Whether it’s a new car or the latest smartphone, there’s nothing worse than saving up your hard-earned money for a major purchase, only to experience problems from the get-go. Sure, manufacturing defects happen from time to time for a variety of reasons, but quality problems can greatly affect any brand’s reputation if they become too commonplace.
Take Boeing, for example. Having a door plug blow off a jet midflight isn’t a great look for anyone, let alone one of the premier aviation manufacturers in the world. Likewise, automobile manufacturers have been plagued with several massive vehicle recalls in recent years. These types of issues have put a renewed emphasis on quality throughout manufacturing.
But is it realistic to “[i]magine a world in which every product that leaves a factory is flawless, every time?” According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, author John Keilman notes that “[w]hat sounds like a plant manager’s dream is the end goal of zero-defect manufacturing, an idea that is gaining traction among industry executives.”
Keilman points out that “[c]ompanies in industries as varied as pharmaceuticals and snack foods have announced zero-defect goals.” How are they approaching this seemingly monumental task? A survey of major companies with zero-defect initiatives reveals that companies are using “a combination of technology, training and focus” to “eliminate errors.”
For example, Ford “has used assembly-line artificial intelligence and extensive test drives to catch problems in Super Duty trucks.” Similarly, auto manufacturer Stellantis reports that “more than 100 new quality standards have led to a double-digit percentage drop in warranty claims.”
Why are auto manufacturers suddenly dealing with more quality issues and warranty claims? According to “Sedgwick, a firm that assists companies with recalls,…undertrained workers, the increasing complexity of products and more sprawling supply chains are contributing to quality problems.”
While quality problems have refocused manufacturers on training and technology in recent years, the “zero-defects philosophy” has a long history. According to Keilman, the goal of achieving zero-defects manufacturing “took shape in the early 1960s when defense contractor Martin sought to eliminate errors from Pershing missiles.”
Keilman notes that “[m]any companies adopted the practices [of Martin], but decades later quality control remains problematic.” What happened? According to “Robert Leachman, a professor of industrial engineering and operations research at the University of California, Berkeley,…while quality programs helped U.S. companies improve their products considerably in the 1980s and 1990s, the effort stalled when businesses began outsourcing much of their work to low-cost regions.”
As companies focus anew on quality to reach a goal of zero-defect manufacturing, more and more companies are turning to Industry 4.0 technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), robots, vision systems, and a wide variety of sensors. While these new technologies can be expensive, many companies report that their cost is more than offset by savings related to quality improvements.
Of course, these new technologies also require a more highly skilled workforce. As companies turn to training to help improve quality, they’re also discovering that they need to retrain current workers on new technologies while also hiring new workers that already possess the skills to work with advanced automation technologies.
Training workers to operate, maintain, repair, and troubleshoot advanced automation technologies can present a variety of challenges. For example, many employers express reluctance to venture into employee training, fearing they lack the expertise to train employees effectively.
Fortunately, today’s employers don’t have to be experts at training to implement a new program. The experts at Amatrol have been working hand-in-hand with industry for years to design training programs featuring eLearning curriculum and hands-on experience with trainers equipped with industrial components workers will encounter on the job.
Amatrol’s training programs include cutting-edge technologies like those discussed above. Visit Amatrol online to learn more about its many different types of industrial training programs. For more information about how Amatrol can help you inspire and train the next generation of workers, contact an expert at Amatrol today!
