Topic guide · 22 articles
Quality management
Quality management in manufacturing means building quality into every process and role, so defects are prevented or caught where they are made instead of found by inspection at the end of the line. Total quality management, quality at the source and poka-yoke prevent defects, FMEA ranks the risks before they turn into failures, and non-conformance reports and CAPA make sure every failure is traced to its root cause and fixed for good. These guides cover each of those practices and how to measure quality with first pass yield and the cost of poor quality.
Also useful: Quality kaizen ideas
Quick guide: Poka-yoke
Also: Model area 90-day plans
Picture gallery: Poka-yoke examples (28)
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- 1
Total Quality Management: Principles and Manufacturing Application
The 8 principles of total quality management for manufacturing: customer focus, employee involvement, process approach, fact-based decisions and more.
Read the guide - 2
10 Poka-Yoke Examples from Real Manufacturing Processes
10 real poka-yoke examples from automotive, electronics, medical, pharma and aerospace lines, grouped by method: contact, fixed-value and motion-step.
Read the guide - 3
Manufacturing Defects: Types, Root Causes, and Prevention
A manufacturing (or factory) defect is a flaw made in production that leaves a unit off spec. The 7 types, what causes each, and how plants stop repeats.
Read the guide
All 22 articles on quality management
Quality systems and principles (5)
- Total Quality Management: Principles and Manufacturing Application
- How to Improve Production Quality in Manufacturing
- Quality at the Source: Building Quality Into the Production Process
- Right First Time Manufacturing: Principles and Implementation
- Quality Circles: Team-Based Problem Solving in Manufacturing
Defects and error proofing (7)
- Manufacturing Defects: Types, Root Causes, and Prevention
- Why Defects Still Reach Customers Despite Quality Control
- What Is Poka-Yoke in Lean Manufacturing?
- 10 Poka-Yoke Examples from Real Manufacturing Processes
- 3 Types of Poka-Yoke: Choosing the Right Method for Manufacturing
- Poka-Yoke: Error Proofing Methods in Manufacturing
- Designing Poka-Yoke Devices Complete Implementation Guide
Corrective action, risk and audits (5)
- CAPA Systems in Manufacturing: Corrective and Preventive Action Explained
- Non-Conformance Reports: Managing Quality Deviations in Manufacturing
- FMEA in Manufacturing: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Complete Guide
- FMEA Workshop: Risk Assessment and Prioritization Guide
- Layered Process Audit: The Benefits and Implementation Guide
Measuring quality (5)
- Cost of Poor Quality: Calculation and Reduction Framework
- First Pass Yield: Definition, Calculation, and Improvement
- Gauge R&R in Manufacturing: Repeatability and Reproducibility Studies
- Measurement System Analysis: Validating Gauge Reliability in Manufacturing
- Statistical Process Control: Basics for Manufacturing Teams
Key terms
- Total quality management (TQM)
- Quality at the source
- Right first time (RFT)
- Quality circle
- Poka-yoke
- Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)
- Corrective and preventive action (CAPA)
- Non-conformance report (NCR)
- Layered process audit (LPA)
- Cost of poor quality (COPQ)
- First pass yield (FPY)
- Gauge R&R
- Design FMEA (DFMEA)
- Production part approval process (PPAP)
- Supplier corrective action request (SCAR)
- Incoming inspection
- Defects per hundred units
Where LeanSuite helps
Quality Improvement
Log quality issues from the floor, trace each one to its root cause and follow the corrective action through to closure.
See Quality ImprovementNon-Conformance (NCR)
Moves non-conformance reports into an automated workflow and links each defect report to root-cause problem solving.
See Non-Conformance (NCR)Cost of Poor Quality
Pulls your scrap, rework and return data together, puts a dollar cost on each defect and shows engineering what to fix first.
See Cost of Poor QualityAudit Management
Build, schedule and act on any shop floor audit, from gemba walks to 5S and layered process audits, and turn every finding into a tracked improvement.
See Audit Management
Free calculators
- First pass yield (FPY) calculatorFirst pass yield at each step and rolled throughput yield (RTY) across the whole process.
- Cost of poor quality (COPQ) calculatorTotal COPQ and cost of quality, and each as a share of revenue, from the four quality cost categories.
- Process capability (Cp, Cpk) calculatorCp and Cpk against your specification limits, plus Pp and Ppk from pasted measurements, with a distribution chart.
- DPMO and sigma level calculatorDPMO, defects per unit, yield and sigma level from the defects found, units checked and opportunities per unit.
Free templates
- 8D report templateD0 to D8 on three pages: team, is/is not, containment, occurrence and escape causes, actions and closure.
- Poka-yoke worksheetEach step's possible errors, prevention or detection, the method, a device idea and a verified box.
- PDCA templateOne improvement cycle on one page: plan, do, check against the goal, then standardize or adjust. PDF and Excel.
- PFMEA template (process FMEA)Failure modes, effects and causes rated for severity, occurrence and detection, with RPN before and after action.
