Process Building HABITS...
- Marty Schad
- Jan 30, 2020
- 2 min read
"People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures." – F.M. Alexander
I think the above quote applies to many things, including building Great Manufacturing Processes.
What process building habits have you consciously decided on and adopted?
Which of these habits are you actually using to help you stay on track and improve over time?
Let’s think about some possible Process Building Habits for different stage projects...
RESEARCH: Useful Habits
Conduct a Pre-Mortem on possible process problems.
Conduct a process review by the process receivers.
Conduct a systematic design analysis of the process using Axiomatic Analysis.
Develop and implement an IP (Intellectual Property) protection plan.
Do an IFR (Ideal Final Result) analysis to define the benchmark “perfect process”.
Run the lab-scale process in “production mode” to surface issues.
Understand life-cycle tradeoffs and develop actionable framework.
Why does the process work/not work? Generate real data and theories and share findings.
DEVELOPMENT: Useful Habits
Conduct ruthless pilot-scale mock manufacturing trial: this is a CRITICAL and VITAL STEP.
Develop physics and engineering based process simulation tools: quantify fidelity with real world.
Identify and engage receiver who will own production process.
Iterate on the process, just like equipment iterations.
Simulate plant operation using capacity simulation software tools.
Start testing for 2nd application, in case first application fizzles.
Test the impact of raw material changes (meaningful and bold changes).
Understand competitive position and verify differential advantages.
MANUFACTURING: Useful Habits
Capability metrics such as Cp, Cpk,and Defects per Unit (DPU).
Define error-proofing and automated inspection strategy and methods.
Define, via real and fresh data, the size of the “process window”.
Negotiate spec relief/tradeoffs with customer to increase process margin.
Plan for the next product and the product after that.
Process tracking software and measurements.
Understand and incorporate operator’s concerns and suggestions.
Visual management system development and deployment.
My main learning from this line of thinking is that Great Process Building Habits are tools readily available to motivated process builders. We need to develop and rely on habits, not simply brute force and urgency. Use of these (and/or other appropriate) habits will increase velocity, reduce risk, and increase profitability, a winning combination!
CHALLENGE TO READERS
Please think about how you and your organization approach building Great Manufacturing Processes…
Do you have habits or methods you consistently and unfailingly use? How have they helped you over time? Has this knowledge been documented and shared?
Do any of the habits I listed above ring true for you or seem useful to you? How could they improve your existing efforts? What is the next action?
I’d like to know what Process Building Habits you have found to be useful and helpful. How systematic and repeatable are your process building efforts? What have you learned as you have tried to improve your “hit rate” over time? If you email us, we will get back to you promptly. Thanks!
All the Best,
Marty
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