How quality engineers can quickly resolve quality issues

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Introduction: One must absolutely not be a setter! We must thoroughly resolve the issues related to the production line as well as those reported to us by customers. As a quality engineer, applying PDCA and the 80/20 rule is the fundamental approach for solving problems, while seeing things through to the end is the working style of an excellent quality engineer. The first step is that PDCA and the 80/20 rule are basic approaches for us to solve problems. Each month, identify some of the main factors among those causing problems that have an impact on key indicators. After conducting a detailed analysis of these issues, solution objectives and plans are formulated for each issue based on its nature, and relevant personnel are then brought together to discuss them. In the second step, once a consensus is reached, each task is assigned to a specific person responsible, who is required to commit to a deadline for completion. All of these are compiled into meeting minutes, which are issued after being reviewed and approved – this is the P phase in PDCA. Of course, in the event of any sudden and urgent quality issues, quality engineers should immediately convene a quality meeting to develop solutions. In the third step, during the middle of the month, quality engineers must continuously monitor the progress of work assigned to various responsible persons in accordance with the minutes of meetings, and they should often go to the site together with R&D and process design personnel to resolve issues – this corresponds to stage D in the PDCA cycle. Note: Go to the site where the product is in use to find the real cause of the problem. In the fourth step, around the 22nd of each month, the main task of the quality engineer is to review whether the tasks assigned to all relevant personnel for that month have been completed as planned, and to collect relevant quality data in order to determine whether the achieved results meet the objectives set initially. This is when we reach stage C of the PDCA cycle. Step five: The last few days of each month are the busiest period, as it is necessary to bring together the development managers for various products, quality managers, supplier management engineers, production supervisors, and others to review the implementation of the plans aimed at improving quality issues over the month as well as the results achieved. Discussions are held on those tasks that failed to meet their objectives, and further solutions are developed. This represents the final step in the PDCA cycle, namely phase A. All the work repeats in a cycle; there is a PDCA cycle every month. Mastering these concepts means finding the key to solving product quality issues.