Powders Processing Quality Improvement Effort
– Miney Ball in Manufacturing

Miney Ball Approach to Improving Manufacturing Quality

The Powders Processing Quality improvement effort is an exemplary initiative that showcases the power of Miney Ball and cross-functional collaboration. This dynamic team comprises members from various functions, including Manufacturing (Desmond Lester, Thomas Payne, and Andrew Belcher), Quality (Katherine Aude and Philip Walsh), CI Engineering (Ian Plute), and the Innovation Center (Chris Check and Frank Filippini).

The process began with Katherine preparing a comprehensive data analysis, which was meticulously reviewed by the team. This review was instrumental in identifying opportunities for process and quality improvement. Through detailed and thoughtful discussions, the team formulated actions to measure the right things, decided on what should be included in the review, and then pinpointed the opportunities for improvement.

These actions were systematically tracked on an action log, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the improvement process. Prior to initiating the data review, the team faced an average of 4.9 Processing nonconformances per month. Their concerted efforts in refining the data review and improving processes bore fruit. Over the last four months, the average number of issues per month dropped significantly to 1.25, marking nearly a 75% improvement.

This remarkable reduction in issues demonstrates the efficacy of the team's collaborative approach and underscores the importance of continuous process enhancements in manufacturing. The Powders Processing Quality improvement effort stands as a testament to what can be achieved when Miney Ball is applied towards a common goal with a well-oiled cross-functional team!