Improve Phase

Project Name: Streamlining Customer Complaints Investigations

Problem Statement: The time to complete a complaint investigation needs to be shortened to accommodate for the frequency of complaints throughout the year to ensure timelines are met.

Moving onto the improve phase of this project, I utilized the following tools:

·         Brainstorming

·         Risk v benefit chart

·         ID Alternative Solutions

·         Determine optimal solutions

·         Update FMEA

·         Value Stream mapping(future state)

·         Validate improvements

For the purposes of this blog, I will focus on the use of the brainstorming, risk v benefit chart, ID alternative solutions, determining optimal solutions and validate improvements.

Following on from the brainstorming session in the measure phase, the team met again to review the possible solutions highlighted at the time and reviewed to determine if there were any other solutions which may be viable for consideration. During this session, the cause and effect diagram was also reviewed again to ensure that all problem areas were considered for possible improvement.  

 

A risk versus benefit chart was utilized for each of the headings highlighted within the brainstorming session. Solutions from the brainstorming sessions and any appropriate solutions from the cause and effect diagram were also slotted in accordingly under each of the headings: investigation write up, risk, software and additional tasks during this session. Out of a possible 33 possible solutions, the review yielded the following results: Implement: 11, Possible: 9, Challenge: 2, Kill: 11.

 

 It was agreed that for the purposes of this project, the implement and possible phases would be implemented and that the challenge solutions would be reviewed with the project sponsor to determine the possibility of implementation within the agreed timeframe. The kill solutions for the purposes of this project would not go ahead however they will begin to form the list for possible solutions for future improvements in the system.

On review, it was determined that the implementation of the challenge solutions would not be implemented within the timeframe of the project and would be added to the list for future improvements.

The necessary actions required to implement the solutions agreed included various quality system instruction updates, development of access database and retraining on practices and procedural updates with investigators and quality engineers.

For example, some of the implement solutions have seen the following time savings:

·         Remove requirement to view work order, do not attach the work order.

o   QSI1426 (Complaint Investigations) updated to remove the requirement to attach the work orders linked to the complaint. Work orders are in excess of 10MB which required to download, then import to Adobe X standard to reduce the size of the file and then attach to Trackwise. Time saved: 18 minutes

·         Do not attach the review of JBASE (manufacturing operations system).

o   QSI1426 (Complaint Investigations) updated to remove the requirement to attach the screen shots of JBASE. There were 5 menus to be reviewed within JBASE to pull the necessary information required. A print screen was taken of each menu reviewed, cropped and formatted into word and attached to Trackwise. Time saved: 10 minutes.

·         Limit the level of review, remove requirement to attach.

o   QSI1426 (Complaint Investigations) updated to remove the requirement to attach the documents reviewed. The following documents were downloaded and re-attached to Trackwise for each complaint: production, final quality control, packaging instructions and the IFUs. In most cases the IFU as well as some production instructions were also larger than a 10MB file and therefore had to be downloaded, then import to Adobe X standard to reduce the size of the file and then attach to Trackwise. Time saved: 27 minutes                   

The implementation of the solutions listed within the implement and possible buckets of the risk versus benefit charts have resulted in measureable improvements and therefore it is possible to move onto the final phase of this project, the control phase.                                                                                  

Assessment of the Improve Phase: The risk versus benefit charts were very beneficial for pulling all the possible solutions from the tools used to date and determine what was worth the effort for implementation. All solutions were viable and agreed at the time however when it comes to the implementation the risk can often outweigh the benefit unless it is reviewed beforehand. With the successful implementation of the solutions, we are already seeing the benefit of our choices which validates the improvements made and makes to possible to move onto the final phase of this project.

Next Step: Control. Maintain the solution.