- Control plan templateWhat is checked at each step, against which limits, how, how often, and what to do when a result is out.
- Corrective action request (CAPA) formProblem, containment, root cause, corrective and preventive action, and proof the fix worked, on two pages.
- Layered process audit (LPA) checklist20 yes, no or N/A checks at the station, a fixed-on-the-spot box, scores by group and a findings table.
- Non-conformance report (NCR) formA two-page NCR from the requirement against what was found to disposition and closure, and an Excel NCR log.
- CAPA log templateAn Excel CAPA tracker with status, days open, late flags and counts by source, plus a printable log and monthly review.
- Supplier corrective action request (SCAR) formA SCAR from the problem and containment asked for to the supplier's 8D-style response, verification and closure.
- First article inspection (FAI) report templatePart information, a ballooned characteristic table with tolerances and results, material and process certificates, and sign-off.
- Design FMEA (DFMEA) templateA design FMEA worksheet with S, O, D and RPN before and after action, a class column and a design rating guide.
- PPAP checklistThe 18 PPAP elements with owner, due date and status, the five submission levels and a readiness count.
- Process capability (Cpk) study sheet25 subgroups of readings with Cp, Cpk, Pp and Ppk worked out, control limits to check stability, and a histogram.
- Engineering change request (ECR) formAn ECR form with the change, what it touches, risk and approvals, and an Excel log that tracks each change to done.
- Cost of poor quality (COPQ) worksheetCost of quality by prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure, with COPQ as a share of sales.
- Incoming inspection checklistReceiving inspection checks from paperwork to sample, the sampling plan, the decision, and an Excel log by supplier.
- Supplier audit checklistA supplier process audit of 32 questions scored 0 to 3, with section scores, a rating and the findings.
- Supplier scorecardMonthly PPM, on-time delivery and SCAR measures turned into points, a weighted score and a rating per supplier.
- Pre-shipment inspection checklistThe last check before shipping: part, quantity, labels, packaging, paperwork and photos, then release.
- X-bar and R control chart template25 subgroups with means and ranges, control limits from A2, D3 and D4, signal flags, both charts and a reaction log.
- Gage R&R study sheet10 parts, 2 or 3 appraisers, 2 or 3 trials: EV, AV, GRR, PV, %GRR and ndc by the average and range method.
- Root cause analysis templateOne report from problem statement to proof: containment, evidence, analysis, verified causes, actions and the effectiveness check.
- Defect check sheetTally defects by type and day, with units inspected, defect rates, a location sheet and the week's Pareto.
- QA matrix templateDefect modes against stations in flow order: where each is made and first caught, a weight × occurrence × detection score, an AA to C class and the escapes flagged.
- Is / is not analysis templateWhat, where, when and extent with is, is not, distinctions and changes, then each possible cause tested against every pair and ranked.
- 4M change management sheet (change point)A shift log of every change to Man, Machine, Material, Method or Design, the extra checks after it and when normal checks resume, with a change point board.
- Histogram templateReadings, bins set by the square root rule, a tally and counts, the spec limits drawn and the share out of spec, with the common shapes explained.
- Scatter diagram templateUp to 50 pairs with a group code, r and R², the least squares line, the quadrant count and r for each group.
- Gauge calibration logA gauge register with next due dates and status, a calibration record with as-found and as-left readings, and the steps when a gauge fails.
- Quality alert formA quality alert to post at the line, a sign-off sheet for every shift, and a log of open, expired and closed alerts.
- TQM self-assessment templateThe eight TQM principles in 24 statements you can check on the floor, scored 0 to 4 by several people, with the spread, the top 3 gaps and an action plan.
- Quality circle meeting recordA circle's charter, a one-page record for each meeting and a problem register that follows every problem from selected to closed or escalated.
- Jidoka worksheet (stop at abnormality)For one line or cell, every abnormality that should stop the work: how it is detected, how the work stops, who is called, the immediate fix and the root cause step, plus a log of real stops.
- Quality control pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the QA matrix to the QM matrix on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
Free training deck
Free printable posters
- 8D problem solving posterThe eight disciplines plus D0, from forming the team to recognizing it, in one view.
- Jidoka and quality at the source posterDon't accept, make or pass on a defect, and the four steps of stopping at an abnormality.
- Poka-yoke types posterThe three poka-yoke methods with examples, and control versus warning devices.
- 7 basic quality tools posterIshikawa's seven tools, each drawn and explained in one line.
- Defect escalation poster (red tag and stop the line)What to do when you find a defect, and an escalation ladder with times to fill in.
- First piece (first article) check posterWhen to check the first part, the five steps before you run, and what to do if it fails.
FAQ
Questions about quality management
More topics
- Lean manufacturing fundamentals
- Kaizen and continuous improvement
- Root cause analysis and problem solving
- TPM and maintenance
- 5S and visual management
- Value stream mapping and flow
- Standard work, SOPs and training
- Safety management
- Lean leadership and employee engagement
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