Faurecia Excellence System

Group Quality Department

Quality System Efficiency

The 6 Quality Basics -> Quality Wall

Purpose: Methodological Guide to the quality wall
Definition, set-up, effectiveness and removal.

Scope: All Production Sites

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FAU-S-PS-0610 / EN issue 01

FAU-F-IS-9041 / EN issue 01

Contents
1- The quality wall protects the customer 2- The quality wall is a management decision 3- Set up the quality wall in 9 steps 4- Implementation 5- Validating the effectiveness of quality wall inspectors 6- Maintaining & improving the wall's effectiveness: Why sent - Why made 7- Quality wall: level 2 8- Criteria for removing the quality wall 9- Capitalization 10- Recap

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1 - The quality wall protects the customer

The purpose of the quality wall is to prevent non-conforms from being delivered to the customer. This is an inspection operation that is added to final inspection outside of the production flow that is maintained as long as non-conforms are detected. The quality wall protects the customer when quality is out of control or risks becoming so. It inspects 100% of production before delivery to the customer, isolates non-conforms and guarantees that the customer will receive only products that meet their expectations. A containment solution, the quality wall rapidly secures the process when a site fails to ensure the quality of its products and the customer is dissatisfied. This may correspond to a stage in the 8D containment measure process. A preventive solution, the quality wall protects the customer whenever there is a high risk of quality failure: start-up of a new product (e.g. failures mentioned in PPAP reports) transfer of production to a new site or a new line modification of a product or process massive recourse to temporary personnel reorganisation of a site

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2- The quality wall is a management decision

A decision is made to set up a quality wall when the customer is, or risks becoming, dissatisfied with the quality of products delivered. The quality wall is the consequence of an observed or probable failure of a site. No PPM quality performance or demerit threshold is defined to automatically trigger set-up of a quality wall. Recourse to a quality wall is a management decision taken to restore or preserve the customers confidence in our ability to deliver only products that conform to their expectations. A quality wall must systematically be set up as a preventive measure to protect the customer in the following cases: at new product start-up, if the internal run at rate shows it is required because final inspection is ineffective or product quality risks getting out of control. transfer of production The site Director makes the decision to set up a quality wall, based on a proposal from the site Quality Manager, who has observed that final inspection at his/her site is (or risks becoming) ineffective and that the customer is dissatisfied.

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3- Set up the quality wall in 9 steps

The quality wall is a dedicated workstation, located at the end of the process, before shipment to the internal or external customer. Quality wall inspectors have just one job: inspect 100% of the products. They perform no other operations, such as rework or assembly. They are managed by a Quality Supervisor, who analyses causes of non-detection daily and works to improve the effectiveness of the wall. The quality wall is set up in 9 steps: 1. Study the Pareto of PPM and customer demerits and identify potential defects 2. Validate decision-making tools with customer (e.g. master-parts, boundary samples) 3. Define standard work instructions and inspection paths with the operators 4. Define good part, rework and reject flows 5. Define what needs to be recorded and how to record it 6. Install one or more dedicated workstations adapted to inspection 7. Train the operators and validate training 8. Display internal and external customer quality indicators 9. Hold Top 5 meetings NB: The above steps are common to all inspection methods (quality wall, inspection or auto-inspection). Here, these steps are described with regard to the specifics of the quality wall.

