With over 1.4 billion drivers out in the world and over 51 percent of commutes requiring an automobile, automakers have an undeniable responsibility to produce high-quality vehicles. As a manufacturer, this can best be achieved through quality control.
Quality control is a set of procedures and processes that ensure vehicles meet or exceed globally accepted standards of quality, safety, and reliability. These standards are designed to protect consumers from substandard products and your brand from legal liability.
So, how can you meet these standards? Let’s review five tools you need to integrate quality control into your manufacturing operations:
ISO 9001 Certification Standard
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 certification is an internationally recognized quality management system (QMS) standard. If you have a QMS – and every manufacturer should – the ISO 9001 certification gives you a framework against which to improve it.
Implementing the ISO 9001 allows you to optimize your manufacturing processes. Since it is based on continuous improvement, it encourages you to streamline production and reduce waste regularly. The ISO 9001 also requires that you identify and manage your company’s social and environmental footprint. This provision alone helps make your manufacturing processes more sustainable.
To attain this certification standard, you must:
- Create a QMS
- Document your production procedures and train your staff to follow them consistently
- Measure and monitor your products and processes for compliance
- Regularly evaluate and improve your QMS
Six Sigma Methodologies
Even with the perfect QMS, things can and will go wrong during production. The Six Sigma methodology allows you to identify and eliminate defects and variabilities in your products or processes.
With Six Sigma, you can pinpoint everything that could go wrong and resolve the issues before your product hits the shelves. The most commonly used Six Sigma methodology in automobile manufacturing is DMAIC, which stands for:
- Define the problem
- Measure the product’s/process’ current performance
- Analyze the cause of the problem
- Improve the problem by addressing its cause
- Control and prevent the problem from recurring
Six Sigma methodologies require you to use statistical tools like cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and fishbone diagrams to analyze data on product variables. You can apply these standards to different parts of the manufacturing process, from design to production.
Statistical Process Control (SPC) Techniques
SPC techniques are very similar to Six Sigma methodologies. Through statistical analysis, they allow you to analyze product and process variables and keep them within acceptable limits. The idea is that while you cannot manufacture a perfect automobile, you can manufacture one where the margin for error is within reason. SPC techniques also utilize statistical tools, such as:
- Scatter plots
- Pareto charts
- Histograms
- Control charts
These tools reveal process/product variations so you can address them early in the manufacturing process.
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
But, with the understanding that you cannot manufacture a perfect automobile, you need to understand how a system failure could impact consumer safety. The Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method is the best tool to measure this.
In 2016, General Motors recalled 4.3 million cars due to a defect in the airbag software that caused a delay in airbag deployment. The defect was linked to at least three injuries and one death. A proper FMEA can help you understand system failure risks and prioritize them by frequency, likelihood of occurrence, and seriousness. You can then address these risks during the development cycle.
The guiding principle is that your engineers can perform more accurate stress tests when they know when and how a system could fail and how that failure could impact the consumer. There are two types of FMEA analyses:
- The Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) tests your product design against potential failures
- The Process Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (PFMEA) tests your processes at component, subsystem, and system levels and suggests solutions to potential failures
Supplier Quality Management Practices
The first four quality control tools and techniques safeguard your production processes from within. However, the automobile manufacturing industry is extensive and involves multiple supply chains. With this last tool, you can ensure that your suppliers also adhere to strict quality standards.
Supplier quality management (SQM) is a system of checks designed to ensure the products and services your suppliers provide are up to code. Manufacturing a typical car involves assembling about 30,000 parts. To produce a high-quality car, each of these parts must also be of high quality.
You can maintain the integrity of your product and processes by monitoring and improving your suppliers’ outputs. Your SQM framework must:
- Document your quality expectations and standards, including performance criteria, tolerances, and specifications
- Regularly review and update these standards to reflect compliance, market, and technology changes
- Define assessment parameters for supplier performance, including performance metrics for delivery times, defect rates, etc.
- Establish clear and regular communication protocols between you and your suppliers
- Provide supplier training opportunities
Quality Control Measures Can Sustain Your Brand
As a manufacturer or stakeholder in the automobile industry, your primary job is to satisfy your customers. This includes ensuring their safety and enjoyment of your product.
Often, your customers’ experiences with your vehicles reflect on your brand. If a consumer is harmed due to a defective vehicle you produce, you could be liable for their loss or injury. You could also be forced to recall your product, which could damage your brand image.
Thus, quality control is a win-win. It helps you satisfy your customers, avoid financial loss, and protect your brand. If you need more guidance on implementing these five tools, contact a quality control expert today for customized solutions.