Improving Quality in Manufacturing quickly using HAN methodology !

HAN Methodology

HAN is nothing but ‘Here and Now’. Wherever there are a number of Quality problems and the overall status of Quality is bad, it is essential to not let the Quality continue at a bad level for long. One should take up a ‘Here and Now’ (HAN) approach.

This approach starts with setting up a BIG target. Eg. Reduce the Reworks/Rejections by 75% in 5 days!

Follow these steps:

01.  Push Back to the Supplier: The first step in improving the Quality of Production in an assembly line is to control what is coming into the line. Check the Quality of the input material into the Assembly line. Push back the bad quality to the supplier.

02.  Solve the Input material problems at the root: You need to solve the input materials at the root by addressing the issues on Specifications, Process at the Suppliers.

03.  Create Customer/Supplier Reviews: The Customers/Suppliers whether internal or external needs to meet and review the Quality of Parts very closely in the days you are trying to improve the quality.

04.  Monitor the Process: You need to monitor the Process on the line using detailed check lists prepared on the basis of the knowledge that your team has. You have to avoid the Process violations.

05.  Train your team in the process: Once the Process is defined in the right manner and is corrected where needed, train your team in the right process.

06.  Improving Process capability: Now that you have the process in control ,you need to look at improving the process capability.

07.  Startup procedures / Quick validations: As you have understood your process much better now, you need to translate it in to good Start up procedures and Quick Process Validation procedures.

08.  Improving the Check lists for the Process: We spoke about monitoring the process with detailed check lists. Now with your deeper knowledge of the process, you need to revisit the process check lists and strengthen them.

09.  Using technology for monitoring the process: The Tabs can capture the data of monitoring the lines online. This data can be analyzed to understand the weak processes and the teams can address them.

10.  Motivation of the team: Despite best process for improving the quality, it is always the team members that will lift the situation. You need to manage the motivation of the team.