A well thought-out approach to your processes makes the difference to your bottom line
"Quality ... a perception of excellence" is not just the final product we deliver to our customers. In the paint department it's not just how shiny, smooth and pretty the paint is on the vehicle. Quality is dependent on a number of important process steps that often get overlooked and forgotten. What I am referring to is a system of quality management, or what is also termed a "Quality Assurance System."
The final product (what is delivered to the customer) is an important consideration in the total system, but it is NOT the end-all, be-all of the process. There are fewer variations in the paint production department than many of the other areas of your shop, and, therefore, the examples in this article will focus on the paint area. However, these same discussion points and improvement concepts can be applied to any department or process in any business operation.
In addition, we need to make it clear upfront that "Quality Control" is not simply a final inspection process at the end of a job. Such an approach will only reveal defects that cause a job to move backwards in the production process, causing delays and additional costs.Dr. W. Edwards Deming often has been referred to as the "Father of Quality Control." One of his most famous points for quality in his Fourteen Points of Proper Management is to "Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place." The process itself must be designed to ensure quality of the final product and the total system. Using an inspection checklist, which typically is used by a detailer or apprentice to identify defects, is not the answer.
This is a vital concept to understand and implement in your operation. You can get a complete copy of this important document by logging into www.TheBOSs-Online.com as a free guest. Type in "Deming" in the keyword document search once logged in.
The Paint Process
The Paint Department is actually a very straightforward production process. It typically includes cleaning at several stages, sanding at multiple stages, undercoat application and top-coat application. To improve quality within a process it is important to break down the process into stages and process steps. This includes what is referred to as "Process Mapping."
Process mapping is an important visual to begin with, and everyone in the company related to the process should participate in listing and mapping out the stages and steps for it. We have worked with clients worldwide in this mapping process, and often a key point is overlooked. Internal improvements cannot be driven from management (top down). Those who are doing the work must embrace them, otherwise, any scheme or idea will break down. You certainly will not accomplish the long-term goal of Quality Assurance.To understand how to improve quality, one must not only be able to define the steps of the process, but breaking points in the system must be identified and you must evaluate value-added actions versus non-value-added actions (or wasted actions) in the process.
The Cultural Change
After Deming's visit to Japan after World War II to teach his system of total quality management (TQM), the Japanese embraced this concept and began to develop a production process and culture that could achieve a higher level of quality than what was believed to be possible. Toyota refers to it often as the Toyota Production System (TPS), but one key element or what I refer to as the "glue" that makes it work is the philosophy of Kaizen. Loosely translated, Kaizen means "Good Improvement" or "Continuous (Good) Improvement." It is the basis of getting those that actually do the work to improve the system. This culture is the key to any organization to be able to sustain improvement of quality. If you drive out waste (the Japanese refer to it as "mu da" or mud) you improve efficiency and improve quality.In the Western World we have struggled with this concept and often have a very wrong idea of management's role in the improvement of quality. Improvements cannot be forced from the top down. Management must lead changes toward better quality by ensuring that those who are working on each vehicle can perform these necessary changes, and management must listen to the input of those employees. This cultural change does not happen overnight. Ultimately, that is one reason such processes are abandoned by management before they have time to succeed. This only increases the divide between the production staff and management to make changes or improvements in the future. Making necessary changes takes a firm commitment of top management and an equally supportive position by floor level managers. Otherwise there will never be quality assurance and results will be inconsistent at best.
Why Consider Quality Improvement?
The paint department also includes many of the key limiting resources or constraints referred to by Dr. Eli Goldratt's Theory of Constraints (TOC) for the production process. It is critical to place quality standards at the highest levels, otherwise production and throughput will be negatively affected. TOC looks at the resources or constraints that hinder the free flow of work through your shop.The most obvious item in every shop is the spray booth. It physically only can allow so many vehicles to flow through it in a given time period. It has a cycle or a "drumbeat." Whether it is a 40-minute bake cycle, or an accelerated cure 20-minute system, this is the beat of this resource. This beat is the major factor in determining your potential throughput of your facility, the timing of vehicles to be completed, and let's face it, your potential revenue. For this reason alone improvement of the system makes a huge difference in your business costs.
In today's costs, what does it take to bake a vehicle? What about if you have to do it two or more times, and what if you need additional materials? What about the time loss you incur by having to repeat repairs? Obviously this prohibits you from being able to work on the next vehicle. And what about the costs to call customers to change target delivery dates, additional rental car costs and CSI? The list can go on and on, but by reducing "mu da" by focusing on quality, everyone involved in the business benefits.The Process Steps
At first glance for typical multi panel jobs, often there is a combination of new panels and repaired panels. As an example let's use the following: front bumper replacement (primed), left fender repair (front portion of panel that allows sufficient room for base coat blending), and blending the right fender for the bumper cover.
