A ROBUST 5 STEP QCPC SYSTEM

QCPC is a fundamental and user friendly tool used to collect turnbacks which occur in each step of a process.It measures quality as well as the amount of rework  at any given process step.

This tool is mainly used to

• Discover steps in the process that impede performance
• Measure the amount of rework within the process
• Identify the most troublesome turnbacks
• Prioritize turnback improvement initiatives and monitor their effectiveness

5 step QCPC system

Step 1   Initiate a QCPC system or activity
Step 2  Collect and sort data
Step 3  Analyze the data
Step 4 Prioritize the project list
Step 5 Document success stories

QCPC was developed as a management tool to track  quality control.QCPC allows employees to track errors and inefficiencies and helps identify improvement opportunities.

Ace message

The first S is Sort

This is the stage when you go through all the materials in the area being improved and sort the necessary from the excess, the useful from the old/expired/worn-out.  The object is to ask 'what is really needed here to do the job(s) performed in this area?'   And, get everything else out of the way.

UPDATE :QCPC - Incomplete Street Addresses

To date the Armed Response team have corrected a total of  9487 (an increase of 59% since the last update) incomplete addresses. A big well done to the following branches who have completed the QCPC collection thus far

• Amanzimtoti
• Bloemfontein
• Gauteng East
• Gauteng North
• Ladysmith
• Mafikeng
• Nelspruit
• Newcastle
• Pietermaritzburg
• Polokwane
• Port Alfred
• Port Elizabeth
• Pretoria
• Welkom

The importance of QCPC and team work is displayed in this effort. The collection of these golden nuggets will ensure that your process flows easier. This in the bigger picture also contributes to the reduction of response times.
Remember to keep collecting those golden nuggets.

RRCA: Dispatchers not giving out relevant information

The Horison Monitoring did a RRCA on an item of concern :  Dispatchers not giving out relevant information.
It is crucial that Dispatchers relay all important information to Response officers as this could save a live (the clients or the ROs). Information such as (for example) :

• Electric fence
• Dangerous dogs
• Entry points
• Suspects on prem

These are just a few examples of situations the RO might encounter at the premises.The RO needs to prepare himself before responding to the call , and by equipping him with this information he is aware of what to expect.

The Monitoring team brainstormed the fault and some of the reasons found that this procedure is not being compiled with are :

• Dispatchers filter the information and regard some information as unimportant
• It is time consuming
• Lack of supervisor visibility
• Complacency

The team have put Control measures into place in the form of an Action plan, which includes :

• Toolbox talks to raise awareness and importance
• The possibility of introducing a Best in class program
• Revisit the Dispatch SOP 

The Action plans include deadlines as well as responsible persons. Once these are implemented an improvement should be seen.

Monitoring HRJ QCPC Project

The Monitoring team have initiated the QCPC project regarding HRJ – response jobs. Due to the high amount of false alarms it is imperative that the correct response jobs are opened according to the situation on the premises.

We find that a percentage of HRJs being opened result in a False alarm and for this reason it is crucial that all HRJs are valid.

The Dispatchers will collect the QCPC around HRJs noting detail as follows, cs number, notes in history – these are the notes made by the Operator, result of HRJ (activation) – was it a true incident or a false alarm.

The project will run for a week, in order to collect as much usable data as possible, which we will RRCA and start on the Action plan in order to eliminate any turnbacks.

ACE - QCPC

The purpose of ACE is to improve the business to delight the customers.  The metrics, tools and assessments are merely tools and processes to help achieve stakeholder satisfaction.

 

What is the health of QCPC in your workgroup or site?  What is the top turn back for your workgroup or site?  How do you hear what projects are being worked to eliminate waste?  If you are unsure of the answers to these questions, please contact your QCPC champion or tool expert.  QCPC is a tool that we all own and use to identify waste in our processes. 

 

 

 

MONITORING TEAM RRCA PROJECTS

The respective Monitoring teams – Horizon and Cape Town have monthly RRCA sessions on Turnbacks identified within their Value stream. It is good to see that the Monitoring teams use the Rattler and Python analogy when tackling problems.

Some of the projects they are currently busy are the following:

·         Early detection - QCPC collection on all True Dispatches and Incidents which have occurred. The aim is to investigate and break down the events in order to find the Root cause or preventive measure to the incident

·         Delays when assigning calls – in the process the importance of dispatching the RO as fast as possible is highlighted. Delaying factors include, weather conditions, busy channels, work load

·         Call quality – Calls handled by operators are accessed based on a pre determined criteria and the operator is scored according to how the call was handled

These are just a few of the projects lined up, the main ingredient in these projects are the Monitoring and Dispatch staff who assist with their valuable contributions during the RRCA sessions. It is important that everyone at all levels participate in RRCA. Grass root level participation plays an important role as these are the people who actually work with the product.

