What are the best tools for quality auditing and certification in industrial engineering?

Let’s be clear if you need to audit your quality then you are admitting something is wrong. By all means do so but a better approach is to investigate the why and build on that. A doctor signing a death certificate does nothing for the patient.

There are several tools that can be used for quality auditing and certification in industrial engineering, including: 1. ISO 9001: This is a widely recognized international standard for quality management systems. 2. Six Sigma: This is a data-driven approach to quality management that aims to reduce defects and improve process efficiency. 3. Lean Manufacturing: This is a methodology that focuses on eliminating waste and maximizing value in a manufacturing process. 4. ISO 31000 ERM is also is very good tool for quality audit based on risk management. 5 ISO 50001 Energy Mgmt system Audit is also a good tool 5. Statistical Process Control (SPC): This is a method of monitoring and controlling a process using statistical techniques.

In industrial engineering, quality auditing and certification are vital. Many tools help in this process. They ensure processes meet set standards. 1). 5S Methodology 2). Kaizen 3). Pareto Analysis 4). Process Mapping 5). PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) 6). Six Sigma 7). ISO 9001:2015 8). Total Quality Management 9). Failure Mode and Effect Analysis 10). Statistical Process Control 11). Root Cause Analysis 12). Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility 13). Capability Analysis Tailoring tool selection to industries quality goals significantly improves the efficiency and efficacy of quality auditing and certification in industrial engineering.

ISO norms are providing an international reference level. It is a pre requisite to identify progress areas through action plans, but not limited to. Continuous improvement is a mindset. In personal life or in industrial organisations. Specialised automotive norms ISO TS 16949 or aerospace norms ISO EN/AS 9100 are showing day after day their seriousness in these specialised fields. Customers can build on these and add their specific requirements such as product / process. The quality system audits have to be done in comparison to a norm. In this frame, ISO norms are the reference today and moving forward.

Who will get quality systems audited? Quality managers of the organization. In industrial engineering improvement of the operation process chart demands that quality is ensured in the process by inspection by the operator or by a separate inspector. Process designers and IEs work together to make these operations effective and efficient. Hence in IE productivity analysis, inspection and quality maintenance activities are more relevant. Can IEs do quality system internal auditing? May be yes. They can be given the responsibility and it falls under management process IE.

PDCA is an extremely effective tool for improvement, stabilze, improve further, stabilze.. It is not an audit and/or certification tool.

One of the most effective tools that can be applied during the auditing process. I believe that " Start with why" always works during the auditing process, while the answer to it is found in the planning stage. During the audit, you dig deeply through the processing and the interaction between sub-processes to verify the effective implementation, which is relevant to the Doing Stage. Furthermore, when you check for any non-conformity that has been raised before or the result from monitoring the process itself, which is relevant to the Check stage. Finally, you verified that the corrective actions have been taken, which is relevant to the Act Stage. In conclusion, the PDCA cycle can be applied in many different situations

According to my experience Planning takes place in the higher management although sometimes the executing teams are involved they would not actively participate. This is because execution teams are not accountable for planning. If there is any step in the planning which would make execution difficult it may be voiced at times. To avoid this execution teams should be made accountable while allowing continues monitoring. Thus editing the cycle as (P, D&C, A ) When steps D and C is linear the amount of rework and the time lost is very high. Linear PDCA can work if the execution is carried out by a third party and the rework becomes the contractors burden.

In my professional journey at a leading manufacturing unit, the PDCA cycle proved indispensable. We faced a persistent issue: a product line exhibiting a 10% defect rate. Applying the PDCA methodology, we planned by analyzing the defect data, identifying the root cause to be an outdated machine calibration. We then did by adjusting the calibration on one machine as a trial. During the check phase, the defect rate dropped to 2% for products from that machine. Encouraged, we acted by standardizing this calibration across all similar machines. Over time, the overall defect rate drastically reduced. This hands-on experience underscored the PDCA cycle's pragmatic value, transforming a challenge into a success story.