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4- Implementation
1- Study the Pareto of PPM and customer demerits and identify potential defects. A Pareto of PPM and customer demerits is used to establish an exhaustive list of potential defects (FMEA, Internal demerits). The inspection path of a quality wall covers at least all the defects detected by the customer. The points to be inspected include: appearance, safety/regulatory, functionality, noise, dimensions etc. quality wall inspectors must fully understand these defects and be trained in detecting them. The goal is to catalogue all quality defects.Potential defects must be known in order to ensure the fastest possible reaction when they appear at the customers. Please note that, in certain isolated cases, a quality wall may be set up to check only for a certain well-identified defects (e.g. in response to a specific customer demand). 2- Validate decision-making tools with the customer (e.g. master-parts, boundary samples). A complete range of master-parts, defect sets and/or boundary samples must be set up. This set is to be: based on the list of defects clearly visible from the inspection station easily accessible validated, preferably by the customer (otherwise by the Quality Manager) The quality wall inspectors must also have available at the inspection station: clear instructions covering the specific characteristics demanded by the customer. Inspection aids that are correctly calibrated, adjusted to customer specifications, capable and well-managed. 3- Define standard work instructions and inspection paths with the operators. Involving the operators in the creation of the inspection path is critical. The inspection path must be studied so that it: is easy for the operators to remember is easy for the operators to follow the inspection sequence The inspection path must not, therefore, be too complex. As it is difficult to memorise more than eight inspection zones; twelve inspection zones is considered a maximum. The general appearance of the product may also be checked (a "once-over"). The inspection path must be visible from the workstation, on a part or in a photo or diagram. It is regularly updated. Please note that if cycle time is very long (i.e. work content > Takt Time), two or more operators will be used and the inspection sequence split between them. It is better to divide the control sequence into sub-sequences than to double the inspection.

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4- Implementation
4- Define good part, rework and reject flows When products have been reworked subsequent to detection of a defect at the quality wall, they must always be completely re-inspected (the entire inspection path) at the quality wall.
Final Inspection

Production line

End of line stock REWORKS REWORKS

quality wall

When there is only one rework station for both the production line and the quality wall, the diagram is the following:

Final Inspection

Production line
quality wall

End of line stock

REWORKS

The flow must be perfectly clear. All non-conforms are isolated in red containers. The reworker submits the reworked products to the quality wall (or first to final inspection and then to the quality wall) and rejects any products that cannot be reworked. Each non-conform must bear a label showing the location of the defect(s) on the product. An arrow-shaped sticker may be used to point to the defect. The type of defect may be written on it.

For further details, see the guide Rework under control.

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4- Implementation
The quality wall focuses on 100% inspection of the products, in observance of inspection instructions, because its primary purpose is to protect the customer. Inspection and rework times may vary when new defects appear or when the inspector needs to refer to masterparts or boundary samples. A buffer stock is therefore required to absorb these variations and avoid disruption of the flow. On a production line, end-of-line stock (or the equivalent in storage) and the storage area or shipment in progress act as a buffer.
Final Inspection

Production line
End of line stock quality wall Storage or shipping in progress

For a sequenced line, setting up a quality wall requires creating a buffer of few parts that will allow us to absorb variations in inspection and rework time and then reinsert the conforming products in sequence after the quality wall.

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4- Implementation
5- Define what needs to be recorded and how to record it A dynamic tally sheet is created for the defects appearing on the inspection path. On this sheet, the quality wall inspector immediately records all the defects s/he detects. This sheet must be carefully prepared to list the majority of potential defects. Pulse counters may be provided to help the inspector. The dynamic Pareto is not intended to feed a computer database. The dynamic Pareto is actually a working tool that must be used throughout the shift by the Quality supervisor, who checks it regularly, to react and take improvement action. For each defect, a threshold is defined, beyond which the inspector calls the Quality supervisor, then the Quality manager. The threshold level depends on the seriousness of the defect. At the rework station, the re-worker records the reworks done and the number of rejects.
quality wall

