Paperless Quality Lifts First Time Through from 72% to 83%
ISO checks that met the standard and went nowhere
Production staff were spending too much time running the ISO quality control plan. It met the ISO requirements, but the production and quality teams got little from it they could use to improve First Time Through (FTT). Results went onto paper, and the paper went into a filing cabinet.
- Paper-based, time-consuming quality checks eating into production time
- Manual control charts with 20 to 30 data points per part
- Check results filed away and never analyzed
"Like most plants, we have many lines and many issues, but limited resources. Our engineers could walk around the plant and find things to fix all day. 10in6 helps us to focus our team on the highest impact issues, so we get the most value from our engineers."
Scheduled Tasks — paperless quality with built-in work instructions
The customer implemented the 10in6 Scheduled Tasks module for paperless tracking of all in-process and start-up checks. Electronic work instructions appear at each step so the check is done correctly.
The customer's own team completed 75% of the implementation. 10in6 staff trained them on a small set of checks, and once they knew the pattern they configured the rest themselves.
Paperless Quality Checks
- All in-process and start-up checks tracked digitally at the line
- Electronic work instructions shown in context for each step of the check
- Quick, consistent entry of quality results on a touch screen
Automated SPC & Alerting
- Control charts plotted automatically for every variable
- Alerts for failures, out-of-spec results, and missed checks
- Full history of results to spot trends and focus improvement efforts
- Analysis and trending by machine, operator, and part number
"The automated SPC charting, alerts and quality reports help the quality team to react quickly and focus on the exceptions, like out of spec processes or lines where checks are being missed."
FTT and OEE up in six months
With work instructions at each step, touch-screen entry and charts that plot themselves, the production team finishes checks faster. The quality team picks what to fix from the trend history.
- First Time Through improved from 72% to 83% over 6 months
- OEE improved from 32% to 54% over the same 6 months, with fewer line stops for out-of-spec issues and less rework
- Less time spent on quality checks, leaving more time to produce
- ROI on paper waste and physical storage
- Quality data now used to improve FTT as well as to show ISO compliance
"We're so close to the issues now that they can't hide. When we fix something, we quickly see an impact on our overall numbers, it's very apparent."
"10in6 is a catalyst for the manufacturing team. Quality, Engineering and Maintenance are all using the same data, working with a more united focus on the issues."
Also in automotive: see how a Tier One safety components supplier scaled 10in6 across nine plants over a 12-year partnership. Read the case study →
Prefer the narrative version? This story is also told on our blog: How a Tier 1 Supplier Improved FTT by 11 Points and OEE by 22 Points →
Want this case study as a PDF?
Enter your work email and we'll send you the full PDF version of this case study. A real person reviews every request — you'll usually have it in your inbox within one business day.
Could your plant be next?
Tell us about your machines and your biggest loss. The first step is a free 30–60 minute call with one of our engineers.