Prevention
Costs
- The mechanic inspects every aspect of the parts received to make sure it is right and free of defects, before they use it.
- The owner will check the final results of everyone's work done on a car car to make sure it was done the way it was supposed to before calling the customer in to get the car.
- Inspecting the car to see the actual problem and what needs to be done.
- Example: When the car first comes into the shop and the customer tells them what is wrong, they will inspect the car to see what needs to be fixed and how they will be able to fix it and for how much.
- This shop will make sure to meet the customer's expectation by doing the job right, there's really no way to half to the job, so as long as the job is done correct and in reasonable time the customers are usually satisfied.
Internal Failure Costs
- This situation occasionally arises when for example the mechanic is fixing the brakes and that part may fail due to manufacturing defect so they need to order a new part. This may cause delays and additional cost.
- Internal failure costs may arise when there is a lack of good communication between the owner and the workers. Unnecessary parts may be ordered and that can cause a delay and waste.
External Failure Costs
- This situation arises when the customer picks up the car and discovers that something is still wrong with the car.
- This does not happen too often and if it does it has to do with the engine light still turned on after receiving the car. This doesn’t mean that there still is a problem with the car and can be fixed by resetting the system.
- Ethical Failure
- Ethical failure can happen when the the customer gets nasty to the owner and then he or the other employees decides to take it personal and mess up something else in the car.
Total Quality Management
The owner does not really do
anything specifically to measure customer satisfaction. The owner may
occasionally record the customer’s complaints for a certain period of time. If
the customer is not satisfied with the way their car gets fixed they will come
back and let them know. The employees are involved in the quality because the
quality in this case if the way the car gets fixed so all of the mechanics are
responsible for fixing it the right way. Our company definitely follows TQM
because they are all important especially when safety within the car is
involved.
Statistical Process Control (SPC)
It is the application of statistical
techniques to determine whether a process is delivering what customers want. As
far as our group is aware, our company does not use statistical process control
for their operations. We think that they could use control charts in order to
detect defective services to determine if the services given to the customers
are done properly and that they are satisfied with the service that they
received. The company should begin to use SPC because it could result in a
decrease of the number of complaints from customers who were dissatisfied with
their service. This would be an effective way to gain customer feedback and to
decrease the average amount of customer complaints that are stated on reviews
or complaints that happen in person at the mechanic shop.
Lean System
There are eight
wastes in the lean system: overproduction, inappropriate processing, waiting,
transportation, motion, inventory, defects, and underutilization of employees.
Lean systems are operations systems that maximize the value added by each of a
company’s activities by removing waste and delays from them. They focus on the
company’s operation strategy, process design, quality management, constraint
management, layout design, supply chain design, and technology and inventory
management.
The two
characteristics of lean system that are related to creating and managing
material flows in a supply chain are close ties and small lot sizes. Close
supplier ties means that a the company keeps a small amount of inventory but
they have a close relationship with their suppliers to deliver their inventory
as quickly as possible. Small lot sizes is when a company has a small lot of
items in order to reduce the average level of inventory.
The process
consideration in lean systems are the pull method and the push method. Most
companies using lean system will use the pull method which is when they provide
a good or a service when the customer orders it. The pull method is when the
company predicts the demand of a good or service. Nev Campbell LLC. uses the pull
method because when a customer goes in for a specific problem, they need to
order any pieces that are needed and they need to have someone who will provide
the service for them. In order for them to provide a quick service they need to
have close ties with their suppliers so the client won’t have to wait so long
for their car to be ready.
Given the nature of the company, Nev Campbell’s repair shop
utilizes a pull method, in which customer demand activates production of the
service. Once a customer comes in with their vehicle and an analysis is
conducted, they can start to order the parts needed. This method is most
effective for the company because it reduces excess inventory and expenses if
the parts ordered are not utilized.
Lean System Layout
The most recommended and waste
eliminating lean system layouts are the line flows, which reduce frequency of
setups. In a large volume production or service setting, the machines and
workers are organized into a line-flow. One line flow can be dedicated to one
product or service.
In the low volume production or
service, two techniques are used to create line-flow layout:
- One Worker, Multiple Machines (OWMM) - employs one worker operating several machines organized in a line in one cell.
- Group Technology (GT) - employs more than one worker in one cell consisting of different machines organized in a line. Different cells will specialize in particular product production or service.Therefore, each cell will consist of different machines.
At Nev Campbell’s repair shop, the
group technology (GT) is used as a lean system layout. The company has 2 shop
stalls (cells), each equipped with different machineries and used for specific
auto repair services. One stall is used for less complex repairs, regular maintenance
such as oil change, flat tire repairs, tire rotation and balance, transmission
fluid change. Second stall is used for more complex repairs, specifically
engine repair, cooling and heating system repair. Usually two people work in
one stall on a particular job.
No comments:
Post a Comment