The blog will be regular updated with these Success stories of waste elimination and problem solving opportunities.

Ace Update

As the Monitoring and Response teams’ journey towards the respective Gold and Bronze Certifications the Team members have regular meetings, this serves as a platform to discuss Ace issues as well as striving towards the Improvement process.

It is recommended that you contribute 25% of your work week (1day) towards Ace and as you start using the tools regularly so your Processes improve and become mature.

6s Events, RRCA activities, Ace training sessions these are all part of the contribution towards  making the quality system work for you. The more you practise the better it works for you.

Regular application of the system will ensure that you eventually deliver a world class service with zero or minimum turnbacks.

The Quality system consists of three elements

• Culture, the human element
• Tools, the hardware element 
• Competency, the implementation element

The aim is that the use of these tools and elements eventually become a natural way of life.

The levels of achievement include

• Qualifying – Awareness education, processes identified, waste elimination
• Bronze – Advanced training ,application of tools to achieve improvements, leadership involvement
• Silver – First demonstration of step increase in customer satisfaction and results
• Gold -  Best in class customer satisfaction and business performance, culture of continuous improvement

Key success factors are

• Keep it simple
• Be realistic
• Don’t force the use of a tool into the wrong application
• Don’t check the box

We Must Have a “New Spirit” For the Future of Our Business

RRCA/DIVE

When using the D.I.V.E. (Define, Investigate, Verify, Ensure) process for problem solving, the Ensure phase includes more than implementing a solution that prevents reoccurrence. Five additional actions required to complete the Ensure phase are: mistake proof the solution, communicate changes including updating standard work, create a control plan, share best practices and celebrate success.

 

 

Terminology and Definitions 

1. Gemba,Management walks the floor with staff in order to identify waste and areas of improvement
2. Muda,A Japanese word meaning Waste
3. Defect,The result of error
4. Error,The cause of a defect
5. Benchmarking,The continuous focus process of measuring and comparing our service against industry leaders
6. Escape,Any problem or ineffiency that reaches the external customer
7. Lean,A waste free process
8. Mistake Proofing,Developing methods and devices that help perform a task without a defect

ARMED RESPONSE TEAM COLLECT QCPC AT GRASS ROOTS LEVEL

Since February 2011,the R/Os have started the QCPC project, Incomplete Street Addresses.

An incomplete address on the system is a contributing cause of delayed and long responses as the R/O has to drive around searching for the premises which in some cases is only identified by very vague special insructions.
The team was able to obtain a report from the system depicting all addresses which only stipulate the Street name with no number. R/Os visited these premises and were able to get any outstanding information regarding the addresses.
The main focus of the project is to improve response times and to provide a best in class service to the customers.
To date a total of 5614 addresses have been edited , now making it easier for a R/O to find  the premises instead of driving around searching.
The team is still experiencing some challenges regarding Premier accounts as these are mostly situated in a Mall or Shopping centre, they do still in the interim try to obtain as much information regarding the location as possible.

How can the Monitoring team assist.

• When informing the client of an activation try to obtain as much information as possible.
• If you note that an address is incomplete or not specific enough ask the client for further detail
• Remember to log data changes if applicable
• Go the extra mile to deliver a world class service

It is important to rememeber that QCPC can be collected in any job activity. It is the collection of any interruption to the work flow or your job function.

Keep visiting the blog to see the Incomplete Street address numbers drop and service levels increase.

The 7 deadly Wastes (+1)

• Defects
• Overproduction
• Waiting
• Non-use
• Transportation
• Inventory
• Movement
• Excess- Processing

SAFETY FIRST - ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT

With Ace being one of the cornerstones of the business it naturally works hand in hand with EH&S, which shows that practising these two elements can infact save your life.With this in mind the Durban team have started a QCPC collection on R/Os not wearing their safety belts. The teams from Durban, Port Shepstone,Richards Bay and Ballito will collect QCPC on reasons why R/Os are driving a vehicle and not wearing their safety belts. The project will be monitored for a month inorder to collect enough data which should give the team a good indication of how widespread the practise is. The intention is to emphasis that any driver of a ARV is safe and that there are measures in place to enforce the rules of the road as well.

Managers will conduct random checks and "ghosting" when visiting R/Os during refuelling and vehicle checks.

The project was started in February and already there have been some turnbacks logged.

Guys please dont be caught not wearing a safety belt, better safe than sorry.

Stay posted for updates on this Safety First Ace project.

