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Corrective Action Plan
Manufacturing execution and quality management systems (MES/QMS) have revolutionized the manufacturing industry due to their ability to provide real-time, actionable data and constant feedback to production managers and heads of operation. This data is incredibly valuable for manufacturers looking to optimize every aspect of their daily operations. The true value of the constant flow of data from the production floor is the ability to quickly identify inefficiencies and areas of waste and stamp out mistakes before they become too detrimental to the bottom line. Manufacturing companies all over the globe are harnessing their data to get better every single day.
The constant flow of data is vital for tracking orders and effectively deploying team members and equipment. Manufacturing software is essential in managing daily operations of the production floor and keeping the floor running. With the correct data, managers are given a window into every facet of their operation and have the power to act on that data and make adjustments in the form of a corrective action plan.
A corrective action plan is a plan of attack for identifying a weakness, developing a way to remedy it, and then implementing it, and it can only be as strong as the relevant information and data that led to the identification of the weakness in the first place. Manufacturers need a clear picture of what exactly is happening on their production floor before formulating a corrective action plan. The insight gleaned from utilizing industry-leading software is extremely valuable for beefing up corrective action plans.
The key to developing a strong corrective action plan is to understand its true purpose. It’s meant to address issues that could become systemic, meaning that they will not eventually work themselves out and go away without intervention. In fact, if left unchecked long enough, these issues could lead to safety concerns for your workers or nonconformities in products that will not meet customer specifications and lead to complaints and rework.
The power of data comes into play with the corrective action plan because it becomes easier to identify system-wide problems. When these problems are quickly identified, a corrective action plan can be developed before the problem can accelerate and cause real harm to your business.
Following a clear set of steps when preparing to implement a corrective action plan is crucial. First, define and identify the problem—you can’t develop a proper corrective action plan if you don’t have a firm grasp of the issue. Next, do whatever it takes to contain the problem and prevent it from becoming worse. Then, move on to actively establish the root cause of the problem. Finally, determine and implement corrective action. As time goes on, you should track and review the long-term effectiveness of the plan. By keeping track of how it operates over time, you’ll be able to fine-tune and improve the system.
A corrective action plan formulated without robust data could ultimately do more harm than good if it fails to fully address the problem or worse, is based upon incorrect assumptions that are not backed up with concrete numbers.
Through the use of Bluestreak’s industry-leading manufacturing software, companies give themselves the ability to make data-driven decisions when it comes to corrective action plans, rather than rely on their gut instincts or anecdotal evidence. This will lead to significant gains in productivity and efficiency, ultimately boosting the bottom line.
There are several vital features within Bluestreak that contribute to more effective corrective action plans. Utilizing its advanced sampling control plans, you will guarantee that parts are being sampled at sufficient intervals as they come off the line, ultimately ensuring that faulty samples do not slip through the cracks. Bluestreak’s risk analysis and statistical process control modules allow managers to spot risk and deviation from intended processes in real-time. With risk analysis, you can eliminate human error and reduce liability with risk formulas.
Bluestreak’s statistical process control offers continuous tracking of your shop’s processes. You’ll know immediately if any phase of your process deviates from the norm and can jump right into formulating a corrective action plan.
Give yourself a strong foundation to fall back on when making a corrective action plan with robust data and support from Bluestreak. Your business will strengthen itself from within while ultimately delivering better results for your customers.
Bluestreak’s MES + QMS solution helps service-based manufacturers increase production floor productivity and increase their profits. If you’re ready to leave manual, time-consuming service-based manufacturing tasks in the past, drastically reduce your scrap and rework percentage, gain visibility of your production floor processes, and build better relationships with your customers, contact us for a free consultation today!