As an accredited six sigma trainer I have provided a lot of six sigma courses to different industries,the most repeated challenge I have heard from my student that hinders the implementation of six sigma initiatives was senior management support ,actually most of six sigma belts were enthusiastic and had great ideas for improvement, but those ideas remained unimplemented due to lack of support from senior management,I thought that if we can engage senior management in an introductory lecture for six sigma principles this may contribute in senior management buy in and supports enthusiastic improvement teams to achieve great results from improved performance and cost savings

As a six sigma expert, I prefer the six sigma qualitative and quantitative techniques to drive process improvement such as statistical process control (SPC), control charts, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), and process mapping. This increase in performance and decrease in process variation helps lead to defect reduction and improvement in profits, employee morale, and quality of products and services.

Six Sigma can be used after the quality audit findings have defined the problem. However, it's not an auditing method. After the audit a quality improvement plan is required to be executed as the corrective action for a major finding. This is when Six Sigma's DMAIC methodology will be most useful. For minor findings, 8D problem solving methodology is appropriate to arrive at the root cause and develop countermeasures for implementation and subsequent control.

At a cutting-edge R&D center, while designing a BIW (Body in White) for an avant-garde EV, we hit a snag: simulations revealed a 20% deformation risk during certain collisions. Using Six Sigma's DMAIC, we Defined the vulnerabilities. Measurement via stress-tests spotlighted a flaw in the rear pillar. Analysis revealed material allocation issues. During the Improvement phase, we fortified the pillar with strategic design modifications. Finally, Control ushered in rigorous quality assessments. The deformation risk? It nosedived to 1.5%. This Six Sigma-rooted journey turned a design challenge into a testament of engineering brilliance, underscoring its value in R&D

Six sigma seems to me to be an extremely good and accurate tool for large mass productions where most of the processes are automated. For factories where the daily operations are still executed by human capital, not having standard parts due to the complexity of each project or the customer's requirements, it is a limitation and I consider that there are other tools that are more efficient, as it could be the PDCA Cycle.

Lean Manufacturing is not a quality auditing tool , its a management thinking and philosophy adopted from Toyota Production System ( TPS ) . The main objective of lean is to reduce cost by eliminating wastes ( mudas ) in the process. Quality is definitely an outcome of being a Lean business. It’s achieved by improving the value added activities and developing great products which customers will love . Only a customer centric business can thus think Lean ! You may audit the tools of Lean like 5s as it also improves the quality of the workplace , products , tools and the people who performs the ground level jobs.

Lean is a systematic approach to identifying and minimizing process inefficiencies or wasteful elements. While it is not explicitly a quality tool, all its components are designed to focus on and contribute to enhancing quality production. Lean management primarily aims to implement a waste reduction system by strengthening worker capacity, reducing defects, minimizing machine downtime, and optimizing the make-to-deliver ratio.

Lean manufacturing is essential for industrial engineering certification, however it's not a quality auditing method as per an ISO standard. Lean Daily Management Systems are based on layered process audits and 5S audits that are conducted at a higher frequency and a much more granular level than quality system audits. This differentiation is essential for this paper.

Navigating production challenges, we faced daunting backlogs. Parts awaiting quality checks threatened our delivery commitments. Turning to lean manufacturing, I identified overproduction and excessive motion as culprits. Through kanban, we refined production flow, curbing surplus output. Bi-monthly kaizen sessions cultivated continuous improvement, while the 5S method optimized workspace efficiency. The transformation was evident: backlogs reduced by 60% and on-time deliveries rose by 30%. This lean journey not only streamlined our processes but also galvanized our team's pursuit of operational brilliance.

Lean Manufacturing : Defn. Lean can be defined as a flexible working system of operations that use considerable fewer resources ( System, Manpower , Inventory and space ) than a traditional system. Lean system tend to achieve better efficiency , Productivity , Lower cost , Lower cycle time and higer Quality than non -Lean systems . Generally Lean means Producing more with less spacs, Less manpower etc..

