Solving Production Variability Between Plants
The Problem
From different locations, managers saw changing output from comparable equipment, and substantial variations in performance from similar plants. How could one facility operate so efficiently, and another perform worse? The key knowledge of efficient, and quality production across the facilities lies within a series of different, relatively isolated knowledge communities. Sharing the knowledge and reasoning across the plants could lessen the variations between them.
Solving the Problem
Enter "structured problem-solving" and "knowledge transfer." PHRED Solutions' Problem Solving (APS) software was implemented. This software asks the user a series of fact-based questions that quickly get to a problem's root cause. The system records observations and logic used by each stakeholder to help identify and solve the problem. Users find it friendly and uncomplicated, and management can track issues and solutions by easily obtained reports.
Barriers in communication fell as users of APS utilized the technology to change the focus of discussions from antagonism to shared reasoning. This facilitated a fact-based dialogue about reality, rather than opinions and assumptions.
What They Found Out
Each unit had a distinct knowledge community made up of team members, team leaders, support staff, engineers, and head specialists (metallurgists, etc.). If the group could think together and share their reasoning, the better the unit would perform. What they like about APS is that they are able to improve the cooperative thinking across the entire plant, and therefore reduce the variation, improving the performance of each business unit.
Quotes
"One of the ways to help meet the goal of becoming the lowest cost producer is to address variations in performance at the operations knowledge community level. The aim being to achieve sustained, world-class operating performance."
"(APS) is integral to a rigorous fact-based inquiry methodology that shifts the focus of dialogue from opinion and perception, or ego based input, to a more neutral focus on verifiable evidence. This opens space for a discussion focused on the facts, and allows tight logic to occur. "
"APS works within, and between existing knowledge communities, both local to the production process, and across an organization. By eliciting and focusing the reasoning of users, APS acts as a communications, or dialogue facilitation utility, overcoming the barriers to fact-based interaction..."
-Bill Brenneman, Root Cause Analyst
Benefits To Shell By Using This Process:
- Helps teams work together better by focusing on logic and observations.
- Past solutions are archived in an easy-to-retrieve format. One plant doesn't have to "reinvent the wheel" if they have a problem similar to one already solved.
- Work groups solve problems better and faster when they collaborate.
- The system helps develop "best practices" for procedures. Performance and quality standards improve as problems decrease. These "best practices" can be shared across the organization.
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