Number of reworks done and number of rejects

Dynamic tallying of non-conforms per defect

IIIIIIIII II IIIIII III

IIIIIIIII II IIIIII III

REJECTS
Red container

Reworks
TO REWORK
Red container

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4- Implementation
6- Install a dedicated workstation adapted to inspection The inspection station is a true workstation, especially designed for effective inspection of the product. The inspection station must have the following characteristics: a suitable jig or bench that holds the product correctly in place so as to facilitate inspection of critical zones. sufficient lighting to perform the inspection under good working conditions. a layout that permits organisation of conform and non-conform flows while guaranteeing respect of the product. red bins for non-conforms or products to be reworked. a suitable board for dynamic tallying a catalogue of quality standard defects inspection and inspection path instructions. packaging instructions, if necessary calibrated inspection aids inspector training certificate stickers for marking defect location on the product master-parts, defect set and/or boundary samples a means of calling the Quality Supervisor (e.g. Andon System. see FES Dictionary) in case of doubt on a defect or when a defect threshold is exceeded. The inspection station must be kept constantly clean and orderly. Sufficient time must be allotted at the end of the shift to maintain exemplary 5S. At the beginning of the shift, before starting production, the inspection station must be okayed by the quality wall inspector (see the guide OK First part). Quality wall and Final inspection: When there is no final inspection and quality proves to be unsatisfactory, it is best to first protect the customer with a quality wall and then set up final inspection. If, despite final inspection, quality is still unsatisfactory, final inspection is reinforced by a quality wall. If the layout does not permit installation of a complementary quality wall, final inspection is placed directly under the responsibility of the Quality department and becomes the quality wall.

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4- Implementation
7- Train the operators and validate training Training is provided by the Quality department and validated by the Site Quality Manager. quality wall inspectors must be fully trained before the start of inspection. Training is recorded on a document displayed on the quality wall board. Procedure: Train on product and all inspection instructions Start inspections in tandem with plant quality staff. Run decoys Competence is formalised by a Quality wall Inspector insignia. This badge symbolises the responsibility given to the inspector, who represents the customer. The inspector wears the badge so that it is always visible.
quality wall Inspector

Quality wall inspectors and their quality supervisor report directly to the Quality department. quality wall assignments must be stable. In each shift, backup inspectors must be trained so that they can step in if the regular inspector is absent. The Quality supervisor must not be the Production line supervisor. The inspectors must be entirely dedicated to the quality wall; they may not do any assembly or rework. It is not advised to have inspectors "rotate" between different Quality Walls workstations during the shift. They may get confused because of different inspection paths. The number of inspectors assigned depends on: the number of zones to be inspected inspection time The quality wall must adapt to the working hours of the production line so that defects detected at the quality wall can be communicated in real time and so that the causes of nondetection by normal inspection or auto-inspection can be dealt with during the shift. If the line runs two 8-hour shifts, inspection runs two 8-hour shifts; if the line runs at the weekend, inspection runs at the weekend. Example: A product has fourteen zones to be inspected and an estimated inspection time of 110. Customer demand: 1,260 vehicles Production time: three 8-hour shifts with a one hour break, corresponding to a Takt Time of 60 Two operators are therefore needed. One, for example inspects points 1 through 9 and the other 10 through 14. This way, the maximum number of zones to be memorised is respected. Please note that the higher the rework rate, the greater the inspectors workload. For instance, if the rework rate is 40%, the inspector will have to check 140% of the parts.

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4- Implementation
8- Display quality indicators An area near the quality wall is reserved for displaying indicators presenting non-filtered defects that were detected by the customer a podium (recommended) The indicators measure the effectiveness of the quality wall and include at least the following: Customer PPM (daily and twelve month history) Pareto of defects at the customers (weekly and four sliding weeks) Customer demerits or claims (daily and twelve month history) Pareto of customer demerits or claims (weekly and four sliding weeks) quality wall PPM (per shift monthly history since set-up) Pareto of defects stopped by the the quality wall (weekly and four sliding weeks) Records are to be kept on Group standard forms. The quality walls PPM must be filled in by hand. Quality wall PPM is calculated as follows: Number of non-conforms detected at wall Number of parts inspected at wall x 1,000,000

QUALITY WALL
The latest customer claim or the latest report that there have been no problems is displayed each day. List of quality wall inspectors Results of the audit of inspectors The number of days without defects at the customers is displayed per shift.
News of the Day
Effectiveness of quality wall Inspectors

Customer PPM

Customer Claims / Demerits

wall PPM

Pareto of Customer Pareto Claims andCustomer Demerits

wall Pareto

New defect yesterday

A: 1 day B: 0 days C: 3 days

No claims or returns for:

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4- Implementation
The podium consists of full-scale products mounted on a base. Each defect of the wall is represented by a red dot or flag, stuck in the appropriate spot, as soon as the defect is detected by the customer (PPM and demerit or claim). Two products may be placed on the podium: one for the current month (Product 1) and one for the previous month (Product 2). In this case the podium clearly identifies the failure and inspection areas covered by the wall and allows us to compare effectiveness from one month to the next.

