Global 8D – D3: Develop an Interim Containment Action (ICA)

Posted by Graham Cripps on Mon, Aug 03, 2015 @ 01:30 PM

Global 8D – D3: Develop an Interim Containment Action (ICA)

Graham Cripps, Director Having already put into place an emergency response action (ERA), the G8D Team now need to replace this with a more considered ICA.

In this article I will describe and discuss the Interim Containment Action (ICA).

Like all structured problem solving methodologies, the continuous review of the G8D Team composition is important to ensure that the team has all the right skills and knowledge to maximise the problem solving efforts.

Having established that we have a problem we need to protect the customer (internal or external) from the effects or symptom of the problem. This is done for two reasons:

To ensure the customer has minimal or no impact felt as a result of the problem
To buy time for the problem to be investigated and solved

Having already put in place an ERA the team now to apply a more considered option to portect the customer, and that is the ICA. By its nature, an ICA will normally be expensive to implement as it will probably involve an additional process being introduced and could include:

100% Inspection
Rework
Sorting good from bad
Field service action

As can be seen, any one of these actions would add considerable cost, however they are necessary to protect the customer. Remember that some of the above actions are not 100% effective, even 100% inspection is subject to variation.

Note: Sometimes the ERA might be considered as the best ERA. In these cases, make sure this is recorded and why.

An ICA is, as it states, interim. The Global 8D process drives learning about the problem to enable a fuller understanding of the problem so that, in some cases, a more cost effective containment action can be derived.

Example: An automotive manufacturer was experiencing water leaks between the inner and outer front wing of a vehicle under water test at the factory. The ICA was to add a thin bead of mastic sealant the whole length of the inner wing before welding the inner and outer together. Once the problem was better understood the length of the mastic sealant applied was reduced to one small area. When making several hundred a day, these few seconds and material savings were significant.

The choosing and implementation of the ICA uses the Deming Plan Do Check Act Cycle.

PLAN – Chose the most effective ICA and plan its implementation. This will involve verifying that the ICA is effective and that all the necessary work instructions, resources and equipment are made available, on time. It is important to ensure that the ICA is made “official” for accounting and operational purposes.

DO - Implement the ICA as per the plan, ensuring that the action is clearly communicated at operational and management levels.

CHECK - Check that the ICA has been implemented exactly according to the plan and that it continues to be effective.

ACT – Take action to ensure ICA remains effective and sustained within daily operations as necessary.

Assessing Questions

Are ICAs required?
Is a Service Action required as part of the ICA?
What can you learn from the ERA that will help in the selection of the ‘best’ ICA?
Based on consultation with the G8D Customer and Champion, have criteria been established for ICA selection?
Based on the criteria established, does the ICA provide the best balance of benefits and risks?
How does this choice satisfy the following conditions?
- The ICA protects the customer 100 % from the effect.
- The ICA is verified.
- The ICA is cost-effective and easy to implement.

Complete the G8D Form (Template)

G8D Report

Complete the Global 8D form and circulate. Remember to update team composition for any changes that are made at the end of this stage.

The G8D form is a summary of the problem solving activity and is supported by all of the other worksheets, data and supporting information that is generated as a results of the problem solving activity.

Ensure that a a full account of the ICA and supporting documents are alailable to support this summary.

Graham Cripps

Results Consortium Ltd

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Topics: Global 8D, G8D, Interim Containment Action, PDCA, Is/Is Not

Global 8D – D2: Define the Problem

Posted by Graham Cripps on Thu, Jul 30, 2015 @ 10:30 AM

Global 8D – D2: Define the Problem

Defining the problem is a process for 'digging down' and getting a more detailed and refined understanding of the problem.

At this stage of the problem solving process we are looking to provide concise data and determine the exact nature of the problem.

A common problem in any problem solving activity is distinguishing between the problem and the symptom of the problem.

Describing the problem is carried out in two stages:

Problem Statement - A concise statement that identifies the object experiencing the defect and the nature of the defect (the defect will typically be a symptom for which the cause is unknown)

Problem Description - Established by asking the question "What is wrong with what?" and testing it with repeated Whys (Stair-stepping)

Problem Statement

At this stage it is important to note that problem solving is about taking all of the data and information around the problem (or symptom) and drilling down, using a structured process and a multi-disciplined team. However, if assumptions are made without gathering the data, too often the symptom may well become the focus of the effort rather than the problem itself

Let me explain using a simple example

Example: “Every time I put the wall mounted heater on in the kitchen it blows a fuse”. So, the problem is the heater and the symptom or effect is a blow fuse? This is an assumption at this stage as we do not have any other information like:

How much load is on the circuit already?
Is the socket used for any other electrical appliance of this size?
Has the heater been plugged into another socket to try it out?
And so on……

This is a simple example but does demonstrate how easy it is to jump to what appears to be a natural conclusion.

