Running head: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT SCENARIO
Process Improvement Scenario
Theresa Townes
AET/550
4/21/2014
Sandy Griswold, E.d.D
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Process Improvement Scenario
The WizzyWat Factory hired a consultant to assess what was the root cause of employees
not identifying defective components correctly on the assembly line. The delay led to an increase
in defective products, a loss of production time, and a frustrated management team. The
consultant reported back to management team two recommendations that addressed employees
having comfortable chairs to perform tasks and employees receiving breaks on time.
Unfortunately, neither recommendation improved output on the assembly line (University of
Phoenix, 2014). A process improvement plan can help with tracking how the consultant can
examine different processes, define where enhancements should be made, and put into practice
improvement processes. Process improvement is the continuous progression that is demonstrated
throughout the lifetime of the plan.
The consultant initiated two recommendations that focused on people processes and
influences. Factors that could have been included in the study that may have been overlooked by
the consultant were to evaluate the process of how defective components are identified by
workers. The consultant could have asked to review the current specifications of the inspection
protocol to see if there needed to be changes in how the inspections are done by workers.
Another factor that was overlooked by the consultant was to assess the job description and
knowledge required to perform the job on assembly line. Lastly, the consultant missed an
opportunity to evaluate the physical environment of the work area and machines. The consultant
could have checked manuals to confirm the speed of how often the components came down the
line. Perhaps the timing was not set at an acceptable speed to allow the workers to inspect each
component properly based on the current assembly line speed.
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The overall missed opportunity by the consultant was to look at the process boundaries.
What process boundary is in the way of the workers performing their jobs well? Process
boundaries are recognized as a part of a process improvement planning. There is an opportunity
for the consultant to establish how all processes on the assembly line begin and where it ends.
Then the consultant can determine what the expected process inputs and outputs are. Process
boundaries are essential to validate the work being performed on the assembly line increases the
work production and decreases loss of time.
As the new consultant a solution I can implement to address workers being able to
identify defective components on the assembly line is to review the existing job description, and
the knowledge and skill level of assembly line workers. I will perform structured interviews with
management and workers at WizzyWat Factory to gain insight on how they got to the point they
are now in. It could be ambiguity around workers understanding the expected requirements of
their job coupled with lack of training. There may be a lack of communication from management
to workers when performance levels changed and employees were not meeting expectations.
As the new consultant I will start by visualizing what the job role looks like, and then
observe workers in their environment to determine if the job description expectations are clearly
outlined for employees. By reviewing the job description and then observing workers on the
assembly line I can assess which processes can be beneficial in reviewing job analysis, and
pinpointing areas where the training of workers is weak.
My next step is to work with management to understand where the company needs to be.
There has to be clear definitions on expectations, measured activity levels, and documented
improvement. The company does not have written procedural steps for workers at each station of
the assembly line that identifies line speed criteria in order to get product through assembly line;
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how to identify defective products in a timely manner; or what ratio of product cannot be
defective by the time it gets packaged. After identifying the gaps, as the new consultant I will
meet with management to discuss implementing accountability for each process developed after
reviewing the job description; with a worker being a process owner given responsibility to
oversee a specific task on the assembly line to improve process measurements.
In the consult with management and human resources we can determine how a paper-based job
aid may reduce defective products and increase productivity on the assembly line (Pershing,
2006). The cost factor of implementing a written job aid is minimal to the company. I along, with
the training department will develop the job aid using the current job description and information
gathered from interviews and observations.
Interventions I will use to get WizzyWat Factory to their desired goal of decreasing
defective products and reduce loss of production is working with management to reset
expectation of standards outlined in job description and developing a paper-based job aid
workers will use throughout their shifts to track tasks. The paper-based job aid will be a checklist
of each step that is to take place when inspecting product on the assembly line. Each station
worker will sign the checklist after completing their tasks and turn checklist into manager at end
of shift. I will first meet with the training department to devise the paper-based job aid using the
research compiled form structured interviews and direct observations (Pershing, 2006).
Another recommendation I will have WizzyWat Factory implement is management to
establish a rewards system for workers that have no errors on the assembly line in a three month
window. This can be a great incentive for employees to take pride in their work and strive to
achieve output goals. After meeting with human resources to find out acceptable ways to reward
employees, we can then devise a rewards program to roll out to workers within six months. This
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timeframe of six months to implement a rewards system will give the team enough time to
review the three month benchmark set by using the paper-based job aid.
The training department will develop a standard operating procedure for managers and
employees on the job aid. The training department will then meet with managers to review the
assembly line job description and job aid so managers are able to coach employees on material.
Timeframe established to rollout paper-based job aid is two weeks. After meeting with
management, a realistic goal to achieving measurable results is three months.
As a pre-test the team has decided to roll the plan to first shift which starts at six o’clock
in the morning for three months as a way to test the paper-based job aid prototype. This is an
opportunity for the team to test any weaknesses of workers using a checklist on the assembly
line. We can look at it if the line is being slowed down or causing delays with checklist, or has
the efficiency rate improved by implementing a checks and balance system. We can also make
necessary revisions if needed once we receive feedback from workers and management.
The process improvement plan for restating job description expectations and offering a
written job aid for workers to use as a checklist provides WizzyWat Factory with an opportunity
to analyze, track, and follow-up on improvement of the assembly line error rates.
WizzyWat Factory managers can evaluate the intervention to measure how successful
restating job description expectations and implementing a written job aid checklist were by
reviewing the process metrics weekly to determine potential areas for improvement, and then
implement any improvement measures. In order to do this, WizzyWat Factory managers will
follow the processes as planned to verify process boundaries and gather metrics. WizzyWat
Factory managers will continue to identify potential training needs for areas of improvement, and
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adjustments will be made to prepare workers based on gathered metrics.
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References
Pershing, J. A. (2006). Handbook of Human Performance Technology: Principles, Practices,
and Potentia, 3e. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.
University of Phoenix (2014). The WizzyWats Assembly Line Scenario. Retrieved from
http://myresource.phoenix.edu