The typical steps for production would include:
a) Pre-Cleaning Panels – Water-based contaminants first, which means soap and water.
b) Pre-Cleaning Panels – Petroleum based contaminants with wax and grease removers.
c) Featheredging the left fender – repair work paint edges to a 180 grit or above level.
d) Sanding the bumper with a lighter abrasive such as a scuff pad.
e) Preparing the right fender for the blending that will include a lighter abrasive or sanding paste.
f) All the above will again require a cleaning (again, normally with a wax and grease remover).
g) Masking will be needed for adjacent panels after the appropriate trim and molding have been removed.
h) Application of corrosion primers to bare metal left fender areas.
i) Application of primer filler to repaired left fender.
j) Primer filler with guide coast added block sanded to proper contour.
k) Cleaning again left fender after sanding by blowing off dust from any panel gaps and surfaces and wax and grease remover.
The above steps are typically performed completely or in part in a prep station and the vehicle's surfaces are checked for proper masking or coverings. The vehicle is in queue for the spray booth at this time, our major limiting resource in the process.
In the booth the following process steps typically occur:
l) Final cleaning of panels.
m) Mixing of sealers required and application.
n) Mixing of basecoats and application.
o) Mixing of clearcoats and application.
This list at this point was not intended to be down to the minute detail, but I am sure you will agree it's an example of a typical paint process. These steps and even products to be used are supplied by every paint system and paint company worldwide. There are training classes, certification classes, wall charts and scores of manuals outlining every one of these process steps based on their own products, the substrate being refinished and other factors, such as weather and drying systems.You probably do not have a chemistry degree, nor were you on the development committee when the products were developed and tested. So follow the usage instructions exactly as listed.
Items which are often overlooked include steps (a), (f), (h) and (l). Committing to do ALL the steps will increase consistency in the results and reduce failures that translate into increases in quality and cost reductions.
The Unwritten Process Steps
The above steps may vary when additional panels are being refinished or other variables are introduced. These can include different substrate needs such as aluminum or when the bumper is a bare TPO instead of an OEM primed part. They also can include different needs for welded-on panels and seams. In all cases these steps are well-defined by paint product procedures, supplier's product sheets and in training classes, such as those offered by I-CAR. All these written product application procedures are well documented and defined, however once the instructions are followed, there are many unwritten process steps that can have an equally important impact on quality.Let's first look at the various steps of cleaning panels with wax and grease remover. In your shop are your technicians still applying the product the same way they did 20 years ago – with a towel/rag, wiping it on and off? Or are they spraying the product on and wiping it off? I encourage the latter. Using the first method introduces the possibility of just smearing contaminants around the surface rather than removing them. As Deming said, "Build Quality in the Process." Eliminate the possibility of error by providing the proper training to anyone involved in this process.
Then consider the corrosion priming and primer filler application. Do technicians at this point keep the repair area as small as possible? Do they allow themselves (or the painter) enough area to adequately blend the panel? What happens when everyone in the repair process is not "thinking" the same way? Does the metal technician do what is possible to ensure the repair area is contained?Finally, when does the basecoat color get verified to the vehicle? I often see this verification when it is applied to the fenders and bumper. When is the color match issue identified? When your limited resource has the vehicle sitting inside waiting for the resolution? This is certainly the second-worst time to discover this — the first is when the customer picks up their vehicle — and neither is acceptable.
Since almost 98 percent of all jobs coming in the front door must go through the paint department, there are several stages where the color match can be verified and assured. This should include having the product already pre-mixed, color verified and ready when the vehicle is close to the paint booth. Why not make this the first thing done when it arrives into the metal shop?
Each of these listed process steps has many possible breaking points that can occur and completely stop the process from continuing forward. This does not benefit anyone so get commitments from everyone to stop the breakdowns before they happen.Probably the most important unwritten process point to consider is the transition from one stage or process step to the next. This handoff is critical for setting acceptable standards and determining root causes when proper standards aren't met. This is part of building quality in the process. You cannot believe everyone knows and understands the standards. This takes training and consensus.
The International Quality Standard
Identifying the transition points varies somewhat based on your personnel and production structure, but the concepts and methods for this transition are basically the same. To improve paint department quality, the first and most important transition or handoff is typically from the metal department completion to the refinishing department. This has been the cause of many disagreements in shops and can even result in employees quitting over conflicts. This transition, however, is no more costly, however, to your business than if the structural work was not verified before it was sent to the alignment shop, the estimate wasn't written thoroughly enough to include all the damages, or the correct parts are not ordered and verified upon arrival. All these transition points need to be verified before the next stage is begun. The question is how?The ISO9000:2000 Quality Standard outlines a system whereas the transition points can be identified and a handoff process is implemented. This is the easy part. What takes a commitment by all involved are the standards to which each process is to be completed and accepted by the next stage or process. Then if there is a break point (non-compliance) to the standard, a root cause of the issue must be identified and actions put in place to eliminate it in the future.
