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Continuous Improvement through Embracing Change.
January 23, 2003

"Failure to change is a vice!" states Hiroshi Okuda, Chairman of Toyota. Further he says, "I want everyone at Toyota to change, or at least do not be an obstacle for someone else who wants to change."

I would change his quote and put the concept into a more positive context.

"Change is the essence of continuous improvement and is necessary to migrate toward perfection in all things."  

Norman Bodek, the PCS, Inc. productivity advisor, spoke of a company that creates a formal change plan at the beginning of each year.   The very essence of the SFE 2003 Business Plan is about change and our challenges to the "status quo".  Assuming that Okuda is right in his philosophy, we are on the right track.

Change is implemented by constant improvement.  How will SFE minimize defects to achieve the level of six sigma defects (99.9999% error free)?  Improvement stands on two legs; the first is finding root cause when a process is out of control and the second is to prevent the process from going out of control.  The preference is to prevent rather than to correct.  The answer:  Change the process by improving it one little step at a time. 

Finding the root cause is not difficult, but it requires diligence, digging deeper and not accepting the quick answer.  The concept of finding root causes can be applied to an error in SMT placement, losing a customer order, the trash bins not being picked up properly or having bad data in the ERP system.  The root cause investigation process is universal and not just a concept to be applied to products; but rather to the processes producing outputs of various kinds.

Norman Bodek suggested a three step improvement process while we were at Dana's Stockton, CA, plant.  My version of his process is an improvement process in four steps.  The last step is the most important in maintaining the SFE culture.

1. Identify the true defect.  Don't be too quick to blame a particular process.  Dig deeper.  Here is an example.  We had a group of boards returned from Customer XYZ.  In this example the boards were tested and did not find the open circuits noted in the returned material report.  Immediately we examined the test procedures.  Test is only verification of what was done in other processes and rarely can fully examine all functions.  The defect was solder joints with minimal to no paste on the last five leads of the quad flat pack.  Ah HA!  We have found the error.  Let's change the stencil to open the pads and apply more solder.  Dig deeper.  If you examine the pads on the bare boards in the stock room you find a smudge print on every fourth board.  Ah HA!  We have found it.  Somewhere in the stockroom or receiving inspection they are mishandling the boards.  Solution: We need to wash every board before processing and eliminate the error.  That solution is effective, but it still masks a deeper defect.  Dig deeper.  We open a package of new boards directly from the vendor and find the smudge prints are from the vendor.  Now we have a clue as to the real culprit.  It is somewhere in the vendor's process.  The vendor's evaluation must now continue "digging deeper" in the process to find the true defect.  Don't be too anxious to jump to conclusions.  Keep working your way back in the process to find the true defect.
   
2. Go to the site.  You can not effectively do this from the safety of your work station.  Go to the site.  Physically put yourself in front of the process.  Get as close as possible to the action.  Consider the example of a failure to make a sale and/or losing a customer.  The failure may be the result of relying on a single point of contact and not understanding the underlying structure and culture of the potential customer.   Our strategy is to extend multiple face-to-face contacts into each customer; thereby, creating a better vision of the customer.   The tension in the face and the blink of the eye will give you clues as you communicate. Body language is 80% of communication and you can not get body language over the phone.  When not face-to-face, the tonality of the voice over the phone also gives clues.  The same is true for your processes; the feel of the soldering iron, the hum of the wave machine or the clicking sound from the pick-and-place machine.  Use all of your senses; sight, sound, touch and smell.  Go to the site!  Understand the process.
   
3. Find the root cause.  Operator error is not a root cause.  There is a deeper reason why the operator made the error.  Dig deeper to find the "Why".  Ask Why five times and get to the root cause of the problem.  Example:  Why (1) was the part incorrectly placed?  Answer (1): Trolley load error.  Why (2) was the trolley loaded incorrectly? Answer (2): Operator Error.  We usually stop here and accept that as root cause.  Ask Why again.  Why (3) was the operator error made?  Answer (3): The operator was not paying attention and did not double check the trolley?  Why (4) was the operator not paying attention?  Answer (4): The operator was getting headaches during the day.  Why (5) did the operator get headaches?  Answer (5): The operator's eye glasses needed a new prescription.  A corrective action can now be implemented to get new glasses for the operator.  Use the five "whys" technique with honest, in-depth answers and you will find the root cause.
   
4. Don't place blame.  This is the most important part of the process.  Placing blame is the quickest way to destroy relationships.  We function as a team because we have created mutual respect and trust.  The moment you start blaming a person, the respect and trust between you begins to deteriorate.  Next comes underhandedness, petty back biting and … you know the rest.  This is not acceptable at SFE.  We are after solutions, not blame.  Keep the focus on the process and not on the individuals.  We all make mistakes.  Mine are whoppers.  Let's keep the blame out of the quest to find the six sigma level of defects.

There is always cause and effect, positive or negative.  Our goal is a 99.9999% (six sigma) positive cause and effect. You can wait for the defects to show up or you can ask what could happen to cause the process to go out of control.  Asking the question before it happens and doing something about it is the prevention process.  Make improvements that strengthen the process before they happen.  Make the processes robust in such a way that it becomes nearly impossible for the defects to occur.  Ask "Why?" five times before the defect occurs.  Why would this happen?  Prevention takes a "proactive" approach to improvement.  Proactive improvements are changes made before the problems occur. 

Change is about when to start, not if you start.   There is an African proverb that asks the question, "When is the best time to create a forest of trees?"  The answer is, "twenty years ago."  The second best answer is "today."  Are you changing your world as you go through it by planting trees every time you think you might want a forest in the future? Are you planting them when you recognize you need a forest?  Or are you waiting for someone else to plant your forest?  It is your choice:  Proactive preventive change; change to eliminate root cause defects; or no change, and be overtaken by the world around you.  The choice is yours.

Frank

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