QC Approach to

Problem Solving
Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Cheong Kuan Yew
School of Materials & Mineral Resources Engineering
Engineering Campus
Universiti Sains Malaysia

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Topic Outcomes
 At the end of this lecture, students will be able to:
 Describe and classify the implementation procedures of
problem solving.
 Select, construct, apply, and interpret quality tools.
 Relate and apply quality tools to problem solving.
 List and differentiate type of quality and management &
planning tools.
 Select, construct, apply, and interpret basic
management and planning tools (7 new QC Tools).

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Topic Outline
 What is Problem?
 How to Solve Problems?

 What is QC Approach to Problem Solving?

 Problem Solving Procedure

 By Classic Approach

 By 8-Discipline

 Management & Planning Tools - 7 New QC Tools

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 Problems
Problems

Problem
Problem Solving
Solving

Emergency
Emergency Measures
Measures Preventive
Preventive Measures
Measures

Quality
Quality Tools
Tools Management
Management &
& Planning
Planning Tools
Tools

Classic
Classic Approach
Approach “7
“7 New
New QC
QC Tools”
Tools”
(7
(7 QC
QC Tools)
Tools)

Ford’s
Ford’s 8-D
8-D Approach
Approach

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[1] What is Problem ?
 Failure
 Need a better way of doing things
 Complaint

Cause Losses
 Claim
 Things that are not easy to control
 Tiring and hard to do things
 Waste and variation
 Things not done quickly and accurately
 Not effective and efficient
 Not according to target, policy, and mission

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[2] How to Solve Problems?
2 ways of approaching problem solving:
 (1) Emergency measures
 (2) Preventive measures
 Improvement
 Topic of discussion

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[3] What is QC Approach to
Problem Solving ?
 Finding logical solutions to technical problems
of the workplace (team approach)
 A verification-type approach based on data.
 An effective way of solving problems.
 A step-by-step procedure.
 Meticulous implementation of each step brings
about quick, positive, and effective solution of
problems.
 A preventive measures

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[4] Problem Solving Procedure
2 approaches:
 (1) Classic Approach – 7 steps
 (2) 8-Discipline Approach – 8 steps

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[4.1] Problem Solving by Classic Approach

Procedure No. Basic Step Things to do

1 Selecting theme  Identify the problem.

 Decide a theme.
2 Understanding the Understand current situation:
current situation and  Collect facts.
setting targets  Decide what to attack (characteristic values).

Set Targets:
 Decide targets (target values and deadlines).

3 Creating a plan of  Decide what to implement.

action  Decide schedule, role assignment, etc.
4 Analyzing the factors  Investigate characteristic values and current situation.
 List factors.
 Analyze factors.
 Decide countermeasures.

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Procedure No. Basic Step Things to do

5 Developing and Develop countermeasures:

implementing  Propose ideas for countermeasures.
countermeasures  Think about specific countermeasures.
 Reconfirm the nature of the countermeasures.

Implement countermeasures:
 Consider method of approaching countermeasures.
 Implement countermeasures.

6 Analyzing the factors  Confirm result of countermeasures.

 Compare with targets.
 Identify results (concrete and abstract).

7 Standardization and Standardize:

establishing control  Establish and improve standards.
 Decide control methodology.
Establish control:
 Raise consciousness of all concerned.
 Educate supervisors.
 Confirm that things stays on track.

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[4.2] How to Publicize/Report QC Approach
to problem Solving?

 QC Story or QC Storyboard.
 One method for publicizing or reporting instances of
QC approach to problem solving.
 Fitting the story into this framework makes the
process and result of problem solving activities
easier to understand and makes reporting clearer.

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[4.3] The QC Story and Problem Solving
Procedures
The QC Story and Problem Solving Procedure
Introduction
General description of work process

1.Reasons for selecting the theme.

2. Understanding the current situation & setting targets.
3. Creating a plan of action.
4. Analyzing the factors.
5. Developing and implementing countermeasures.
6. Confirming effectiveness.
7. Standardization & establishing control.

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[4.4] 7 QC Tools for Problem Solving

7 (classic) QC Tools
 Pareto Diagrams
 Cause and Effect Diagrams
 Graphs
 Check Sheets
 Histograms
 Scatter Diagrams
 Control Charts

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Relating Problem Solving Procedures to 7 QC Tools

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[4.2] Problem Solving by 8-Discipline

 Another method for logical solution to technical

problems by transverse working team
 Ford’s team-oriented problem solving (TOPS)
methods
 An essential requirement to be followed under
the QS9000 system

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 Team-oriented and well-organized – to provide
creative and permanent means of solving
problems, it requires a variety of inputs for best results.
 Applicable to all kinds of quality problems and
effectively helps communication between departments
confronted with common problems.
 8-D results are documented as problem solution
report.
 Enhance contribution of SPC techniques to quality
improvement
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 Contents of 8-D Format:
 1D: Team Organization / Define Problem

 2D: Problem Description

 3D: Containment Action

 4D: Source of problem / Find & Verify Root

Cause
 5D: Find & Verify Corrective Action

 6D: Corrective action implementation and

result evaluation
 7D: Problem recurrence preventive system

 8D: Praise to the team / Completion

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8-Steps Method (8D)
Overview
1D 2D
Define Problem 3D
Problem Description Containment
Action 4D
Find & Verify
Root Cause
8 Disciplines for
5D
Problem Solving Find & Verify
Corrective Action

6D
Implement
7D Corrective Action
Prevention
8D
Completion

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1D Preparation
 Before we start an 8D analysis

 Get an overview of the problem!