While at a car manufacturer, I faced challenges in the assembly line: delays and escalating defects. Using the Balanced Scorecard, I discerned financial strains from costly reworks. Customer feedback revealed issues with specific car features. Probing 'internal processes', bottlenecks at welding and painting emerged, while 'learning and growth' highlighted a skills gap. Acting swiftly, I orchestrated targeted training, reorganized workstations, and implemented real-time quality checks. By the next review, production efficiency soared, defects dipped, and customer satisfaction surged. The Scorecard's insights were pivotal, turning our assembly challenges into triumphs.

Any tools like a "Balanced Scorecard" which helps us to cascade strategic goals from top to down and helps organizations to align the lowest level of goals and objectives to vision, is vital. If we consider a quality management system as a building, OKRs, BSC, risk management and project management are some of the main pillars of this building.

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) maps out the various activities within each department and assesses individual performance and efficiency. While it serves as a performance tracer, it is crucial to note that the BSC is not a direct quality auditing tool. This framework extends its impact beyond quality auditors, encompassing the evaluation of the quality of work undertaken by each individual within a company.

As a BIW engineer at a top automotive company, I employed Quality Function Deployment (QFD) for a new car model's design. Using the House of Quality matrix, we translated customer desires from surveys into tangible engineering specs. This helped pinpoint features like safety enhancements and ergonomic designs. By benchmarking against rivals and technical analysis, we spotted innovation opportunities. This QFD approach streamlined our design, ensuring the final car resonated with users, resulting in a triumphant launch and glowing feedback. This experience highlighted QFD's immense value in design processes.

A well designed Manufacturing System is prerequisite for even the best tools to be effective because quality of/from each work-piece, process, and equipment needs a tailored approach (that is supported by underlying system design) E.g., for some parts, 6 sigma is not practical, while for others it needs in-process verification. Similarly, quality requirements from semi-finished product (castings, forgings) may need no-fault-forward quality approach - very different from, say, machining or assembly. So, while Standards (e.g. ISO) and best practices (e.g. TQM, Lean) do provide robust baselines for improvement, the role/need of good Factory Systems Design is crucial foundation to enable deployment of appropriate tools that support mfg. quality

Risk management, project management, strategic management and OKRs are tools that we should consider. If we are looking for the effectiveness of QMS based on the vision and mission, we should dig further. We should see how much quality objectives are aligned with company goals and OKRs. In a simple way, are quality objectives aligned with the company's top-level goals? What is the role of QMS to make a competitive advantage? After creating a road map to aiming OKRs through the quality management system, then risk management will be one of the key tools for success. If we implement those main tools aligned with each other, we can expect to one step further toward excellent organization.

The first tool in the arsenal is the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, often cited as a powerful tool used for implementing systematic quality improvements. This scalable methodology allows for iterative improvements in the quality control process, fueling a consistent upward trajectory in product and service quality. Although numerous tools are available for quality control and auditing, the PDCA cycle, Six Sigma, ISO 9001, Lean Production, and TQM stand as the most effective and practical methodologies in the industrial engineering landscape. Their application benefits industries by enforcing standards that help them meet their quality objectives while fostering a culture of continual improvement.

There are many tools to implement, among them: Statistical Process Control (SPC) Six Sigma ISO Standards Total Quality Management (TQM): FMEA Root Cause Analysis: Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Gage R&R (Repeatability and Reproducibility) LEAN Manufacturing Supplier Audits Quality Management Systems (QMS) Certification Bodies Process Flowcharts

I would extremely recommend when speaking about a relocation / localisation project perform an internal audit to the delivering plant before the production is transferred and a second one once the equipment is delivered, installed, people is trained and they produce already some samples and some orders that can prove machinery meeting cycle time.. thus will ensure the management attention to resolve all possible internal issues before moving the equipment and after moving it, assign proper resources and clear targets date oriented.