If we are to get to the bottom of the problem and fix it for good then we must be driven by facts and not assumptions.

Starting with the problem description, we must ensure we keep focused on what we know. So using the above example and what we actually know at this point, using the sentencing technique of what is wrong (the problem) with what (the object), our problem statement becomes 'the fuse blows'

So, if I assumed that the heater was faulty, scrapped it and bought a new one, would this necessarily solve the problem? At this point I don’t actually know. However, think about a problem in the workplace and how expensive replacing an item could end up!

We now have a problem statement, we now need to look at developing this to a full problem description

Problem Description

A Problem Description is the output of a process that utilises the IS/IS NOT Form to amplify the Problem Statement. This is the next step in better understanding the problem.

g8d_-is_is-not_template

This techniques looks at 'what the problem is and what the problem is not but logically could have been' and looks to provide information on:

what the defect is/is not but could be

where it does/does not occur but could

when it does/does not occur but could

how big it is/is not but could be

The IS/IS NOT process also identifies data that needs to gathered where necessary to better understand the problem.

Example: A factory is making metal lamp shades for the domestic market. These are fabricated and then painted using a robotic paint plant in several colours. Some of the blue finished product has a defect, paint runs. Therefore:

What: the problem is on the blue lamp shades and is not on any of the other colours, but could be

Where: the defect is on the top flat and is not anywhere else, but could be

When: the defect is apparent after the finish coat and is not apparent after the base coat

How big: the defect is consistently on 20% of all blue product and is not higher or lower, increasing or decreasing but could be.

NOTE: This is only a part of the data and information that is gathered during this process. For more information download our free Is/Is Not template by clicking on the button at the end of this article.

The problem description could now be formatted as follows:

'20% of the blue finished product are consistently rejected for paint runs on the top flat. Defects are not seen after base coat'

Next Time

Having determined what the problem is and what it is not, the next article will be focusing on what is the differencebetween the products that have the problem and those that do not and what has changed for the problem to have appeared.

Graham Cripps

Results Consortium Ltd

www.resultsresults.co.uk

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Topics: Global 8D, G8D, Is/Is Not, Problem Desciption

Getting More For Less - The 8 Wastes

Posted by Graham Cripps on Tue, Jul 14, 2015 @ 01:32 PM

Getting More For Less - The 8 Wastes

Where do you go from here? You have cut back on staff, got the best prices on materials, you are energy efficient but you are still under pressure on pricing? This is a common dilemma in business.

There is always room for making substantial improvements however, particularly in the areas of Quality, Cost and Delivery, by taking a fresh look at everything you do in terms of the 8 Wastes.

Associated with Lean Manufacturing the 8 Wastes are:

Travel - excessive movement of product, stock, materials etc

Inventory - too much stock, work in progress (WIP), raw materials or supplies

Motion - unnecessary operative / staff movement

Waiting - idle time between operations or activity

Over Processing - doing more than is required by the customer(s)

Over Production - producing more than is necessary

Defects - errors, poor quality, rework and scrap

Skills - not fully utilising the skills available within the business

The acronym 'TIMWOODS' is used as a means of remembering these wastes.

Identifying waste is a critical task in any business and should be within everyone's role or remit. However, this should be approached with caution as it can result in the creation of a blame culture.

Reducing Waste

Waste identification is a good thing. The ability to identify waste in the business, and to have strategies for dealing with the wastes identified can prove to be very cost effective in terms of the effort involved.

You can use the simple Waste Matrix below to provide an overview of the symptoms of waste which may be present within your organisation and to identify some of the strategies and tools for dealing with them.

Waste reduction needs to be part of an overall improvement strategy, whether you use a Lean approach, Six Sigma tools or any other Continuous Improvement methodology, the objective of any change should be focused upon:

Reducing Costs
Improving Quality
Improving Delivery

These measures are referred to as Q C D

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Topics: Root Cause, root cause analysis, Global 8D, G8D, Interim Containment Action, Permenant Corrective Action, Is/Is Not, problem prevention, Problem Desciption, 8D, 8D benefits, Problem solving, Continuous Improvement, ICA, decision making

Global 8D (G8D) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Posted by Graham Cripps on Thu, Jul 02, 2015 @ 10:59 AM

Global 8D (G8D) - Frequently asked questions (FAQ's)!

