Quality control in a manufacturing environment should never be an afterthought. No matter how efficient you think your existing processes are, there is almost always room for improvement. Manufacturing businesses should make quality control reviewing a priority. Technology evolves at a rapid rate, meaning that there are new, more efficient ways to improve your processes and policies each year. Below are 5 tips for improving quality control in manufacturing that are affordable and hassle-free to implement.
By Team Savant
Image: ThisisEngineering
Quality Standards
Before you can improve on quality, you need to have a benchmark. In the manufacturing industry, slight imperfections and defects are bound to happen depending on what you are manufacturing. For example, some industries can implement a variance tolerance policy, but that does not work for every industry. Consider how many defects you will allow and what steps to implement to prevent oversight. Set quality targets that teams can work towards achieving.
Employee Training
Achieving consistent results in manufacturing requires specific training for your team. Do not stop at training your quality control manager, offer training for every line worker. Junior or senior employees can develop ideas and suggestions for increasing efficiency and quality control. Trust the process and your employees because they are the ones who work with the products every day so they will be the first to identify abnormalities.
Quality Control Tools
The right technology and tools can make your factory significantly more efficient. Outsourcing your company’s quality management system should include implementation, maintenance, and monitoring services. That will streamline your operations, save time and money, and go a long way to improving product quality without the need to hire multiple experts. Quality compliance is an essential element of customer satisfaction and sales. It is also important to work with reliable component partners such as a trusted nylon tubing supplier or other specialist manufacturers so that the materials entering your production line already meet the standards required. Choose the right technology to configure process flows, capture quality data, and understand the root cause of product abnormalities on the production floor.
Unscheduled Inspections
One product recall due to a faulty product can have devastating consequences for any company. The best way to avoid this is to conduct regular product inspections including unscheduled inspections. Unscheduled inspections are not to catch out employees, but rather to help identify weaknesses within the business’s processes. When inspections are scheduled, employees know to prepare which means they perform their best and notice things that would typically slip under their radar. Think of unscheduled inspections as the secret shopper of the manufacturing industry.
Promote Quality Culture
One way to ensure that quality control systems, processes, and rules are followed within your organisation is to promote a quality culture. Long term success hinges on the commitment of all employees. Promote a quality culture in your business by rewarding employees who report or notice safety or quality issues. That simple addition makes employees feel valuable and appreciated which is always a good thing.
These tips help oversee all activities and tasks, ensuring they are performed by employees with quality control and continuous improvement in mind. The long term success of a manufacturing business depends on its quality management practices. Companies that consistently deliver high quality products are more likely to get repeat business and increased profits.