Dispatch Times Reduction

The Monitoring Team have made a remarkable decrease in the Dispatch times since April 2010 when the project was first initiated. At the time the dispatch times were at  1.87 minutes and since the Ace tools were applied and practiced the times have reduced to 0.52 seconds. Remarkable.

The team conducted a thorough QCPC on all the JHB locations and found there were some offenders worse than others. The Pareto was able to identify which location to tackle first or where the biggest impact on service delivery was.
An action plan was drafted and action owners identified ,who were responsible for the various corrective actions being executed. This was a wonderful display of Team work and effort as well application of the first Ace element , humanware.(A good human heart and mind create quality products)

A big thank you to all the Dispatchers for your contribution, through education and involvement you were able to realise the importance of your job and implementing Ace in your everyday tasks.

The aim is to bring the dispatch times down to 0.50 seconds and this can only be achieved through continously driving away at the wedge with the Ace tools.

Once again thank you Jhb, this achievement might just have set the platform for Best Practices.

   

Market Feedback Analysis (Feedback)

In the spirit of delivering a 100% defect free product it is important to know your customers opinion on your service delivery as well as what they expect from you. The voice of the customer is an important measurement in the journey towards Gold, how else would we know if we are doing the right thing. The Monitoring and Response teams conduct monthly MFAs on all their customers in order to establish  where the shortcomings are and to keep doing the right and good things.

The Response Team  surveyed their External customers and found that on a scale of 1-7 the Overall satisfaction rate is 5.66. This proves that the Response teams service delivery is between Satisfied and Very Satisfied, the needle is moving in the right direction.

The Monitoring Team surveyed their Internal customers and they found that on the scale of 1-7 the Overall satisfaction rate is 6.06, Very Satisfied.

Well done to both Teams and everyone who has contributed to these achievements, lets keep striving towards Gold.

                                                            

Cross Functional Team Effort - Durban

Shaun Chetty (Ops Manager - Durban) recently chaired a Cross functional team meeting with the main goal of driving down the number of false alarms / responses done in  the area. The meeting included operational, monitoring & technical staff members.Since late December 2010 the response team in Durban have been working hard at reducing response times, with false alarms being one link in the chain that needed to be looked at.

WHAT IS ACE

Ace is an operating system and company wide strategy in our appraoch to relentlessly improve the value that we deliver to our customers and investors. It is also a containment of methods and tools for measuring status and improvements. It measures how well our products are satisfying our customers needs and where we need to focus our efforts to improve our products and processes.12 Tools of the Improvement Process

1. Process Management : A disciplined approach to achieve business process effectiveness, efficiency and agility. For this tool we use the Impact Maturity Chart.
2. Standard Work : The method by which work is simplified and structured to ensure maximum quality, consistency and repeatability over time.This can be defined as Activity level.
3. Quality Clinic Process Charter : QCPC is a simple tool used to continuously analyze a process for quality improvement opportunities and process inefficiencies or "Turnbacks"
4. Relentless Root Cause Analysis : The rapid and persistent pursuit of the fundamental breakdown or failure of the process that,when resolved,prevents a recurrence of the problem.
5. Mistake Proofing : Using wisdom and ingenuity to provide methods and devices that allow you to do your job 100% defect free 100% of the time.
6. Process Certification : This is a structured approach that allows process owners to better understand,quantify,control and manage their processes to be competitive in the global market.
7. Market Feedback Analysis : MFA is a methodology  using tools to collect  and analyze unemotional  market data to build the voice of the customer into our process and products to gain competitive advantage.
8. Passport : This is a set of reviews or checkpoints intergrated with the program deployment process designed to ensure all problems are identified before moving to the next phase.
9. 6s : This tool creates a workplace  environment  where anyone can visually understand the current situation.
10. Total Productive Maintenance : TPM is a method to achieve maximum equipment effectiveness through employee involvement.
11. Setup Reduction : This is a method to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness by minimizing the time required for tooling change overs.
12. 3P - This is a process characterized by cross functional teams, lean principles,productivity constraints and modeling and simulation of the production process.

WELCOME TO THE ACE BLOG FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Hi All

Welcome to the Achieving Competetive Excellence Blog - South Africa. The platform has been created to ensure that you are kept informed of all the latest Ace happenings. We will also have up to date highlights on the divisions Ace journeys as well as Tool usage and accomplishments and success strories.
Ace is an important pillar in the business. It is also a crucial tool which assist in waste elimination, problem solving and decision making. The various tools and applications of these tools ensure an efficient business and excellent customer service delivery.
Remember Ace promotes 100% on time delivery 100% of the time.

The Blog will be updated regularly  and will include success stories from all branches as well, so be sure to inform us of any Muda elimination and  Gold achievements.