Introduction
BH Electronics is a medium size manufacturer of electronic parts. They specialize in high frequency devices such as transformers, inductors, and other related assemblies. There are many processes that need to be improved, but an important one is to provide the workforce with the resources needed to build high quality products while reducing scrap costs and improving loyalty and efficiency. To accomplish this goal a series of reference documents need to be improved and/or created that contain enough sufficient detail to provide clear criteria to build high quality products while meeting the customers' requirements. These documents need to be used in partnership with the production build print.
There are many things to consider in order for this to happen. The team must realize that it is cheaper to change a Manufacturing Process Standard than to process an Employee Change Request. Also most technique or build method details are not written down in any documents.
Employees must rely on memory, either their own or their trainer/team mates for details regarding build techniques. New employees are not given enough time to become a "master" in any skill before being asked to learn a new one.
In order to make this change there are many questions to be considered: How do we assure the reference documents are read and followed? How much of the information is read and understood? How will the print change? Should the Manufacturing Process standard numbers be added? Should more pictures be added to the print and how many are necessary? How much extra time is required to incorporate the pictures? Should the pictures be in color? How accessible is the information? What are the expectations of co-workers? How much information can a worker absorb before some of it is lost? The diagram below shows some of the...