Methods improvement for TQM
hat
is “Methods Improvement”? How does it apply to a
viable quality management program? Very simply stated: It is
the organized application of common sense in the development
and use of easier, quicker and more economical methods of
producing quality work. It involves studying and improving old
work methods, as well as the application of new methods to get
more and better work done in less time and with less effort.
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More than just an analysis is involved.
Human relations play a big part in any methods improvement
program. Good results can be obtained only if everyone realizes
the intent of the program and the many benefits which can be
derived from it by “working smarter, not harder.”
The fundamental idea of finding easier and
better ways of doing work involves change. Most people resist
change and prefer to remain with the usual routine method. We
must recognize and understand three outstanding human
characteristics:
• We resist the new.
• We resist change.
• We resent criticism.
We resist the new
Can you remember the reaction you received
the last time you tried to promote a new idea to your workers?
Their first impulse was probably to find fault and offer
objections. Perhaps they said it was impractical, it had been
tried before, or that it might work elsewhere but not here.
All the difficulties were mentioned with
no real advantage to our situation. A good example is one that
I experienced during my first consultation assignment in a high
volume plant with a large amount of laundered shirts. The
operation had a three-station touch-up department that serviced
three double-buck shirt units. The emphasis was on speed of
production since the touch-up department would take care of
final detailing.
However, a great percentage of the shirts
were finished very well and required very little, or no,
touch-up; nevertheless, the touch-up people were going over
almost every inch of the shirt in spite of its not needing it.
It was obvious that they were just trying to justify their jobs
and get in as many hours of work as they possibly could.
Being new at the profession of consulting,
I made the big mistake of saying to the touch-up people: “How
would you like me to make your job easier with less work”?
Well, the answer was a unanimous: “Hell
no! Just mind your own business and go somewhere else.”
However, I finally managed to eliminate two of the touch-up
stations simply by tightening up on the quality from the shirt
pressers, and the remaining touch-up person was doing that job
only part time.
Finally, the touch-up station was
eliminated with that job going to the inspector.
Incorporating my system of longer head
downtime and proper lays accomplished the mission.
We cannot underestimate the tendency of
people to resist anything new or unconventional. Change in the
employee’s routine is frequently accompanied by increased
effort and attention resulting in greater fatigue. The first
reaction to the new method is that it is harder than the old
method.
If the new method is a genuine
improvement, then it should become easier than the old, but
only after the worker has acquired new work habits. Educating
workers to this realization will let them acquire new habits
more quickly.
We resist change
There is no denying the stabilizing effect
of a sense of security. The stability of the status quo is
reflected in a comfortable feeling of complacency. When we fear
this state is in jeopardy, our first reaction is to denounce
the threat and endeavor to restore the traditional environment.
Tradition is definitely an obstacle to
progress. The attitude of “what was good enough for my
parents is good enough for me” has done more to prevent
progress than all other factors combined.
Very few individuals fail to see the
necessity for methods improvements in theory. It is true that
few find fault with our objectives; however, they may foresee a
threat to their personal sense of security in our program.
For this reason they may resist any change
with almost stubborn determination. To overcome this
difficulty, it is essential that greater harmony and
understanding prevail between employees and management if we
are able to realize the benefits of better methods.
We resent criticism
Consider the situation I mentioned herein
concerning the touch-up stations and the resistance that I
experienced when I tried to make the job easier and much less
laborious. You approach the worker, and sometimes the
supervisor, and suggest a better method. The very essence of
your remark implies that his or her method is wrong, and that
person will probably feel that you are criticizing him or her
personally.
With this approach, he or she will most
certainly become stubbornly defensive of “his or her
method.”
Since people normally resent criticism, we
must be extremely cautious in our approach to suggesting new
ideas. Perhaps if workers can be educated to recognize and
suggest new and better methods themselves, the implication of
criticism can be avoided. By the same token, management must
recognize that any suggestion from an employee for improved
methods will be received as a criticism of management itself.
Therefore, management must take the lead
in the acceptance of indirect criticism by recognizing any
merits in such suggestions.
