Lean Corner

How to structure your QRQC for quick problem resolution

What is the QRQC approach?
When to use the QRQC?
How to set up your QRQC?

Quality & Responsiveness: these are two major challenges that we find in any industrial environment. But how? What methodology should be applied?

Having an effective methodology in place to identify, treat, and resolve issues quickly has become essential. It is in this context that QRQC (Quick Response Quality Control) is an essential tool.

QRQC is a problem-solving system that allows you to react immediately to anomalies detected in the field and deal with them with a structured and prioritized approach.

Its objective is twofold: to prevent the spread of problems and to guarantee sustainable solutions by involving all the company’s stakeholders, from operators to managers.

In this article, we will explore in detail the QRQC methodology, its fundamental principles, and its application steps.

What is the QRQC approach?

QRQC is a problem-solving system that emphasizes reacting quickly to anomalies as soon as they occur.

The more critical the issue, the higher it rises in the hierarchy, ensuring that the decision is made quickly and efficiently by the appropriate managers.

On observe alors deux phases : Quick Response & Quality Control.

Quick Response – React quickly to problems

Quick Response consists of immediately identifying a problem, characterizing it and implementing security actions to prevent it from spreading.

This principle ensures that operators and managers make quick decisions in the field, without waiting for unnecessary administrative escalation.

Quality Control – Finding a sustainable solution

We then move on to the second step. Quality Control is based on structured and logical reasoning to find a sustainable solution. It’s not just about fixing a one-time problem, it’s about understanding the root causes in order to eliminate system failures for good.

When to use the QRQC?

I see three major reasons to set up this resolution system:

Identify and resolve issues quickly

QRQC should be used when we need to quickly identify and resolve a production problem. It is particularly effective in environments where responsiveness is critical.

Ensure that the problem is escalated to the right hierarchical level

One of the great advantages of QRQC is that it ensures that every issue is handled at the right hierarchical level. Thanks to its structured operation in three levels (line, UAP/workshop, factory), it ensures that simple problems are solved immediately by operators and team leaders, while more complex or critical anomalies are quickly escalated to the appropriate hierarchy.

Get teams used to making quick and effective decisions in the field

QRQC is an approach that helps get teams used to making decisions quickly and efficiently. It empowers operators, supervisors and managers by giving them the tools to analyze and solve problems directly in the field, without waiting for the intervention of a centralized department.

How to set up your QRQC?

Step 1 - Define the QRQC structure of the company

To ensure a quick response, the team initially involved has a set amount of time to provide a solution to the identified problem. If the issue is not resolved within this time, the escalation process is triggered and escalated to the next level of hierarchy. If the latter cannot respond within the allotted time either, a new escalation is carried out to an even higher level.

There are generally three levels of escalation:

The field team: including the operators of the production line or cell, team leaders, team leaders and supervisors.
Support functions: bringing together the teams of the workshop or unit.
The department managers and the site management, who intervene as a last resort.

This escalation principle is widely used in industry where production flows are tight and reaction times are very short. When an uncontrolled defect is likely to affect the customer, it is essential that the hierarchy is quickly involved in order to inform the stakeholders and implement effective corrective actions.

Step 2 - Detect the problem

The objective of this step is to identify anomalies as early as possible, in order to initiate corrective action without delay.

Commonly used detection methods:

Visual or audible alerts: an alert system (e.g., Andon) can be set up to report an anomaly in real time.
Reporting forms: Operators or supervisors may complete escalation sheets to describe the observed situation.
Tables at the end of the line: displays in production make it possible to centralize and visualize the anomalies observed.
Performance indicators (KPIs): certain indicators (e.g., scrap rate, non-conformities, line stops).

Step 3 - Characterize the problem

Once a problem has been detected, it is important to define it precisely in order to guide analyses and corrective actions. Do not hesitate to structure this step using the 5W2H:

Method used:

WWWWHHW (Who? What? Where? When? How? How much? Why?) allows you to structure the description of the problem with concrete facts:

Who detected the problem?
What?
Where did the anomaly occur?
When was it observed?
How was the anomaly noticed?
How many times has it happened?
Why is this a risk to production or quality?

The aim is to avoid misinterpretations and therefore facilitate the search for causes.

Step 4 - Secure the problem

The objective of this step is to prevent the spread of the problem, by putting in place immediate security measures.

Different possible actions:

Stop production to avoid aggravating the situation (e.g., line shutdown in the event of a critical defect).
Isolate non-compliant products to prevent them from being delivered to customers.
Temporarily modify a process to limit the occurrence of the problem.

This step is to ensure that customers and other production steps are not impacted by the detected defect.

Step 5 - Analyze the problem

Once the problem is secured, it is essential to understand its origin to prevent it from happening again.

You can use different analysis tools:

The 5 Whys: a method of analysis that consists of asking the question “Why?” five times in succession to go back to the root cause of the problem.
The Ishikawa diagram (cause-effect): allows you to identify potential causes by grouping them by categories (Method, Labor, Material, Medium, Measurement, Material).
Pareto analysis (80/20): highlights the most frequent and critical causes to prioritize corrective actions.

Step 6 - Define and implement the solution

Once the root cause has been identified, a corrective solution must be defined, tested, and implemented.

Types of corrective actions:

Immediate adjustment of a parameter (e.g., adjustment of a machine, change of tools).
Process improvement (e.g., modification of a procedure, addition of additional quality control).
Preventive maintenance to prevent the problem from recurring.
Training of teams to ensure better detection and management of anomalies.

Actions must be documented and planned to ensure their proper execution.

Step 7 - Verify and formalize the solution

The final step is to verify the effectiveness of the solutions put in place and to formalize them to avoid any recurrence.

Key actions:

Effectiveness check: Analyze whether the problem does not reappear after a certain period of time.
Updating standards: documenting new practices and ensuring that they are integrated into operating procedures and work procedures.
Deploy to other industries: If the problem solved may exist elsewhere, preemptively apply the solution to other processes or sites.

Conclusion

By structuring the detection, analysis and correction of anomalies, the QRQC method makes it possible to optimize responsiveness and actively involve all teams. One of QRQC’s major strengths is its efficient prioritization of issues, ensuring that the most critical issues are quickly escalated to the right levels of decision-making.

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