The Japanese would refer to this process as the "Five Why's." Never ask only one level of "Why Did This Happen?" Drill down up to five levels of why it happened. As an example: why did the vehicle come over with some additional dents in the panel not repaired? The first why would obviously be that the metal technician didn't fix the dents. Why not? Was it the light in his work area? Was it that the person mapping or staging the vehicle didn't identify the damage? Was it that the customer didn't want them repaired but no one except the metal technician was told? Were they caused while waiting to be taken to the paint department? This ISO process is something from which our industry could greatly benefit, but few are willing to make the commitment.
For more information on ISO9000:2000 Standards as they apply to our industry go to www.QASIDirect.com.
You will find a complete ISO9000:2000-based quality assurance system designed specifically for the collision repair industry.Identify Roles and Responsibilities
You probably a have culture where employees believe certain tasks "are not their job." It is everyone's job to reduce waste and improve quality, but everyone must know the standards and be given the proper training and resources to accomplish them.
The Simple Basics
All the above are what are considered the next level of quality control and improvement. It all starts with what Kaizen introduces and calls The Five Ss: Sort, Systemize, Sweep, Standardize and Self Discipline.
Sort (Clean Up)
"Sorting" means to sort through everything in each work area. Keep only what is necessary. Materials, tools, equipment and supplies that are not frequently used should be moved to a separate, common storage area. Items that are not used should be discarded. Don't keep things around just because they might be used someday. Think about how many extra paint cans will be gone.
Sorting is the first step in making a work area tidy. It makes it easier to find the things you need and frees up additional space. As a result of the sorting process you will eliminate (or repair) broken equipment and tools. Obsolete, scrap material, waste and other unused items and materials are disposed of.
Systematize (Organize)
Organize, arrange and identify everything in a work area for the most efficient and effective retrieval and return to its proper place. Commonly used tools should be readily available. Storage areas, cabinets and shelves should be properly labeled. Clean and paint floors to make it easier to spot dirt, waste materials and dropped parts and tools. Outline areas on the floor to identify work areas, movement lanes, storage areas, finished product areas, etc. Put shadows on tool boards, making it easy to quickly see where each tool belongs.
In the front office or mixing room, provide bookshelves for frequently used manuals, books and catalogs as well as all materials and products. Label the shelves and books so that they are easy to identify and return to their proper place. The objective for this systematic organization has two important parts:
1. Putting everything in its proper place and setting up a system so that it is easy to return each item to its proper place.
2. Developing a system in which good labeling and identification practices are created and followed. Both the equipment/tools and materials you use, as well as their proper storage locations, need to be clearly identified and labeled.
Sweep (Regular Cleaning)
Once you have everything, from each individual work area up to your entire facility, sorted (cleaned-up) and organized, you need to keep it that way. This requires regular cleaning, or to go along with our third S, "shining" things up.
Regular cleaning is needed, sometimes daily or else all your hard work will be wasted and everything will return to the way it was. Regular cleaning is another way to inspect the shop, including the machines, tools, equipment and supplies with which you work.
Regular cleaning and inspection makes it easy to spot lubricant leaks, equipment misalignment, breakage, missing tools and low levels of supplies. Problems can be identified and fixed when they are small. If these minor problems are not addressed while small, they could lead to equipment failure, unplanned outages or long, unproductive waits while new supplies are delivered. When performed on a regular basis, cleaning and inspecting generally will not take a lot of time, and in the long run it will most likely save time.
Standardize (Simplify)
To ensure that the first three steps in your Five S program continue to be effective, the fourth step is to simplify and standardize. The good practices developed in steps 1 through 3 should be standardized and made easy to accomplish. Develop a structure that will support the new practices and make them into habits. As you learn more, update and modify the standards to make the process simpler and easier.
One of the hardest steps is avoiding old work habits. It's easy to slip back into what you've been doing for years because that's what everyone is familiar with. It feels comfortable. Use standards to help people work into new habits that are part of your Five S program. Any easy way to make people aware of and remind them about the standards is to use labels, signs, posters and banners.
Self-Discipline
The final step is to continue training and maintaining the standards. Have a formal system for monitoring the results of your Five S program. Don't expect that you can clean up, get things organized and labeled, and ask people to clean and inspect their areas every day – and then have everything continue to happen without any follow-up.
Continue to educate people about maintaining standards. When there are changes, such as new equipment, products or work rules, provide training that addresses those changes. Keeping everyone on the same page is vital.
The Bottom Line
Without a commitment from management to lead by example, a system to implement with the buy-in of all involved, significant improvements will never happen. Quality control will never be possible and it will result in inconsistent results and additional costs. Commit to it, train for it and do it.
As Goldrath has always said, "The purpose of any business is to make money." It ultimately is all about the bottom line. Improving quality improves the bottom line if you work every day toward improving the processes that produce the vehicles.
Everything can be improved, but do you have your organization ready to make these improvements? If so, your shop is on its way toward success.
