Improving Quality at A1 Doors and Windows

A1 Doors and Windows, a small company located in the GTA, is experiencing issues with rejected products. As a new employee tasked with reviewing quality data for January, I will analyze the data and gather information to identify the main sources of errors. The report will focus on the causes of defects, including product returns from customers due to dimension errors or poor fits, and the company's need to concentrate its quality efforts in these areas. Additionally, recommendations will be provided to address the problems, incorporating at least one point from the teachings of a Quality Guru.

A1 Doors and Windows
Section BB Assignment #2 Due: Friday Mar 22nd.
A1 Doors and Windows is a small company located in the GTA. The company employs
60 employees in its one location. Much of their product is sold to small companies who
then sell and install their products to the retail home market. A small part of their
business is to independent contractors for new home builds. A1 does not do any
installation of the product or selling to the final consumer. All product is made to order.
The company competes based on reasonable prices, competitive delivery times and
aims to ship all orders with two weeks.
David McLellan is the new VP of Operations and he has been very concerned about the
increasing problem with rejected products found during the manufacturing operation.
David feels strongly that there is too much product rejected. "Rejects have been a large
problem here", said McLellan in the weekly management meeting. He feels strongly that
data must be collected and analyzed in order to begin fixing the problems.
As a new employee at A1, and a graduate of Seneca College, you have been asked to
help review and analyze the quality data for A1. Although you will not make technical
recommendations, you should be able to help them figure out what the problems are
and to point them in the right direction.
Your Task:
You have been asked to look at the quality data for the entire facility for the month of
January. You have also been asked to tour the facility, talk to employees, and gather
information to make recommendations.
Process Overview:
There are three assembly areas where employees and machines assemble production
runs of various orders of windows and doors. There is always one inspector in each area
who performs 100% inspection, and another employee who packages the product and
loads them onto skids for delivery to customer’s facility. Each order may contain as few
as six items, or for a larger customer, up to 60 items. It is important that each order is
shipped complete or a separate truck may have to be dispatched with the missing
item(s).
Currently, products that are found faulty by the inspector are to be sent to a special
team of 2 employees, in the repair department. These employees are responsible to
evaluate, repair and document their work. Some product cannot be repaired and is
designated as “scrap” and sent to the garbage. The remainder is repaired. Often product
needs to be repaired right away so the entire order is not delayed.
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There is a constant supply of products waiting to be evaluated by the repair team.
Scheduling the work in this department and the number of “rush” jobs is problematic.
After being repaired, products are returned to the final inspection area at the end of
the assembly area that it came from. The inspector must look at the repaired product to
make sure that the defect is properly repaired.
Components to assemble the windows and doors are received in large quantities from
Canadian and American suppliers. These supplies include aluminum, glass, trim, and a
variety of other components such as latches, handles, screen etc. After inspection and
storage, quantities for one day's production are sent directly to the different production
areas, every night for the next day's production. Goods that do not pass receiving
inspection are held, and sent back to suppliers. There is a backlog of goods waiting to be
returned to suppliers.
Frequently, a product is returned from the customer due to an error in the dimension of
a product or a poor fit. This becomes a priority to replace, as it can hold up an entire
installation.
Your Actions:
Your discussions with supervisors in the facility did not yield any definite clues as to the
reasons for all the defects. There seemed to be many different types of rejects piled in
various locations throughout the facility. The employees assembling the product seem
to be experienced, but do complain about being rushed to complete the orders so that
trucks can depart with full orders.
Your next stop was at the Quality Control Department, where you obtained the records
for the Assembly Department rejects, for the last month.
Assignment:
Compile a report using WORD that includes the following
1. Cover page and Table of Contents, page numbers, professional appearance (2 marks)
2. Executive Summary. You should write this part after you have covered all the issues of
this assignment, but it should appear at the beginning of your report. In ONE
PARAGRAPH, summarize, using numbers what are the main sources of errors. Where
does A1 need to concentrate their Quality efforts? (2 marks)
3. How will you go about getting the information you need in order to complete the
requested report? Who will you speak to and what questions will you ask? (max 2
paragraphs) ( 2 marks)
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4. Draw a Fish-Bone (Cause and Effect) chart, which indicates some possible reasons for
the defects listed in the case. (2 marks)
5. Using EXCEL, perform a Pareto Analysis for the monthly Reject Log of the Assembly
Process. Include the Pareto Chart and the Pareto Graph. Import it into WORD using
PASTE SPECIAL so that all your formulas will be visible to the reader. (2 marks)
6. Using EXCEL, draw a Run Chart (Line Chart) for each of the top 2 defects indicated on
your Pareto Chart, using the monthly reject data. Import it into WORD using PASTE
SPECIAL. (2 marks)
7. From the information you have discovered, give your THREE main recommendations
that A1 should address in order to solve the problems they are facing. Be sure to
incorporate at least one point from the teachings of one of the Quality Gurus discussed
in class. Cite any references. ( 3 paragraphs max) ( 3 marks)
The charts and graphs must be generated using Excel. Please remember to identify
your charts/graphs- Main Titles, X-Axis and Y-Axis. This assignment is NOT to be written
in the first person. It must be double spaced, using 12 font.
If you submit more than one document, only the first one will be marked.
This is an individual assignment. No work may be shared or duplicated between
students. This will result in a grade of zero.
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Date Colour Edge Label Scratch Latch Handle Trim Glass
4 1 1 3 2 1
5 1 2 5 1
6 2 1 2 4 1 2 4 1
7 2 2 2
8 1 2 5 3 1
11 1 4 4 2
12 2 4 1 1
13 3 4 1 7 2 1
14 5 2 4
15 2 2 1 6 3 5
18 3 8 4 1
19 1 3 2 4 6 2 2 1
20 3 1
21 1 4 2 6 2 2
22 2 2 5 1 1
25 2 1 2 3 2 2
26 2 2 1
27 1 3 5 1 2
28 1 1 1 7 1 2
29 2 2 4 4 1 1
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Please copy this short chart into your assignment, at the end.
OPM400 Assignment #2 Value Mark
1 Cover page, Contents etc 2
2 Executive Summary 2
3 Research 2
4 Fishbone 2
5 Pareto Analysis 2
6 Run charts 2
7 Recommendations 3
Total 15
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