As discussed in previous articles, the Windsor Operations team is committed to lean manufacturing methods and principles to drive out waste. When waste is removed, the result is improvement to product quality, delivery, and cost. One very important component in a lean system is Process Capability.
The Seven Wastes reviewed previously include:
- Overproduction
- Waiting
- Unnecessary transportation
- Over processing or Incorrect processing
- Excess inventory
- Unnecessary movement
- Defects
When excess materials are removed from a process, the capability of the process can be seen more easily. Poor process may result in defects, rework, and waste. It will be difficult to continue lean improvements until changes to the process itself are made. The goal of the lean system is to remove these excess materials and improve processes to a higher level.
More specifically, process capability can be defined as the reliability and repeatability of a process. The repeatability of a process is a measure of how accurately a process outputs a key quantitative measure. This is usually measured against a standard deviation with upper and lower limits. Once the repeatability of the process is established, the reliability measures how well over time a process maintains performance. Together these measures lead to the overall process capability.
In the upcoming year, the Windsor Operations Team will continue to evaluate and monitor key processes on the shop floor using process capability measurements. These evaluations will determine the direction for continuous improvement and further waste reduction. The reason we continually strive to improve our process capability is to provide higher quality products and more competitive pricing for our customers.