Plant-employee relations
Job enthusiasm is more easily detected
than created. When a consultant steps into a plant where
employees are not prompt in complying with orders, where they
are disrespectful of supervisors, and where production jams
constantly occur, he knows morale is low.
Conversely, when he steps into a plant
where employees obviously feel the jobs they are doing are
important, where they identify themselves as part of the
organization, where discipline is spontaneous, and where
employees are smiling and cheerful on the job, he knows job
enthusiasm is great.
Employee cooperation is stimulated by
encouraging employee suggestions and by dramatizing the
importance of waste control and cost reduction.
True management partnership is evidenced
by:
• Employees “in the know”
about current and future commitments of the plant.
• Recognition of employee
ambition and ability.
• A reasonable degree of
security for employees.
A better approach to the job can be
stimulated and a special sense of responsibility nurtured by
illustrating, by means of bulletin boards, newsletters or
circulars, that the well-being of all workers in the plant
depends on the individual job being well performed.
We must realize that the success of
methods improvement requires the cooperation of employees,
correct attitude, and good employee morale in the plant.
Employees must be told, if possible, that they will not work
harder, but smarter. They must also be assured that they will
not lose their jobs through methods improvement.
Employee turnover is usually sufficient to
effect any necessary reduction of personnel by attrition. This
is simply accomplished by not replacing those who leave
voluntarily, rather than by dismissing employees who wish to
continue working. Excess workers, as a result of the
improvement, should be laid off only if they cannot be placed
elsewhere in the organization.
Employees must also be assured that their
earnings will not be reduced as a result of any method
improvement. If the method is a true improvement, earnings
should increase rather than decrease.
Methods improvement must have the
continued attention of top management and supervision to an
extent great enough to be known to all employees. This requires
that a certain amount of management’s time be devoted to
conference groups. Some will find difficulty in allotting time
for this purpose, yet no more fruitful method exists for the
attainment of the common goal of both management and labor.
How to do it
Methods improvement is basically common
sense applied to the job, keeping in mind that minutes are
money. Extra steps and added motions add to the cost of
performing any job. For example, an incorrect physical layout
can add to the walking and motion sequence of any job.
You, as a manager or supervisor, can
increase the productivity of the average worker by the
identification and elimination of wasted motions. You can do
this with the procedure outlined below. This same procedure
would be used by the most able consultant you could hire.
The consultant would have several
advantages over the “do it yourself job.” First, he
could stick with it continually, not having the interruptions
caused by the daily routine of business that you experience.
Second, the consultant has the advantage
of seeing many plants from which he can adapt ideas that will
work in your plant. Despite these two disadvantages, you can do
an excellent job of methods improvement in your plant by merely
applying the principles of common sense.
The pattern for improving work methods is:
• Pick a job to improve.
• Break down the job in detail.
Make a process flow chart of the proposed method.
• Question the job and each
detail of the job.
• Develop the method. Make a
process flow chart of proposed method.
• Apply the new method.
Pick a job to improve
Since your time is valuable, make the best
use of it by doing first things first. Decide what needs
improvement most. Leave the smooth-flowing jobs alone until you
crack the hold-ups. Lengthy jobs offer some of the greatest
opportunities for improvement of methods.
Chasing around for materials, tools and
paperwork is a waste of time and energy on many jobs. Look for
these cases. They need improvement immediately. Look carefully
for waste.
Things that need improvement most are not
always easy to see. Unless you look closely, you can walk by a
wasteful situation day after day without ever seeing it; like
not “seeing the trees for the forest.” Tackle early
the jobs that waste material, waste energy or waste time.
Break down the job in detail
We break down the job because we can best
pay attention to only one thing at a time. In order to study a
process, or job, it must be put down detail by detail in the
order in which it happens. Then it can be studied
more successfully. We can improve only
that which we have noted.
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In looking at a job, or process, as a
whole, there is usually little to be seen as a means of
improvement. However, if a job, or process, is broken down to
its component parts, it can be analyzed much more easily.
