The Problem
The lead measurement and testing equipment factory for this manufacturer had developed a large and experienced employee base. Unfortunately, in the 1990's, significant portions of the workforce were downsized. The departing employees took their well developed manufacturing experience and problem-solving skills with them.
As economic conditions gradually improved, new, temporary employees filled some of the old positions. A core group of experienced experts remaining with the company were able to maintain the plant's performance quality and cost targets, but they found it difficult to forge new improvements on operations. Pressured by rapidly changing market conditions, they had to find ways to improve the facility's performance.
Management understood the volume of production issues, and wanted to improve their processes, cut waste, and improve efficiencies any way they could. Unfortunately, the lines had more open issues than the remaining manufacturing experts could handle. The production manager was tasked with finding a solution. He was also expected to get a new offshore manufacturing staff and plant up to speed quickly.
Solving the Problem
The production manager decided to build an intranet system that would leverage the problem-solving skills of both the current experts and the production workers. This question-based system helped the teams quickly zero in on the root causes of production problems, and design effective, feasible solutions.
It also captured the detailed observations, logic and thinking behind each solution in a way that was easily reusable, either here or in the new, overseas plant. Together, they were building a shared database of knowledge. Using the APS system, the skilled team members and line staff improved their efficiency solving problems.
What They Found Out
The fact-based reasoning tools of PHRED Solutions' APS application was a more productive way to solve problems than the paper-based, and verbal problem-solving methodology developed in-house. The system made the reasoning behind the solutions visible, making it easier to educate and support both the local and new production facility in Malaysia. Users were able to share a common understanding of the issues and logic, and work cooperatively across production, support, and customer service areas when addressing problems.
The system also structures problem identification in such a way that important basic information is collected. When problems follow an escalation path, the team's observations, logic and supporting documents are included. The company's experts waste less time organizing and collecting data from multiple entry points, and spend more time focusing on production issues. The experts solve problems quicker when they are presented with all the facts.
Since the system captures any supporting documentation (pictures, drawings, flowcharts, text documents) as part of the process, all of the information and logic resides in one place. Experts don't have to reinvent the wheel every time they see a problem. The system lets them leverage what has been effective in the past.
Recurring or similar problems are also caught before being escalated to the experts. Part of the APS software allows team members to search for similar problems solved in the past. By dealing with reoccurring issues locally, users can solve their own problems without escalating to the over-tasked experts. By leveraging knowledge gained on previous issues, users don't have to "reinvent the wheel" for every new problem.
Quote
"I believe the logical structure of a question-based reasoning software system has proven invaluable. It has lead individuals and teams through a discovery process that identifies their primary and secondary responsibilities. Once defined, the tool helps them to describe how these responsibilities are carried out. The final result establishes a profile of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to be successful in their jobs."
-Ron Kolakowski, Production Manager
Benefits To the Company By Using This Process:
- Retaining the knowledge learned from previous problems, and the problem-solving skills of experienced technicians allows many issues to be resolved without escalation. Leveraging the skills of the experts allows them to focus on more challenging problems.
- The visible logic and observations behind each solution help when opening new production facilities. Using past problems, training new workers becomes more effective.
- The APS system helps develop "best practices" and procedures. These "best practices" can be shared across the organization. New production facilities can be brought up to speed faster.
- Reoccurring problems can be caught and solved quickly. There's no need to "reinvent the wheel" with every new problem.
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