INTRODUCTION TO THE 8 D PROCESS Problem Solving

INTRODUCTION TO THE 8 D PROCESS

Problem Solving History (8 D Process) The US government first standardised the 8 D process during the second world war, referring to it as the Military Standard 1520: “Corrective Action & Disposition System for Nonconforming Material” It was later popularised by the Ford Motor Company in the 60’s & 70’s and adopted by most major manufacturing industries. This training follows the same principles, but has made it a practical method and able to be used by all.

What is the Methodology It is a structured approach to problem solving using 9 steps to problem resolution (the original 8 D had 8 steps). It is a highly disciplined and effective scientific approach for resolving chronic and recurring problems. This approach uses team synergy and provides excellent guidelines to identify the root cause of the problem, implement containment actions, develop and then implement corrective actions and preventive actions that make the problem go away permanently. The 8 D: § Isolates and contains the most basic causes of any undesirable condition. § Identifies the factors that contribute to the problem. § Eliminates systemic factors that cause the condition. § Keeps teams from jumping to conclusions too early. § Prevents problem recurrence.

What are the 9 Steps The 9 DISCIPLINES D 0 D 1 D 2 D 3 D 4 D 5 D 6 D 7 D 8 • PROTECT THE CUSTOMER • ESTABLISH THE TEAM • DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM • DEVELOP AN INTERIM CONTAINMENT ACTION • DEFINE & VERIFY ROOT CAUSE • CHOOSE & VERIFY PERMANENT CORRECTIVE ACTION • IMPLEMENT & VALIDATE PERMANENT CORRECTIVE ACTION • PREVENT REOCCURRENCE • RECOGNISE THE TEAM

When is an 8 D used? The 8 D approach is used to solve critical, major, chronic and recurring problems. The 8 D use is typical when: § The problem complexity exceeds the ability of one person (an expert) to resolve the problem. § Communication of the problem resolution (during & after) must go across company levels, other departments and/or to customers. § The customer or management requests 8 -D.

Where can it be applied? The 8 D problem solving process can be applied in many processes to: o o o o Increase Customer Satisfaction Increase Market Share Improve Delivery Times Increase Profitability Increase Efficiency Improve Morale Fix Quality Issues The goals of this method are to find the root cause of a problem, develop containment actions to protect customers and take corrective action to prevent similar problems in the future.

Ineffective 8 D’s However, the 8 D is not effective for: § Non-recurring problems or problems which can be solved quickly by individual effort. § Problems with known root causes. § Making a decision between different alternatives. § Problems where the simplest and most obvious solution is likely to be the best or adequate solution.

Why not apply 8 D to all problems? The 8 D approach takes several weeks to several months in order to solve a problem. It takes a minimum of (4) people from at least 4 different organisational areas to effectively apply the 8 D team problem solving approach. (Product Quality, Product Engineering, Product Marketing, Manufacturing, Supplier Quality, etc…). The 8 D team requires senior management support for allocated time/resources and the authority to make the appropriate and required changes.

What are the business challenges to 8 D? NO ACTION TO IMPLEMENT PERMANENT CORRECTIVE ACTION NO PROCESS TO MAINTAIN CORRECTIVE ACTIONS MANAGEMENT IMPATIENT FOR A QUICK FIX PROBLEM SOLVING STEPS SKIPPED OVER TO GET QUICK SOLUTIONS PROBLEM DEFINED INCORRECTLY CHALLENGES LACK OF TECHNICAL SKILLS OR KNOWLEDGE GO STRAIGHT TO FIXING PROBLEMS POOR TEAM INVOLVEMENT NO TIME ALLOWED TO FIX PROBLEMS NO LOGICAL THOUGHT PROCESS NO PRIORITIES OR RESOURCES ££

What are the Benefits? § Consistent approach to problem resolution. § Clear defined responsibility and ownership. § Immediate customer protection. § Clear decision criteria. § Verification and validation of all key decisions and actions. § Established & validated root cause. § Rapid controlled response to abnormalities. § Flexible, simplified, robust process.