QUALITY AT THE SOURCE

Quality at the source: 

A philosophy that places the responsibility for meeting customer specifications and standards at the point of manufacture.

APPROACH: 

1) Source inspection for purchased components.

2) Operator's self inspect their work as well as inspecting the work of previous operator's.

3) Poke- yoke designed manufacturing devices , Processes and product's.

DISCUSSION:

Quality at the source concept are based on a theoretically ideal scenario. However by using these principles and concept significant quality improvement can be made. The idea is to cut off mistakes at the earliest possible point.

Requirements in plant applications: 

1) The employees must be introduced to the concept.

2) Stage by stage accept/reject criteria must be set.

3) Employees must be trained.

4) Rework should be internalized in the work group, no paper, no engineers, no quality assurance.

5) Best results achieved in one piece flow cellular manufacturing environments.