9- Hold Top 5 meetings The Level 1 quality wall Top 5 is led by the Quality Supervisor. Participation of the Team Leader of the upstream line is mandatory. The Top 5 takes place in front of the quality wall indicator board and the podium. Each product returned by the customer is exhibited near the quality wall and is discussed during the Top 5. A daily review is conducted on the shop floor by the Plant Quality manager for a Level 1 quality wall or by the Plant Director for a Level 2 wall, in order to gage the effectiveness of the measures taken.

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5- Validating the effectiveness of quality wall inspectors

The Quality supervisor validates the effectiveness of the inspectors daily. At each shift, the supervisor checks the inspectors effectiveness with audits verifying strict observance of instructions and the inspection path. Several times a shift, a simple sheet is used to record that verification has been done and is ok. by individual tracking of the failures reported by the customer. This validation is essential to sustain customer protection. The audit is facilitated by the inspection path poster, displayed at the workstation, in front of the operator. The supervisor can thus easily compare the inspectors movements to the inspection path in the poster and intervene to correct the inspector, if necessary. Individual performance (audit results and failure tracking) is posted and updated daily. At the end of each inspection, the quality wall inspector engages his/her responsibility by marking the product with a label bearing his/her name, number and/or identity colour (one colour per inspector). Thanks to this traceability, if a product is declared non-conform by the customer, the quality wall inspector who made the inspection can be identified, informed and retrained. This allows the individual competence of each quality wall inspector to be assessed. Inspectors observed to be ineffective lose their qualification and badge, return to training or are withdrawn form the quality wall if the problem is recurrent.

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6- Maintaining & improving the wall's effectiveness: Why sent - Why made
The first priority in setting up a quality wall is to protect the customer. As soon as a defect gets through to the customer, we must immediately ask the question "Why sent ?. Why was the defect sent to the customer? How come it wasnt detected at the wall? We use the 5 Whys (i.e; asking Why? five successive times) to track down the root causes of non-detection. Actions must be taken to eradicate the causes of non-detection within one hour (at worst, before the end of the shift): updating the instructions and control path, Poka-yoke (mistakeproofing), vicinity inspection, second inspection, training and continuous monitoring of the inspectors. When a non-conform detected at the customers is not on the inspection path or not in the instructions, these must be updated with the new inspection point. The new inspection point may be added after the inspection path so as not to have to completely change the path each day Samples of each defect detected at the customers must be immediately displayed next to the quality wall. (Photos may be used if it is not possible to display the actual product.) Action on the ineffectiveness of the quality wall Update Inspection Path

Not detected
Defect

New defect

Within one hour !

Periodically, the percentage of detection effectiveness can be calculated: PPM stopped at wall x 100 PPM stopped at wall + Customer PPM On the Pareto of defects stopped by the wall, the detection effectiveness percentage is given for each defect. This allows us to concentrate on improving detection.

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6- Maintaining & improving the wall's effectiveness: Why sent - why made
The second priority is to identify the root causes of the defects and progressively eliminate them. Having asked Why sent?, we now ask Why made?. Why was the defect made? Problem-solving methodology is used to definitively eradicate the defect. Although the quality wall is a rapid containment method, it is only a temporary measure to protect the customer, since the longer a quality wall is kept in place, the less effective it becomes the greater the number of potential defects, the lower the probability of detection. To sustain customer protection, we must get to the root of the problems by using Problemsolving methodology. Truly eradicating defects provides a permanent and definitive customer protection solution but takes longer. If causal analysis of the defect indicates it is due to the customer, the causes must be demonstrated to the customer, backed by solid arguments. It is due to a supplier, the site must work with the supplier to solve the problem.