Certain things come to light which were not apparent before.
There are various satisfactory methods to
use in breaking down a process, or job. A procedure using a
Process Flow Chart and Flow Diagram is discussed here. These
charts are merely a convenient way to record the job or process
for later analysis. These forms cannot be completed in an
office; they must done at the job site. It is often surprising
how what is actually taking place in the plant differs from
what one thinks is taking place.
Question the job and each detail
of the job
Be critical and challenge every detail of
the job as it is listed on the break down. Then the following
questions may be applied to each detail:
The Facts The Rationale
What is done? Why is it done?
Where is it done?
Why is it done there?
When is it done?
Why is it done then?
Who does it? Why does this person
do it?
How is it done? Why is it done
that way?
The questions are listed in sequence. If
any question fails to bring a satisfactory answer, make a check
on the Process Flow Chart to assist in the development of a new
method.
Often considerable improvement can be
found in the preparation or cleanup phases of the job. These
phases may entail as much, or even more, time and effort than
the operation itself.
Develop the new method
When the above step is completed, there
will probably be several items for which there is no adequate
rationale. These will suggest possible areas for improvement.
Perhaps a few possibilities presented themselves during the
analysis. These possibilities must now be organized into a new
method.
Can we eliminate? Question every single
handling of materials. If handling is absolutely necessary,
look for:
• Retraced steps.
• Excessive lifting and
carrying.
• Needless tracking.
• Unnecessary work stoppages.
• Skilled operators performing
unskilled work
Can we combine? If it is impossible to
eliminate a detail, then the next questions are raised. Often,
they suggest that we can combine several details.
Can we change the sequence? If parts of
the job cannot be combined, they may often be performed in a
different order or sequence. The solutions to “where,”
“when,” and “who” often help us to
develop a better sequence.
Can we change the place? A study of the
process flow chart, as well the layout of the work area, may
suggest a new sequence. Tradition may have established the
present inefficient arrangements of the work area.
Too often, plant layouts are designed on
the principle that by concentrating on a few key operations and
utilizing more modern equipment with slight reorganization, a
proper layout will result. This is merely shifting many of the
bad methods that were in use before to a new location, with
some slight savings. If the planning is done more thoroughly,
the return on investment can be much greater.
Can we change the person? Perhaps the
capabilities of the person on the job are being wasted. Perhaps
he or she could advance to another job, or could assume more
duties, such as inspecting finished work.
Apply the new method
This step sounds fairly simple, but
requires persuading both the employees and top management that
it will be practical and produce a saving. A new method should
always be reviewed with the employees.
If the manager is smart, he will ask for
their suggestions on how to improve it. Such a review might
reveal a mistake, which is obvious to the employee doing the
job, but was missed in the planning.
The new method stands a better chance of
success if the employee has a hand in it and feels he is part
of the planning. It would be a serious mistake not to have this
review with the employee or workers concerned.
The presentation to top management should
be well documented and not merely verbal. Present the plant in
a clear and concise manner. This is best done by using process
flow charts illustrating both the present and proposed methods
worked out in detail.
The Cost Summary is essential for selling
the new method. It can also be useful in procuring new
equipment needed. The chances of selling top management on the
new method, or even a new piece of equipment, are increased
when you can present facts instead of “crystal ball
gazing” proposals.
Application to a drycleaning plant
A “process” may be defined as
a method of creating a definite service. It is broken down into
operations performed by workers and machines. Applied to the
drycleaning industry, it would be broken down into receiving,
mark-in, cleaning, spotting, distribution to finishers,
inspection-assembly-bagging, and filing orders in the customer
service area.
The Process Chart provides a tool to
analyze the sequence of events in your process and their
efficiency. Preparation of the Process Chart simply requires
observing, recording and classifying the various steps of a
process in the order in which they are performed. To begin:
• State the activity being
studied.
• Choose the subject unit to
follow.
• Pick a starting point and an
ending point.
In completing the form, the time for each
step taken and the transport distances should be recorded. In
any one study, it is advisable to record the time in terms of a
single unit. The unit may be loads, orders, pounds, pieces or
any other unit common to the job.
