Beacon Quality Blog

In today’s competitive environment, manufacturers are more focused than ever on delivering high-quality products while reducing costs. Unfortunately, too often efforts are driven by a skewed perception of how best to achieve this goal. This is because many manufacturers pay greater attention to the cost of poor quality (CoPQ), comprising internal and external failure costs, over the cost of good quality (CoGQ), comprising proactive prevention and appraisal costs. As a result, they make reactive investments that yield less return and later prove to be insufficient.

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While nearly every manufacturer has employed audits to identify issues with staff output and process compliance, an LPA is distinctive in that it focuses on driving cultural change throughout an organization to improve quality and reduce failure rates. LPAs are part of a formalized system for providing constant attention to an organization’s core, high-risk processes and controls to ensure minimal variation.

Created by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) nearly a decade ago, LPAs were first applied in Daimler Chrysler and Toyota plants, and since have become required practice for most auto manufacturers. Over time the practice has spread to other manufacturing industries, but with only varying degrees of success.

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As we have discussed to great lengths, effective safety performance is built on a foundation of involved safety leadership from the top down, and engaged safety activity from the ground up. It sounds great in principle—and perhaps simple, but in reality is a lot more challenging in execution.

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The Definition of Standardized Work

Standardized work (also referred to as standard work) defines the current best practice to complete the task using available people, equipment and materials. It includes:

• Cycle times, production sequences, and the methods to use
• Operator procedures, work instructions, QC checks and safety issues
• Material flows, optimal WIP and layout

The Purpose of Standardized Work

To insure that tasks performed repeatedly are accomplished optimally and consistently. Variations in the process will create quality issues requiring rework or scrap and will decrease labor performance.

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