When, in an emergency, we decide to bypass the wall in order to avoid incomplete batches, the products that were not inspected or only partially inspected by the wall

must be listed in a warning to the customer, clearly specifying the absence of inspection and the references of the parts concerned must be identified with a red tag stating Product not inspected or non-conform at quality wall.

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7- quality wall: level 2

When, despite implementation of a Level 1 quality wall, the customer is still dissatisfied, we must add a Level 2 quality wall, which is entrusted to a third party. Setting up a Level 2 quality wall is a Divisional Management decision. We do not wait for the customer to impose a Level 2 wall We have lost confidence in the plants ability to protect the customer Inspection is outsourced to an organisation whose Inspection and Management experience are recognised by the customer

Level 2 quality wall Final Inspection

Production Line
Storage End of line Level 1 quality wall

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8- Criteria for removing the quality wall

The quality wall may be removed once two criteria have been met: The customer is satisfied with the quality of products delivered We have validated for one month that total PPM detected by the customer and the quality wall conforms to the commitment made to the customer. A tracking chart must prove that our countermeasures have been effective.

Final inspection

Customer satisfied NO Level 1 quality wall

YES

wall 1 PPM + Customer PPM on target for 1 month AND customer satisfied

YES

NO Level 2 quality wall

wall 2 PPM + Customer PPM on target for 1 month AND customer satisfied

YES

wall PPM = PPM stopped by the wall

The Plant Manager is responsible for the decision to put up and take down the quality wall.

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9 - Capitalization
Update of industrialization content in PPAP or Initial Sample files: Process FMEA and control plan Setting up a quality wall is a supplementary action generally not foreseen in the presentation of the PPAP (Production Part Approval Process ) or Initial Samples to the customer (contractual obligations). As in every case where the surveillance methods of the process are changed, the process FMEA and the control plans must be reviewed simultaneously, in order to capitalize on the experience acquired for future industrialization (customer quality standard demands). FMEA As soon as the decision has been made to set up a quality wall, effectiveness of the actions must be evaluated by process FMEA studies. (The wall is not to change the gravity and occurrence of a failure mode but to make it easier to detect.). Effectiveness must then be confirmed and validated once the situation has stabilized and customer confidence has been restored. Control Plan. Setup of a quality wall and of relevant instructions at the workstations must appear explicitly in the control plan. This is the system to be used when the process is out of control and 100% inspection has become necessary. The column labeled reaction plan is used for this purpose. Fill in quality wall, for example, and specify instructions and training given to the inspectors assigned to these stations.

Example of a control plan

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10 - Recap
The quality wall is an exceptional method to protect the customer when quality fails (containment) or is likely to fail (prevention). As long as the number of defects remains high, the wall cannot be 100% effective. Regaining the customers trust depends on the effectiveness of the wall, which in turn depends on how quickly defects are eradicated. An effective quality wall reassures the customer and restores their confidence in our ability to send only conforming products to their assembly line, even when our own quality is not completely under control.

Final Inspection Level Type When? Preventive or curative Start of new product Transfer of production Modification Production Production Line Team Leader Inspection (+ Added Value) Follows Takt Time One-piece flow on line 1

Quality Wall 2 Curative replaces Level 1 Level 1 ineffective

Preventive or curative Final inspection fails Start of new product Transfer of production Plant Quality Quality Quality Supervisor Inspection only

Management Inspectors Top 5 leadership Work content Takt Time Flow

Plant Quality Third party Third party Supervisor

Inspection time takes priority over Takt Time Buffer stock after end of line

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General Information

Author: Date: Aim of the modification: Cancels and replaces:

Group QSE 5 December 2003

Complete revision of former version

FAU S PS 0270 / EN Associated documents: FAU S PS 0620 FAU S PS 0630 FAU S PS 0640 FAU S PS 0650 FAU S PS 0660 FAU S LS 0210

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