Are You Missing Your Best Quality Improvement Ideas?
If you're tired of feeling like your efforts are falling short, then it's time to rethink how you approach quality improvement. Read on for a step-by-step guide to improving waste detection and prevention in your facility.
The first thing many business owners do when their process becomes inefficient or out-of-date is respond by adding more workarounds, instead of looking at the root cause of the problem. This type of "bandaid" solution only exacerbates the problem and can leave you wondering where all those great idea went that have so far gone unacknowledged...
Reaching world class status is difficult enough without being fooled by what seems like easy fixes.
There are two key areas to consider when improving quality: waste detection and prevention, and process control.
Waste detection is the first issue you will encounter when trying to improve your process. It's easy to assume that placing some sensors or using a microwave oven to detect that the cans have been opened provides an effective solution. In reality, it will fail you time and time again as it requires constant monitoring of what you have already produced, which is an inefficient use of resources.
You will also fail if you rely on expensive equipment that requires a high level of maintenance and expertise to use effectively. It simply doesn't offer a productivity improvement (unless you are able to customize the workarounds for your specific environment).
The main reason these solutions are so common is that they look like a good idea. But the best quality improvement ideas are often concealed because it's hard to see your whole process at once. One reason for this is because of a lack of information or simply overlooking what's in front of you.
An example of a quality improvement concept that flies under the radar is using dark glass instead of clear glass on your packaging. This means that it would not be possible for anyone to see the product before it's purchased, which in turn would take away from impulse buying and influence consumer behavior towards more pre-planned purchases, as well as reducing theft.
Another example is that it was once believed that keeping money in a safe was good enough to protect it against theft. Yet over the years we've come to realize that using a vault and security guards is more effective.
The first step to getting the most out of your quality improvement process is to make sure you are considering all possibilities, especially those hidden in plain sight. Ask yourself if you have considered variations or different options for when things go wrong.
For instance, if your customers do not like the smell of the packaging, maybe an air freshener could be employed which would mask the odor but still leave it possible for the customer to smell the product before they buy it.
If your products become contaminated, maybe you could pour some of the product and then put it back into storage so that the rest of it is undamaged. Or if the product is already open when it gets to the customer, maybe you could put a sticker on the product that indicates that it has been opened.
Historically, businesses have relied on quick and simple solutions to their problems. Your best quality improvement ideas are often not as apparent as they are when you look at them after they've been implemented into your existing process.
When you see a problem, try to think of all the possible solutions first, before you start implementing the first thing that comes to mind. After all, you will be making thousands of decisions like these every day. It is only by knowing the potential outcomes that you can ensure that your best quality improvement ideas are always realized.
To see how this could work in real life, let's compare two scenarios: one where there is minimal information and one where there is complete information.
First scenario: You have a product that becomes contaminated as it travels from your facility to your customer. Your quality improvement idea is to install cameras along your transport route so as to monitor the journey and prevent any contamination both before and after it happens.
Second scenario: You have a product that becomes contaminated as it travels from your facility to your customer. Your quality improvement idea is to install cameras along your transport route so as to monitor the journey and prevent any contamination both before and after it happens. Next, you decide to move the packaging factory closer to the manufacturing facility and vice versa. This allows for easier loading and unloading, especially since you don't have to rely on a third party shipping company.
While these two scenarios sound similar, they're actually worlds apart in terms of what's really keeping your product from reaching its full potential. The first option seems like a simple trial-and-error fix that should reduce theft or contamination while not making waves in the process. The second scenario, on the other hand, will actually reduce the chances of sales potential being lost because your product is tainted.
This is the real power of quality improvement: getting to the root cause of a problem, rather than a quick and temporary fix.
There are many quality improvement ideas that can change your business for the better. Just remember to think outside-the-box when you're trying to make improvements beyond what's immediately visible. This is how you find those great ideas that have so far gone unacknowledged...and that can put your products right on the cutting edge of quality.
Click below to learn how to implement quality improvement solutions in your business.
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Conclusion
Quality improvement is something that every business, no matter how large or small, needs to pay attention to. The concept of “quality” is constantly evolving and changing in the minds of consumers. To put it another way: your business will evolve with the times if you want to stay competitive.
With that in mind, we hope you are able to begin incorporating quality into your business right away!
Guest Author Bio - Grant Higgins is a food safety expert who has been writing about topics of food safety and supply chains for many years now. He has recently published a book on this topic which can be found here: https://amzn.eu/gj3fxe0 .