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Quality Improvement Project

by

Jessie D. Stament

A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements of

LEAD585 Leading Quality Improvement Initiatives

May 2011

Table of Contents

Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………2

Introduction…………………………………………….…………………………….........3

Step 1. Plan: Recognizing that a Problem Exists……..…………………………………3

Step 2. Plan: Forming Quality Improvement Teams…...………………………………..5

Step 3. Plan: Clearly Define the Problem …………………………………………….....5

Step 4. Plan: Develop Performance Measures..………………………………………….5

Step 5. Plan: Analyze Problem/Process………………………………………………….6

Step 6. Plan: Determine Possible Causes………………………………………………..6

Step 7. Do: Select and Implement the Solution………………………………………….7

Step 8. Study: Evaluate the Solution……………………………………………………12

Step 9. Act: Ensure Permanence……………………………………………………….12

Step 10. Act: Continuous Improvement………………………………………………..13

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………13

The Blue Force Situational Awareness (BFSA) project recently received a customer complaint on the organization of the fly away tool kit that is utilized by the project’s technicians when traveling to conduct installations at various United States Marine Corps (USMC) bases. When the BFSA project sends a team of technicians to conduct installations, the government client also travels with the team as oversight to coordinate the installations between the military units and the BFSA contractor personnel, as well as serving as a quality assurance inspector of the installation process.

A few weeks ago, a team was sent to Twenty-nine Palms, California to conduct installations on various USMC vehicles. The contractor team packed their fly away tool kit which includes all the personal and common tools needed to conduct an installation since the team needs to be completely self sufficient when they travel for installs. During the trip, the team experienced many delays due to their inability to find the proper tools and equipment needed to accomplish the installations. The disorganization put the team behind schedule and caused the customer to file a complaint with the BFSA program manager.

Upon receiving the complaint, the program manager immediately began researching the issue, because “variation should be investigated for any critical-to-quality issue” (Summers, 2009, pg. 336). The program manager determined that it was necessary to improve the fly away tool kit due to the customer’s dissatisfaction with the services provided. In order to make improvements to the fly away tool kit, the BFSA program manager utilized Summers (2009) 10-step Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) methodology (pg. 389).

Step 1. Plan: Recognizing That a Problem Exists

The first step of any improvement initiative is to recognize that a problem exists. Once an organization recognizes that a problem is apparent, they must restrain from trying to immediately solve the problem without following through the improvement process. It is natural for people to begin thinking of solutions to a problem. However, organizations must restrain from doing so because quick solutions rarely address the root causes of the problem and only serve as a temporary fix in the long run. “The temptation to immediately propose solutions must be ignored” (Summers, 2009, pg. 437).

In the case of the fly away tool kit, the problem was presented by a customer complaint in regards to the delays experienced by the installation team due to the disorganization of the kit causing delays in the technicians’ ability to find the tools necessary to complete the installs in the required timeframe. Upon the tool kit’s return to the BFSA home station, the program manager inspected the tool kit to evaluate the kit’s current state which is depicted in Figure 1.

[pic]

Figure 1. Current State of Fly Away Tool Kit

“In service industries, variation may be the difference between the type of service received and the type of service expected” (Summers, 2009, pg. 335). After reviewing the current state of the tool kit, the program manager realized that improving the tool kit was imminent in order for the team to provide the customer with a better quality service on future installations. It was vital for the BFSA project to improve the fly away tool kit service to meet the customer’s expectations of the service the BFSA team provides in order to continue winning the BFSA contracts.

Step 2. Plan: Forming Quality Improvement Team

The program manager formed a quality improvement team consisting of technicians and logisticians since they were the subject matter experts on this particular product. “It is the combined knowledge gained during the improvement efforts that enables an organization to develop its own best practices and reach a new level of performance, resulting in delight of the customer” (Summers, 2009, pg. 336). Since the logisticians were responsible for packaging, storing, and shipping the fly away tool kit; and the technicians were the primary user of the tool kit, it was vital that both groups be involved to ensure the improvements met the needs of the customers as well as the technicians and logisticians.

Step 3. Plan: Defining the Problem

Once the team was established, they began defining the problem in more detail and clarity. The team developed the following problem statement as a focus for the improvement project: The disorganization of the fly away tool crate caused a delay in the technicians’ ability to find the tools needed to complete the installs in a timely manner resulting in the customer being dissatisfied with the provided service. From this problem statement, the team was able to narrow the focus of their improvement project and aid the team in staying focused on the key elements of the project.

