Statistical Process Control
Client Problem
Our client was a community college that contracted with an aluminum can manufacturing facility to provide implementation assistance and training in statistical process control (SPC). The manufacturer, which suffered from a very low level of work force education and training, was being pressured by customers to provide control charts and other documentation concerning its quality control practices. At the time of this project, only a handful of workers in the plant had any prior exposure to SPC concepts. The college requested that we prepare and deliver an SPC training program for which it could grant academic credit (credit was desired so that the plant could fund the training using corporate tuition reimbursement rather than the plant’s training budget). In addition, it was requested that we provide hands-on assistance on the shop floor to the workers who were implementing the new SPC concepts and procedures.
What We Did
We initially divided this project into two areas: training and implementation. Pursuant to our client’s request, we developed a 3-credit-hour introductory course in statistical process control which we presented to 4 groups of 25 employees each. It soon became apparent that the math and reading skills of many of the workers were insufficient for them to successfully complete the training. In response to this difficulty, we first arranged for remedial reading and arithmetic training on an anonymous basis for any participant who needed such help. Next, we convinced the plant management that the college credit requirement was inappropriate for most of the workers and that the plant and its workers would benefit from restructuring the program to better suit their needs. We then redesigned and integrated the training with the consulting so that the material could be presented on a just-in-time basis to shop-floor teams who were implementing SPC concepts in the plant.
Results
The redesigned SPC program more closely matched the needs of the production workers to integrate their learning with immediate job requirements. Worker satisfaction with the training increased as did their interest levels, performance, and understanding of SPC concepts. Several workers were motivated to continue their education in this area at the university level and later took on new SPC implementation projects in the plant.
Our client was a community college that contracted with an aluminum can manufacturing facility to provide implementation assistance and training in statistical process control (SPC). The manufacturer, which suffered from a very low level of work force education and training, was being pressured by customers to provide control charts and other documentation concerning its quality control practices. At the time of this project, only a handful of workers in the plant had any prior exposure to SPC concepts. The college requested that we prepare and deliver an SPC training program for which it could grant academic credit (credit was desired so that the plant could fund the training using corporate tuition reimbursement rather than the plant’s training budget). In addition, it was requested that we provide hands-on assistance on the shop floor to the workers who were implementing the new SPC concepts and procedures.
What We Did
We initially divided this project into two areas: training and implementation. Pursuant to our client’s request, we developed a 3-credit-hour introductory course in statistical process control which we presented to 4 groups of 25 employees each. It soon became apparent that the math and reading skills of many of the workers were insufficient for them to successfully complete the training. In response to this difficulty, we first arranged for remedial reading and arithmetic training on an anonymous basis for any participant who needed such help. Next, we convinced the plant management that the college credit requirement was inappropriate for most of the workers and that the plant and its workers would benefit from restructuring the program to better suit their needs. We then redesigned and integrated the training with the consulting so that the material could be presented on a just-in-time basis to shop-floor teams who were implementing SPC concepts in the plant.
Results
The redesigned SPC program more closely matched the needs of the production workers to integrate their learning with immediate job requirements. Worker satisfaction with the training increased as did their interest levels, performance, and understanding of SPC concepts. Several workers were motivated to continue their education in this area at the university level and later took on new SPC implementation projects in the plant.