Matthew Little, Editorial Director of Products Finishing Online magazine talked one time to Joseph De Feo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Juran Institute about the effect of Six Sigma on the surface finishing industry.
This industry takes care of your car finishes. If you’re one of those who love cars like your kids or even partners, then you will want to have a sleek, shiny car. You might be surprised that there are many who complain about car finishes. Your car may look well-painted but for those with sharp eyes, they can tell.
I purchased a new RX330 a few months ago. Last week I discovered a spot of bird dropping on the passenger door. I washed the vehicle two times but the stain remained. I waxed the spot with Turtle wax but the blemish remained. Upon closer inspection I discovered the paint finish was pitted with a number of small holes. The dealer service tech said they will not repair the spot but suggested I speak to the service manager, who was not available at that time. I have owned many cars over the years. They have been subjected to wind, rain, snow, ice, road salt and alot of bird droppings. Many times it remained on the cars for weeks but came clean with washing. The paint was never penetrated and pitted the finish. I believe the paint finish on my vehicle to be flawed or defective. I’m asking if anyone has had a similar problem and what was done about it.
I’m sure you don’t want to experience the same experience. Well, here’s good news for you. The surface finishing industry is going into the Six Sigma methodology. De Feo, one of the world’s most experienced consultants and executive trainers in areas such as Strategic Deployment, Six Sigma Breakthrough and Designs for World-Class Quality, was then set to give a talk on Lean Six Sigma Imperative at the SUR/FIN 2005
According to De Feo, a customer who may be looking for a car or a refrigerator, sees a product’s finish first. “Customers have become more educated about finishes and their functional and aesthetic importance, they’re becoming increasingly demanding about quality… so much so that the tools used to meet those demands need to be revisited. The industry has always produced high-quality finishes, but the impact of peeling paint or providing the wrong color coating is more deadly today than it ever was.”
Little rejoined by saying that quality is the way to both meet customer expectations and minimize internal defect rate. To which De Feo agreed.
Every bit. After defining the voice of the customer, you need to find a way to measure it the same way they do. Six Sigma – translated literally – means 3.4 defective parts per million. That’s one measure of quality, meaning the absence of defect. We can always assume we want absence of defect. What we don’t know is do we want absence of defect in terms of speed, mileage, reliability, etc…. What are the most important things to the customer? And what are we doing to meet those needs? Essentially, there are two aspects of quality that an organization needs to understand. The defect rate – the deficiencies or failures – and the characteristics or features that meet the customer’s wants and needs.
When we talk of quality being a subjective term, it is the features side where you find the significant variations in opinion. For instance, what is a higher quality car, a Mercedes or Volkswagen?
You want to know the answer and more? Continue Reading