The latest in our series of FAQ's answered by our Subject Specialist, Graham Cripps

If the answer to your question is not shown here why not use our 'Ask Us A Question' Form to get an answer from our Subject Specialists!

"When I am asked for an 8D by my customer is it just the 8D Form they want?"

The short answer is NO, however you may not have got to the root cause in the time they give you to provide the 8D.

The G8D Form is a means of recording and reporting the problem solving effort. At D0 you should have implemented an Emergency Response Action (ERA) which must protect your customer from the effects of the problem. This is what the customer needs to see as quickly as possible.

Don't forget, other than the initial effect (or symptom) of the problem, the ERA can also introduce an effect in itself e.g. a supply constraint, so make sure these are included as part of your ERA.

Finally, you should always confirm understanding with your customer.

"Do I need to use Global 8D for every problem I encounter?"

I need to answer this in two parts:

1. When to use a full Global 8D - there are some simple rules to follow. G8D should be applied to those problems that have:

a definition of the symptom(s), that is the symptom has been quantified
identified the customer(s) and affected parties who experienced, or are experiencing, the symptom(s)
measurements to quantify the symptom(s) and demonstrate that a performance gap exists and / or that the priority (severity, urgency, growth) of the symptom warrants initiation of the process
an unknown cause
management commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to fix the problem at Root Cause Level and to prevent recurrence
a problem symptom complexity that exceeds the abillity of one person to solve the problem

2. The problem solving process is all about getting to root cause, eliminating the root cause and then fixing the reason why the problemm occurred in the first place. It matters not what process you use but I would suggest that the Global 8D steps offer everything a determined problem solver could want. You will clearly define the problem, protect your customer, get to root cause and make sure it stays fixed by addressing what allowed it to occur in the first place.

"Is Global 8D the only problem solving tool to use?"

There are many tools and techniques available but I have found that there are two approaches that have served me well.

1. Global 8D is applied to those bigger problems that have:

a definition of the symptom(s), that is the symptomhas been quantified
identified the customer(s) and affected parties who experienced, or are experiencing, the symptom(s)
measurements to quantify the symptom(s) and demonstrate that a performance gap exists and / or that the priority (severity, urgency, growth) of the symptom warrants initiation of the process
an unknown cause
management commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to fix the problem at Root Cause Level and to prevent recurrence
a problem symptom complexity that exceeds the abillity of one person to solve the problem

2. The 5 WHY's (5Y's) is the other very useful tool. However I would recommend that you follow these basic steps:

define the problem by describing 'What is wrong with what?'
protect the customer (internal or external)
describe the problem fully (what? when? where? and how big?, using real data)
brainstorm all of the possible causes of the problem (not of the effect or symptom!)
arrange on a fishbone diagram
Use 5Y's to drill down to root cause level
develop causal theories that can describe how the root cause(s) results in the problem and the effect
test and verify potential root causes to get to verified root cause
determine and implement the 'best' permanent corrective action(s)
make it the new way of running the process

"How will Global 8D help my business?"

If you have ever said, or heard said "The last time we had this problem we did this" or "Why does this problem keep coming back?", then you did not get the problem solved!

Global 8D has the discipline to ensure that not only is the problem solved at root cause but what allowed the problem to happen is also fixed (the root cause of the root cause)

It's true to say that Global 8D should not be used for every problem. In fact something like only 5% of problems warrant the full use of this problem solving methodology.

Other methods are available but again, I would recommend using the same steps as G8D for all problems to ensure you ask all the right questions at the right time and fix the problem at root cause permanently.

"Do I need to have a team trained for Global 8D?"

Yes but there are many ways of achieving this, from a standard instructor led programme to self-tutoring using available materials. The best way, in my opinion, is to have a Problem Solving Application Workshop run, which will deal with and resolve a live problem whilst training the team how to use the tools and techniques of Global 8D.

Why not have a look at our Global 8D Overview page, where you will find all of our templates, reports and other useful documents available for FREE download.

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Topics: root cause analysis, Global 8D, G8D, Interim Containment Action, Permenant Corrective Action, Is/Is Not, problem prevention, Problem Desciption, 8D, 8D benefits, Problem solving, Continuous Improvement, ICA, decision making