 Safety first!
 Collect all information which is already available!
 Don’t back off since it is a unknown or new problem!
 Is it necessary to solve the problem?
 Get the right specialists/experts! Escalate if too big.
 Make the decision to solve the problem! Either yourself
or your manager.

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2D Expectation
 Problem description
 give a simple and close to the point description of the problem using the 4 questions:
 What?
 Where?
 When?
 Trend?
 explain the situation precisely especially during pass down situations
 Alternatively use chronological problem description:
first this happened, then I did XY, …
 collect all useful information available in systematic way before handing over

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2D The 6 Questions
 Who?
 What?

 Where?

 When?

 How?
5W-2H
 How much/many?
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2D Problem description
 Questions to ask
 Who detected it?
 What Object? What Defect?
 Where on the object is the defect observed and how (by
which controlling inspection?)
Where in the lot (on all wafers or only in a box)?
Where on the wafer/chip (all wafers, all chips, on the chip,
distribution)?
 When was the problem first observed? "When since
then?“ When in the history or lifecycle observed (OP Nr.)“
 How this happened?
 How many units are defect?
How many Chips per lot?
Is the trend stable, increasing, decreasing?
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3D Containment / immediate
actions
1. Are containment actions necessary? If yes:
2. List and prioritize possible containment actions
3. Decide which containment actions to implement
4. Consider unwanted side effects
5. Implement containment actions
 Scientific problem  Time might not matter so much.
 Industry problem  In most cases time is very critical, i.e. the customer
is waiting for the delivery or a new technology has to be in time for the
market
 Containment Actions should buy you time to solve the problem!

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3D Checklist for Containment
 All necessary safety measures – Safety first!
 Prevent damage to customer
 Delivery of bad quality ( shipping stops,recall)
 Use of bad quality pieces already delivered
 Not fullfilling our delivery commitments ( supply chain, logistics)
 Prevent damage/further waste/costs
 Production stops/redirection/equipment exclusions/
 Increased control steps
 Inform all parties
 Minimize influence of problem on other products/areas
 The following items are not a true containment, but they are helping to solve the problem faster
 Ensure collection of more data
 Additional measurements/tests
 Gather/structure available data
 Ensure evidence/do not destroy evidence, chance to find out root cause

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4D Find (root) cause
1. List possible root causes (hypothesis)
2. Check causes against problem description
 Most likely causes
3. Prove the (root) cause

4. If (root) cause is not proved, repeat 4D

Expectations
 not jump to conclusions but keep the view unbiased in describing the problem

 collect all useful information available in systematic way first

 consider several possible root causes and to check them against the data

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The 4 Questions and
Hypothesis Checking
 The basic idea: Checking of causes (hypothesis) against the
problem description to identify most likely causes.
Description Possible Cause A Possible Cause B

What?
√ √

Where?
√ √

When?
√

How much?
How big √ √ 28
The 4 Questions and
Hypothesis Checking
Description Hypothesis A: Wrong Hypothesis B
engine settings during New company location
 Example: service three months moved to downtown
ago. two months ago;
Fuel mainly urban driving
consumption of
car What? OK OK
High
fuel consumption
Where? OK OK
My car WMY-2601 at
petrol station

When? Does not match OK

For the last two (2 vs 3 months)
months
How much? Possible OK, plausible for
2l/100 km consistently urban driving

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5D Find and verify corrective
action
1. Develop potential corrective actions
2. Check whether corrective actions removes the problem

1. Importance of root cause finding

 If we do not eliminate the root cause the problem will appear again
(in other) variations
 Sustainable Continuous Improvement and Problem Solving is
based on implementing actions which eliminate root causes.

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6D Implement corrective action
- standardize

1. Implement corrective actions from 5D

following a implementation plan
2. Remove containment actions

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7D Prevention & Best Practice
Sharing
1. Analyze root cause even deeper (i.e. with 5W (cause of
the cause))
2. Monitor the implemented corrective actions
 does it work long term or in high volume
3. Think exceeding the reaction on the problem, develop
proactive measures (lessons learned for similar problems)
4. Check if best practice exchange (sharing) is possible

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 8D Team congratulation
1. Document procedure and results
2. Acknowledge performance and
achievements of team & members
3. Close 8D

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 8-Steps Method (8D)
Overview
0D 1D 2D
Information Define Problem 3D
collection & Problem Description Containment
Action 4D
assessment + Find & Verify
initiate ERA Root Cause

8 Disciplines for
5D
Problem Solving Find & Verify
Corrective Action

6D
Implement
7D Corrective Action
Prevention
8D
Completion
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[5] Management & Planning Tools

7 New QC Tools

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 Reflection

End of Topic

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