In my experience, when we are streamlining the workflow, we should go back to drawing board. Consider the current state & future state process flow, Conduct risk assessment / PFMEA due to each change on quality (benefits and undesired effects) and implement actions to mitigate risk. Update documents , standard works, train people, establish process capability, review requirements to notify customers and complete PPAP.

Make sure training is effective. It seems to be a lost step in training. I see it all the time as a third party auditor. Training should be continuously evaluated. Hold personnel accountable. It is a key component to achieving expected outcome. Give personnel the authority to stop activities when they see an issue. You cannot wait until the end of the line to find failures.

Great points! I’ve found that using real-time data to catch issues early is key to maintaining quality while speeding up production. It helps us address problems right away, not after the fact. Also, involving teams across engineering, production, and QA from the start makes streamlining smoother without cutting corners on quality.

Quality is built in long before we reach manufacturing. We have to apply advance planning in the designs. We have to look at ergo for not just the end customer but the assembly worker, the maintenance team and the overall process. We need to be aware CPC, MTBF, MTTR... this requires a solid team that starts with a structure of trust. After almost 30 years in the automotive industry trust is perhaps the one thing that teams lack the most. How can I pour all of my energy towards a product that is moved forward by a management team I don't trust? How can the next phase take my work through their process if they don't feel trust in myself and my work. Trust..... and Distrust starts from the very top of a companies structure... look at VW now