Step 4. Plan: Develop Performance Measures

After the team defined the problem, they developed desired performance measures they wanted to achieve for the improvement project. The team developed three objectives that they felt were vital to the success of this project. First, the team wanted to improve the service to gain customer satisfaction on future installations. Second, the team wanted to improve the organization of the fly away tool kit for the technicians to make tools and equipment more accessible during installations to reduce or eliminate the time previously wasted by the technicians trying to find the tools they need to accomplish an install. Finally, the team wanted to improve the inventory and check in/out process for the logisticians who were responsible for putting the kit together to include the inventory in order to ensure that all the tools required for an installation were accounted for before the tool kit was shipped to an installation site and ease the receipt of the kit when it returns back to home station.

Step 5. Plan: Analyze Problem/Process

When analyzing the problem, the team encountered a challenge in the time available to complete the improvement project. The team received a tasking for an installation to take in a few weeks which put the team in a time crunch. The time constraints made the improvement project’s importance much more critical, because improvements would have to be made quickly in order to meet the customer’s expectations and the needs of the technicians and logisticians. It also added pressure to the improvement team which could cause the team to rush into the improvement stage. It was paramount that the team not rush the improvement process, but instead manage the time they had available appropriately to ensure that valuable and lasting improvements were made to the fly away tool kit.

Step 6. Plan: Determine Possible Causes

In order to determine the possible causes, the team utilized the brainstorming technique since brainstorming, “provides a group with a wide range of ideas around any topic” (George, Rowland, Price, & Maxey, 2005, pg. 27). Brainstorming provides improvement teams a useful tool for generating many ideas in a short amount of time which was a perfect tool for the improvement team to use due to the time constraints of the upcoming installation.

From the brainstorming session, the team identified three main causes which caused the disorganization of the fly away tool kit. First, the team found that there was no standardized tool listing for the installation process outlining exactly what needed to be in the kit. Second, the team found that the crate was packaged by the logisticians who were unaware of how the technicians utilized the tool kit at the installation site. Finally, the team found that the tools were packed in the tool kit rather than packaged in an orderly fashion.

Step 7. Do: Select and Implement the Solution

Now that the team had identified the root causes, they changed focus on developing solutions. The team once again used brainstorming to generate possible solutions. They listed the root causes on a white board to use as a visual aid to generate solutions that focused on the three primary causes of the problem. Once the brainstorming session was complete, they used a PICK chart to determine which solutions would be utilized.

“A PICK Chart is used when a team is faced with multiple improvement ideas” (Chugh, 2009). The PICK chart tool allows teams to organize possible solutions into the following four categories: Possible, Implement, Challenge, and Kill. All solutions that had a “low payoff, easy to do” were classified as Possible; solutions that had a “high payoff, easy to do” were classified as Implement; solutions that had a “high payoff, hard to do” were classified as Challenge; and all solutions that had a “low payoff, hard to do” were classified as Kill (Chugh, 2009). After completing the PICK chart, the team had developed a list of solutions to implement.

To address the first cause that no standardized too list existed, the team developed a standardized tool listing outlining all required tools and equipment the technicians required for an install. The standardized tool list as outlined by Table 1, would be distributed to the logisticians and technicians, as well as be posted in the fly away kit.

|Required Common Tools for MTVR Install Cargo (N/R), Cargo A |Number of tools required |

