Continuous Quality Fire Fighting
Chet was a very busy man as the Director of Quality Engineering at a large automotive component manufacturing plant, with a staff of over 50 employees, at three different locations. Chet knew his staff was always so busy “fighting fires” they simply could not get corrective actions in place before the next “fire” hit them.
From the middle of this unending debris field, Chet decided he had had enough! “We cannot keep going like this,” he said to his managers one day.
Chet knew he never had quality fires like this when he started out years ago. As a young Quality Engineer he “lived” in his customer’s plant and thus really got to know them and their expectations. Being an insider, he was communicating with them on a daily basis. If they had a problem, “BAM,” he was on it!
It suddenly dawned on Chet that things had changed. In his current role, he only visited the customers when there was a major problem. His company no longer had day-to-day representation inside the plants. He had become just a voice on the phone.
The Plan: It was immediately clear what to do. Why not hire Customer Quality Representatives (CQR’s) that live close to his customer locations? These CQR’s would visit the customer facilities regularly and meet the customer face-to-face. They would get to understand the customer’s expectations, check the scrap parts, return parts, and arrange for sorts if needed. The CQR’s would be his company’s eyes and ears at the customer site.
Chet asked Continental to recruit a network of experienced CQR’s and to manage this network. Chet then trained the CQR’s on his products and expectations. Each CQR was assigned to one or two customers that had plants in their home area.
From almost the beginning, things quieted down. Quality “fires” stopped. Chet finally had the time to perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions, using the data provided by the new CQR’s. Best of all, customer complaints, PPM’s, and warranty dollars all steadily decreased. The cost of the CQR Program actually paid for itself many times over.
Can CQR’s work for your company? Yes. Continental may already have CQR’s in place near your customer’s location. If not, Continental will help you establish and manage your own CQR network. In fact, Chet retired from his former company after 40 plus years of Quality Engineering. Bored with retirement and knowing how much the CQR Process can help Manufacturing Suppliers, he now heads up Continental’s Quality Services Division. Call him for more information on how the CQR Process can help your company.
How expensive is this program?
This process must save you money and pay for itself or you shouldn’t do it. The CQR’s are normally part-time. Some work for more than one supplier, thus spreading the cost among several companies. You pay for only the hours worked. The cost of this program is often cheaper than one trip to your customer.
What happens if I get a Customer Complaint (Formal Customer Quality Alert)?
The CQR will respond to the Customer Complaint immediately. They will investigate to make sure this is a valid CUSTOMER COMPLAINT and challenge it if necessary. If valid, they will take immediate action to correct the situation and ensure only in-spec parts get through to the customer.
What happens if I have bad parts and need a sort?
Your CQR will arrange the sort for you through Continental, if possible, to take advantage of their discounted rates. If the customer requires a specific sort house, the CQR will arrange that and negotiate for discounts. The CQR will keep an eye on the sort to make sure it is being done correctly and that the required data is being properly collected and reported.
What happens if I get a call from a customer about a quality problem?
In most cases, you will never get called as they will call the CQR instead. But if you do receive a call, you simply call the CQR to handle it. They will respond immediately. They will usually be at the plant within an hour or two (sometimes faster). They will handle the situation and report the findings back to you.
What data will I be able to collect from my CQR?
Trip reports will be sent to you and Continental. The CQR will track the issues and put them in common failure modes, so you can focus on your top concerns. Repeat issues or new issues are identified. You will know of all non-conforming parts from all sorts, even those not directly a part of the Customer Complaint paperwork. Types of defects will be reported back to your manufacturing. CQR reports can cover start-ups at your customer locations, an Engineering change, or a supplier change. All data can be put in charts that you can use. You get the data you need.
2 Responses “Continuous Quality Fire Fighting”
How do I become a CQR for Chet and Continental’s Quality Services Division ?
Gerald, you will just need to fill out an application and send us your resume. If you fit (location and experience) an open position we will contact you for a follow up. visit: http://www.continentalproservices.com/application/index.php to apply.