Operation analysis
Once you have filled out the process
chart, you can create a Flow Diagram to assist in operation
analysis. A flow diagram is a schematic floor plan that can be
used in analyzing either a process or a work area. It is
essentially a floor plan incorporating the flow of work from
station to station.
It is advisable that the flow diagram be
drawn approximately to scale. In the diagram, corresponding to
the Process Chart, flow lines are drawn to indicate the routes
of transportation. Each element is identified, by number, from
the process flow chart. Transportation distances may be shown
by entering the number of feet at the transportation element.
Developing a cost summary
Usually when elements in a process are
reduced, savings can be anticipated. When you have developed
your planned improvements you can develop a cost comparison on
the Cost Summary Form to help support your proposal to
management. If your proposed changes involve purchase of new
equipment, you can factor in that information as well.
Follow through
Once the new method is in place, you
should continue to monitor it as follows:
• Make certain that maximum
benefits are being derived.
• Keep the new method going, but
be receptive to additional improvement that might be
incorporated.
• Be certain to give credit to
those responsible for recommending a better method to improve
your method. It means so much and costs so little.
Using good common sense and the procedures
and forms described in this article, you can probably eliminate
many of the “bottlenecks” and production problems
in your plant and save money as well. If you need further
assistance, a qualified consultant is your best bet.
Note: My spotting video, “The
Caplan Method of Stain Removal,” which includes my
comprehensive text (edited by Hal Horning) and the handy
spotting board reference, is available in English, Korean
(video only) and Spanish from the Golomb Group, c/o Dennis
McCrory, 7664 Plaza Court, Willowbrook, IL 60521, phone (800)
679-5856. This video is actually a “Trainer in a Box”
and is a complete training course for both experienced and
novice spotters. My comprehensive text reinforces all of the
background technical material required to produce a
professional spotter. Each method of spot removal is thoroughly
discussed and demonstrated. Bleaching and use of digesters are
explained in addition to basic textile chemistry.
Also available from Golomb Group, in
English and Spanish, is my video on step-by-step shirt
finishing which includes my comprehensive text in loose-leaf
form outlining each procedure for single-operator and
two-operator cabinet shirt units. Both units are demonstrated
using a cabinet sleever and single, or triple, heated collar
former. This procedure was developed by me for top quality with
no touch up (regular sizes) together with maximum production
without overexertion by the operators. Avoiding shrinkage,
wilting and dipping of the collar, together with its proper “breaking
and forming” on the heated collar former, are all
demonstrated. Both the collar and front buttonhole placket, the
two thickest parts of the shirt, are totally dried under the
press head with no loss of production.
Attractive detailing and packaging of the
hangered shirt, padding, steam pressure and timing are all
discussed. A unique wash formula to give whiter whites,
brighter colors and complete removal of grease and body oils is
included in the loose-leaf text book.
Stan Caplan has more than 35 years
experience in his own high volume drycleaning, laundry and
tailoring plant and two package plants with adjoining
coin-operated laundry and drycleaning. He is a former
chief instructor at the International Fabricare Institute, the
Southwest Drycleaners Association School, the Illinois State
Lfabricare Association School, the Michigan Institute of
Laundering and Drycleaning School, the Mississippi Fabricare
Association School and the Louisiana Fabricare Association
School, the Pennsylvania Drycleaners and Launderers Association
(now Pennsylvania-Delaware Cleaners Association) School, the
Johannesburg Cleaners Association School (South Africa), the
Hyatt Regency Southeast Asia School (Singapore and Hong Kong)
and numerous short courses throughout the US and Canada. He
offers consulting, training and engineering services in all
areas of the fabric care industry from customer service area to
the boiler room. His total system (TQM) encompasses
maximum efficiency, economy, and product excellent quality.
Stan can be reached at 7341 Amberly Lane, Suite 310, Delray
Beach, FL 33446; phone/fax: (561) 496-2548; e-mail: stancap100@aol.com.