These are the two basic paths that we could assume in our path to perfection. You can look at the fact that people will always make mistakes and therefore we must accept defects. We set up final inspection or checklist or just wait and see if the customer notices it. Or we can take the attitude that all mistakes can be eliminated by proper training and prevention. I prefer the latter.

Mistakes happen for many reasons, but almost all can be prevented if we take the time to identify when and why they happen. Let’s take the time to define some terms before we start. A mini-project charter per say. Mistakes(errors) are any non-conformity(deviation) passed to the next stage or worse yet, does not meet the customers expectation. A defect is the result of these mistakes.

Many companies will wait for the final product to sample for mistakes and a certain percentage of rejects is acceptable. Other will do 100% inspection. But from a marketing standpoint, use direct mail as an example, how do you do that? The production of the direct mail piece itself may be measurable but the can you Poka-yoke the response? What response rate is acceptable or what you would call defective or broken? We will tackle this conversation in future posts but for now, let’s find out some suggestions on how to error proof a process.

The basic functions of Poka-yoke control are stop doing it(shutdown), control(make adjustments) and warning(red flags occurring). Maybe, more important, is the two terms, prediction and recognition. Prediction states that something is about to occur and recognition is something has occurred. The closer the source to the mistake that it is discovered the less costly is the problem. The whole point of Poka-yoke and as you instill the process detection, this will drive better feedback which generates the proper actions. This is a continuous process that once installed continues on and on.

Technorati : DMAIC, Lean, Poka-Yoke, marketing, six sigma

In the previous blog post, I discussed the Strategic side of the Lean Principle, Poka-Yoke. In the tactical side, we get away from the big picture side of the equation and start looking at some of the actual tools we will use to create Poka-Yoke process. I created a flow chart to guide us through the process but the chart was not meant to have a direct correlation flowing horizontally. We may find all the common errors in just one of the Process areas discussed. In later blog posts, I hope to take the Lead Generation tactics of advertising, public relations and referrals through a Poka-Yoke process. However, we need to acquire some general knowledge of the subject.

First, we must identify our processes that we use in developing for example an Advertising campaign, Trade Show or any type or of Event Launch. Each would require a different process flow diagram. In Six Sigma, this is the Define stage of the project. We will develop a team charter, process flow diagram and a few more items but our goal will be going after low hanging fruit. The goal is to simplify and mistake proof the process, keeping it simple is the key!

Secondly, we will examine areas that we may find errors in our process that would improve items such as delivery, taking on a job we may not qualify for and/or not have the proper equipment. In our post, we will break down these errors defining them further to see if we can control them.

Thirdly, we must get to the root of the problem to ensure that the improvement method we choose can be applied as a real solution, and not just a bandage. We typically use a fishbone diagram, to help prompt us to ask why at least five times. This will enable us to discover the root of the problem. Only then ask, how do we fix it and put the solution into practice Only at the time, do we determine how to create the basic improvements for our desired outcomes and create a roadmap to start and more importantly maintain the value stream created.

Review these E-books for more information:

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Technorati : DMAIC, Lean, Poka-Yoke, marketing, six sigma