|(R) & Wrecker | |

|Hanging Lamps |5 PELICAN CASE # 1 |

|**Bulbs for Hanging Lamps** | |

|Extension Cord – 50ft |4 |

|Power Strip |2 small |

|Pneumatic air hoses |2 |

|BFT SIAD Power Block |1 |

|Pelican Head Lamps |6 |

|Goop Guns |1 PELICAN CASE # 2 |

|Tubes of Goop |5 |

|Anti-Seize |5 |

|732 Silicone |7 |

|Rivet Gun Kit |4 |

|Dremel |1 |

|DeWalt Grinder Access Bag |2 PELICAN CASE # 3 |

|2” Hole Saw Bit |10 |

|5/16 Drill Bit |51 |

|9/32 Drill Bit |40 |

|11/32 Drill Bit |24 |

|17/32 Drill Bit |20 |

|Step Up Drill Bit |4 |

|T-Handle / large |4 |

|T-Handle / small |4 |

|¼-20 Taps |4 |

|3/8-16 Taps |4 |

|10/32 Taps |1 |

|F.S.S. drill Template |2 |

|Bolt Cutters |1 PELICAN CASE # 4 |

|Rubber Mallet |2 |

|Sledge Hammer |2 |

|Crowbar |3 |

|Strippers |2 |

|Crimpers |2 |

|Pry Bar |2 |

|Multi-meter |1 |

|3/8” Drive Ratchet |2 |

|½” Drive ratchet |2 |

|Channel Locks |4 |

|Long Screw Driver |4 |

|Hole Shaft Nut Driver |4 |

|Torque Wrenches (120-150 Range) |2 |

|Crescent Wrench |1 |

|7/16 Wrenches |5 |

|7/16 Sockets |5 |

|Grab Its |2 |

|Panel Remover |3 |

|Soft Grip Pliers |2 |

|Tape Measure |4 |

|Windex |1 PELICAN CASE # 4 (con’t) |

|Ripping Chisel |2 |

|¾” Wrenches |2 |

|¾” Socket |1 |

|First Aid Kit |2 PELICAN CASE # 5 |

|7.5 amp Fuse |50 |

|25 amp Fuse |58 |

|5 amp Fuse |54 |

|2 amp Fuse |67 |

|Zip Lock Bags |50 |

|Electrical Tape |2 |

|Safety Glasses |8 |

|AA Batteries |28 |

|Gloves |10 |

|Shipping Tape |1 |

|Blue Shrink Wrap |1 |

|Edge Guard |1 |

|Foam Knee Guard |1 |

|Printer / Supplies (paper, ink, pens, hole punch) |1 |

|BFT Q.A. Complete Static Stickers |Dependant of # of vehicles |

|Milwaukee Hammer Drill |2 PELICAN CASE # 6 |

|Milwaukee Batteries |4 |

|Milwaukee Battery Chargers |2 |

|Grinding Blades |20 |

|Cutting Blades |20 |

|3/8” Drive 6pt. Socket Set |1 |

|Pneumatic Drill |2 |

|50ft Slave Cables |1 GRAY CASE |

|Trash Bags |Dependant of # of vehicles |

|Dust Pan |1 |

|DeWalt Right Angle Drill |3 CRATE STORAGE |

|DeWalt Drills |6 |

|DeWalt Batteries |18 |

|DeWalt Battery Chargers |11 |

|DeWalt Grinders |2 |

|Power Strip |2 large |

|Hydraulic Punch |1 |

|Chairs |2 |

|Tables |3 |

|Cooler |1 |

|Power Strip |2 large |

|Broom |1 |

|Ladders |2 |

|Borax Hand Cleaner |1 |

|Shop Rags |2 boxes |

|Dog House Drill Template |2 |

|Rolling Carts |2 (wheels in gray case) |

|Tent |1 |

|Creeper Seat |Dependent upon vehicle variant |

Table 1. Standardized Tool List Improvement Solution

To address the second cause of tools being packaged individually, the team decided to package items in pelican cases to store like items together and clearly label what items were inside each case as depicted by Figure 2.

[pic]

Figure 2. Tool Packaging Improvement Solution

To address the final cause of the logisticians being unaware of how the technicians utilize the tool kit at an install site, the team developed a packaging diagram of the tool case layout to ensure consistency of packaging the tool crate so the tools were packaged in an organized fashion, and in the same location within the crate each and every time. The tool diagram is depicted in Figure 3, and the final fly away tool kit is depicted in Figure 4.

[pic]

Figure 3. Tool Kit Layout Diagram Improvement Solution

[pic]

Figure 4. Final Improved Fly Away Tool Kit

An additional improvement was also made as the team developed a tool check-in and check-out sheet to be used prior to the kit being shipped and upon the tool kit’s arrival back to home station. The tool check-in and check-out sheets require participation by both technicians and logisticians since both parties are involved in the overall fly away tool kit process.

