’t leverage their full potential. With LPAs, every layer of management participates in daily checks of high-risk processes. It’s a tall order for many organizations, requiring a solid plan and a prepared team.

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As a supplier, there are many elements being used to measure your effectiveness. Some of the most critical elements include:

• Are order specifications being met?
• Are your goods or services being delivered on time?
• Are orders taken effectively?
• How is the quality?

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We are excited to announce the newest Beacon updates designed to help teams improve global quality controls. The 1.11 release includes better control over who is notified of non-conformances, accommodation of schedules as complex as the DuPont rotating shifts, reassigning audits to available people, single sign-on support, and enhanced control and reporting for global organizations.

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The Ease Beacon assessment platform enables manufacturers and service providers to meet the increasingly complex demands of the connected world while also lowering their cost of quality.

We are excited to announce the newest Beacon updates designed to help teams improve global quality controls. The 1.8 release includes several enhancements to help managers better filter data, provides improved import/export capabilities, enhances group audit scheduling, and streamlines reporting requirements. Beacon 1.8 also includes more control features for audit administration with improved navigation for a more fluid experience within the application. 

Continue reading below to learn more about the specific feature enhancements. 

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