World Quality Month: Success Stories in Automobiles and Abrasives

This week’s roundup is a recap of World Quality Month 2013 [#WQM13]. World Quality Month, created by ASQ, is a time to promote the use of quality tools within businesses and communities. During the 30 days of November, we acknowledged the efforts and accomplishments that have been made in quality and the individuals who are the driving force behind them. World Quality Month calls on people to share their experiences and successes in order to illustrate the value of quality principals and advancements throughout this space.

While some of you may be well aware of World Quality Month, this roundup may serve as an introduction to the cause for others. Exploring the website will provide an overview and facts about this tradition, resources, events taking place, success stories, and an option to share your own initiatives. We've chosen to share a few case studies as a reminder of the importance of quality management.

[Case Study] Ford Uses Six Sigma to Reduce Costs While Improving Environmental Impact

Ford Motor Co.’s Six Sigma strategy includes regular analysis of scorecard metrics in order to detect performance trends. During a routine review, a German plant recognized an increase in basecoat paint consumption. Not only did this mean that production costs were resultantly higher, but so were the levels of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Through the formation of an internal employee team and the use of the DMAIC Model (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control), Ford was able to reduce annual cost by $2 million and reduce environmental impact, all while improving customer satisfaction. Learn about the surprising shift from robotic to manual processes.

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[Case Study] Quality Revolution Reduces Defects, Drives Sales Growth at 3M

Several years back, 3M’s abrasive business experienced an increase in customer complaints as well as in abrasive belt failure. During this time, the sales teams were spending a smuch as 40% of their time answering to such complaints instead of focuses on driving revenue, which was jeopardizing business growth and financial objectives. Formulation of an internal improvement team, Six Sigma, and a top 200 customer focus led root cause analysis and implementation of defect solutions. 3M was successful in this quality improvement initiative by reducing defects in parts per million by 28% while increasing sales by more than 50%. Read entire story.

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[Case Study] Chinese OEM Reduces Returns with Improved Product Testing

Continental Automotive Systems is an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) that began producing an electric component box for the automotive industry, specifically a General Motors subsidiary. A key metric for such suppliers to track the performance of products is the number of defective parts per million (ppm) while the car still has an odometer read of 0. The electric component box, which includes a CD player, USB outlet, GPS, and Bluetooth functionality, has proved to be a challenging product to produce. Each unit comprises over 2,000 components, creating plenty of opportunity for errors. The return goal was less than 100 ppm, and the actual rate for Continental was 1,200 ppm. This case study dives into the Six Sigma improvement initiative and an increased testing structure that resulted in a cost savings of $130,000 per year and a rate of less than 50 ppm.  Continuous improvement from beginning to end.

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