• + New quality mindset spots problems at early stages
  • + HOS empowers all to deliver continuous improvement

Quality: Aiming for the Virtuous Circle

Posted 08.12.2009

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Over the past two decades, automobile manufacturers have been increasingly using vehicle quality as a strong hook to lure consumers into their showrooms. A 2008 J.D. Power study found that car owners’ satisfaction is directly linked to how many problems they had experienced, and that the more satisfied the owner is, the more likely he is willing to recommend the car model to others. This virtuous cycle of good quality leading to customer satisfaction, which in turn results in positive ‘word of mouth’ in the marketplace, is also affecting how auto suppliers, including Honeywell, are doing their business.

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Since 2006, Honeywell Turbo Technologies has been implementing an ambitious quality enhancement initiative that has so far yielded impressive results. Compared to three years ago, the company has shown a 75 percent improvement in quality – to the point where single digit ppm is now realistically within the company’s grasp.

What’s behind this rapid rate of progress? Pasquale Abruzzese, Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain at Honeywell Transportation Systems, puts it down to the rigorous Honeywell Operating System (HOS) framework and the empowerment of every individual to see production through the eyes of customers.

Real-time Communication
“In quality, HOS is the backbone of everything we do,” says Pasquale Abruzzese. “It’s a system that delivers continuous improvement through generation of new ideas and constant optimization of standard processes.” With practically all Honeywell Turbo’s manufacturing sites now enrolled in the HOS system, the global-scale implementation is also reaping the benefits of knowledge transfer that amplifies the learning from one site quickly to more than ten other sites operated by the business.

“We had realized early on that changing employee behavior was the key. And in order to change the way our employees approach their daily job on the shop floor, we started by instituting real time communication on all quality matters, emphasizing there is no such thing as a small issue when it comes to quality,” says Pasquale Abruzzese.

For employees, this meant understanding the direct link between their behavior and what happens to turbos in the field. As shop floor workers began to feel keenly that they were part of the solution, they were empowered to make suggestions to optimize the standard processes already in place with the aim of tackling quality problems before they became full-blow issues.

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Built-in Quality for New Launches

As Honeywell Turbo readies itself for hundreds of new launches over the next few years, extending this winning quality initiative to New Product Introduction (NPI) becomes ever more imperative. While in the past, only 20 percent of resources were devoted to new products, today, the business focuses 50 percent of its attention on new launches as the pace of product introduction accelerates.

Out goes the old way of people working in silos, and in comes the new approach that calls for product engineers working closely with their counterparts in Manufacturing Engineering, Supplier Quality and Quality Assurance. “We are now engaging manufacturing team at the concept development stage through a structured process to ensure that any manufacturing issues are ironed out before the design is finalized,” says Pasquale Abruzzese.

One clear benefit of this rigorous framework is the stringent multi-stage qualification of designs pre-manufacture to ensure faultless program execution for new product lines. In this way Honeywell’s virtuous quality performance continues on its upward curve.

Managing the Supplier Network
Finally, Honeywell is extending its new quality approach to supplier management. One major advance in this area was the introduction of Customer Interface Characteristics, which aims at identifying the key product characteristics that are critical for the final customers. Suppliers are now placing increased vigilance on these key factors, and their ability to deliver the expected results forms a key part of their performance matrix.

Says Pasquale Abruzzese: “HOS brings everything together in a holistic approach to quality that provides confidence in working practices, encourages creative problem solving and ensures a better understanding of how each individual contributes to successful program execution. In short, HOS empowers people for the benefit of customers.”

Photo Credit: Gilles Dacquin, Alain Ernoult, Honeywell