Step 8. Study: Evaluate the Solution

To evaluate the newly improved fly away tool kit, the team used feedback gathered from a recent installation at Twenty-nine Palms, California. The deployment of the tool kit was much improved due to the usage of the standardized tool list and tool layout diagram. The tool check-out sheet ensured all items were accounted for before the tool kit departed the home station. The installation technicians provided valuable feedback regarding the ease of finding tools once they arrived to the installation site. They said that they knew exactly where to find the tools they needed when they needed them, and that it eliminated the time previously wasted searching for tools.

The most valuable feedback was provided by the customer. He was thoroughly impressed with the improvements and praised the team for their improvement efforts. The customer provided feedback to the team’s executive management praising the team and the effort the team put into providing a quality service. The customer also mentioned that these types of improvements are a major contributing factor in his decision to continue business with the organization.

Step 9. Act: Ensure Permanence

Based on the feedback received by the logistics, technicians, and customer; the quality improvement team made the determination to implement the improvement solutions for future installations. The team decided to reevaluate the fly away tool kit periodically and anytime new tools are required to be added to the fly away tool kit due to new vehicle platforms being added to the list of installations required by the customer. The team submitted the standardized tool list, tool layout diagram, and tool check-in and check-out sheets to the company’s ISO portal in order to have the documents assigned document control numbers. The ISO portal also provides a centralized location for all members to find the most current documents relating to the fly away tool kit.

Step 10: Act: Continuous Improvement

“Even small improvements can lead to a significant impact on the organization’s financial statement” (Summers, 2009, pg. 440). As the improvements became finalized, the quality improvement team was eager to seek out the next opportunity for improvement. The BFSA team members are currently seeking out opportunities for continuous improvement due to the results of this project. The team experienced success and reaped the benefits of what continuous improvement provides for team morale, customer expectations, and the company’s success. The BFSA team currently has two new improvement projects being studied to determine what improvements can be made to better provide their customer with quality services.

Conclusion

The quality improvement project conducted on the fly away tool kit was initiated by a customer complaint. “Fear lies in the reporting of customer complaints” (Micklewright, 2010, pg. 90). The program manager could have easily hid the customer complaint fearing the repercussions from his supervisor for allowing the mistake to take place. However, the BFSA program manager and team holds the highest regard for customer satisfaction and took immediate action to improve the product to better meet the needs of the customer, because they understand the importance customer satisfaction has on the organization as a whole. Customer satisfaction is the ultimate driving force on whether the organization receives follow on work from the customer in the future. “Survival is a matter of change” (Treichler, 2004, pg. 11). As a government contracting company, the organization relies on customer satisfaction in order to receive follow on contracts and ensure their survival within the industry. The organizations that choose to make continuous improvement a part of their culture are organizations that achieve success and continually reap the reward of follow on contracts.

The improvements made during this project incorporated several areas from the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criterion. First, the organization’s leadership response to the customer complaint was immediate. The program manager did not delay in his decision to take the complaint for action. He quickly acted upon the complaint rather than disregard the customer’s dissatisfaction. Second, the team’s efforts were conducted with a customer focus in mind. Their primary objective was to increase customer satisfaction with the improvements. The team also focused on the workforce as well. The logisticians and technicians were vital to the success of the improvement project. The team realized that the logisticians and technicians needed to be included because they are the true owners of this service and would be ultimately responsible for whether the project would be successful. Finally, the improvement project provided substantial results. The team met their objectives and received a better reception than anyone anticipated from the customer, logisticians, and technicians. Improving the fly away tool kit benefited the organization in that the improvements increased workforce satisfaction and customer satisfaction. The improvements also provided a better service to the organization’s customer proving to the rest of the team the value of continuous improvement. The team is using the momentum gained from this project to seek out further opportunities for improvement which is only going to make the project and organization much better in the future.

References

Chugh, Ridhi (2009). PICK Charts. Retrieved on 14 May, 2011 at



George, M., Maxey, J., Price, M., & Rowlands, D. (2005). The Lean Six Sigma Pocket

Tool Book. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Micklewright, Mike (2010). Out of Another @#&*% Crisis! Motivation Through

Humiliation. Milwaukee: American Society for Quality, Quality Press.

Summers, Donna (2009). Quality Management: Creating and Sustaining Organizational

Effectiveness 2nd Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Treichler, David (2004). The Six Sigma Path to Leadership: Observations from the

Trenches. Milwaukee: American Society for Quality, Quality Press

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