Metrics Tracking
During quality control inspections, there will be instances where problems are uncovered. These discoveries not only help prevent bad customer experiences, they also provide opportunities for improvement.
Capturing and analyzing the data associated with these instances help service providers identify the root causes of recurring problems. It is paramount that this information is compiled and reviewed regularly by management and used as an evaluation tool for technicians.
See Fig 1 for an example of a metrics tracking tool. The metrics tracking tool should be customized to suit the needs of the individual organization. It can be as simple as an Excel spreadsheet, or complex as a relational database (e.g., Microsoft Access, Lotus Notes, FileMaker Pro). In any case, the functions described in Fig 1 should all be tracked.
Tracking should be performed no less than once per month, and results should be reported to all stakeholders. Analysis should be performed by both the inspector(s) and the service manager (or other position of equal level of responsibility) for repair operations. Results should be tabulated quarterly and annually so that the macro results can also be analyzed.
Poor quality incidents should be analyzed to recognize trends. For example:
- Are comebacks more prevalent in certain types of repairs (e.g., clutch work)?
- Are comebacks more prevalent on one shift verses others?
- Are comebacks more prevalent with certain technicians?
- What are the total costs of rework, both tangible and intangible?
Defining and quantifying all the issues will not only guide the process in the right direction, but will also provide evidence that a quality control program is necessary and financially beneficial.
Results should be posted so that all in the organization can see them. The benefits of doing so include peer pressure to improve performance, process improvement suggestions from those on the front line, and a baseline from which to illustrate improvements or declines in overall quality performance.
In conjunction with posting "defect metrics," the organization's customer service scores should also be posted. (See TMC RP 1601, Guidelines for Measuring Equipment User Customer Satisfactio.). If both programs are being run correctly, there should be a correlation between rising customer satisfaction scores and decreasing defects. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.