January 22, 2006

Suggestions For Problem Solving

Seriously, I'm going to let my audiance do my work for me. Because I've plum run out of ideas.

Problem:

A part at work has a electrical connection to it and it must be checked in line while being built. We've had a lot of problems with lazy operators taking short cuts and not doing the electrical check. We have some solutions for the future, but it's taking awhile to build and install, it will be locking down the part and not releasing it until it's passed the electrical check.

The problem is we keep sending bad parts that don't function because they were not tested and I have run out of creative ideas to tell the customer why we didn't check it.

The latest problem is we didn't even connect the wiring to the light in our part. The customer plugged it in and kept shorting out, they pulled our part apart and found that we didn't even connect the wires to the part.

Solution:

This is where you guys come in. Give me suggestions as to why we didn't connect the wires in our part.

I can not think of anything else, I've used up all my ideas. So I figure you guys can fix my problems because I don't know what else to say.

I will keep this post at the top of the page until Wednesday at which time I will announce which suggestion I will use and write up my corrective action and hand it into our customer.

Posted by Quality Weenie at January 22, 2006 07:38 AM | TrackBack
Comments

I'm pretty good at creative reality, but this is a tough one. Sometimes I think it's a matter of being brutally honest. Why didn't you connect the wires?

Because the fuflanger 2000 assembly robot was malfuntioning and we didn't notice that it wasn't plugging things in correctly until you pointed it out. We are sincerely sorry for the inconvienance, but would like to thank you on bringing this to our attention. We have started a recall notice. There was an issue in our quality control department that has been rectified so this won't happen again.

Posted by: Contagion at January 22, 2006 09:34 AM

The problem is that the fuflanger 2000 is a human being, not a robot.

And these human beings have big problems remembering to electrical test the parts and we keep sending non-functioning parts.

I've run out of ideas on how to explain the human beings not testing the parts.

Posted by: Machelle at January 22, 2006 07:41 PM

Mind... on... creative... silliness... overload...

Posted by: Ogre at January 23, 2006 03:20 PM

I'd love to give you some ideas, but I'm not a good one at this. I take a lot of grief at work for being "too honest". If a part is late, I tell the customer and actually tell them why. Everyone else? Blame it on the steel supplier, the trucking company - everyone but us. I think customer's see thru that. I'm sure you've already thought of this but what about just being up front BUT take in the corrective action steps you've put in place..in the mean time until the perm. solution is in...just to show them you're serious about the short term issues. I tried that with my largest customer and they took it hook line and sinker.

Posted by: Tammi at January 23, 2006 08:20 PM

The new genetically engineered organic solder you used wasn't as stable as you'd hoped, and became sentient shortly after applying electricity during testing.

It's currently rampaging through the warehouse eating the workers, but once they're all gone, the Soldersaurus will die of starvation within 24 hours, and the new quality procedures will be implemented.

Posted by: Harvey at January 24, 2006 02:46 PM

You could always use the "trainees aren't up to speed yet" story--but I imagine you've already tried that one. How 'bout the ole' "drunk supervisor who's been fired" routine?

Posted by: Harrison at January 25, 2006 01:14 AM

Not enough asses getting fired. Go in, find your lamest employee that you hate anyway, bellow at them and fire them with extreme prejudice, and then stalk the line for a few days, fish-eyeing everybody.

Posted by: Bane at January 25, 2006 08:54 PM

pioj eaba

Posted by: Effemia at February 28, 2006 12:39 AM