One of the famous aircraft companies, Cessna has achieved the best plants winner based on the Industry Week. Their quality metrics was assessed as very very good. For them, “Quality Preparation Delivers Quality Excellence”… Thanks to Cessna’s Quality manager, Jesus Acosta, he revealed to us the secret behind their quality management. Let’s take a look!
“Quality Preparation Delivers Quality Excellence”
Cessna Mexico applies a “holistic” system of quality with a variety of systems and approaches working together to achieve and sustain quality excellence. They also apply a “visual” system of quality. It can be seen by how Cessna Mexico’s walls are lined with visual boards that outline the projects, the KPIs, the resources and other details that keep improvement both top of mind and easy to access.
For Cessna, the journey of quality begins with the Cessna Operating System (c-OS). It is exactly like what it sounds, the primary framework that guides how manufacturer manages its resources, methodologies and tools to build a sustainable business. Underneath the c-OS umbrella, 11 systems work in conjunction to assure Cessna addresses quality from all angles.
Inside Cessna
The easiest way to good quality is to avoid defects from the start. Cessna developed engineering and other error-proofing devices, and many manufacturing processes require high level human intervention. BIQ aims to make defect avoidance a conscious component of production line workmanship. The main philosophy of BIQ is “I do not receive defects. I do not make defects. I do not pass defects“. Among components of the BIQ system is a weekly meeting to review higher-level quality issues and share best practices in avoidance. The meeting is hosted by quality engineers. The system is assisted by visual management tools that show the defects and provide best practices in prevention.
FRQC is uses for the external focus. It assures that the voice of the customer is heard when a customer concern arises. Problem-solving and analysis are immediate, with preliminary analysis delivered to the customer within 24 hours. Together with BIQ, the problem-solving activities related to customer concerns are visually displayed on large boards, and quality personnel meet daily to review those activities.
3. Fast Response to Quality Management (FRQM)
Just like FRQC, the aim of the FRQM system is a quick response, but its customer is the quality department. There are components in FRQM, some of them are visual control plans for special processes that give users the critical characteristics of the manufacturing processes in an easy-to-comprehend way. Layered audits and a lessons-learned tracking system also help achieve the quick-response objective.
In conclusion, time and attention given to analysis is very important.
Source:
Industry Week
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