Turtle Analysis

Turtle Diagrams are an effective method to understand the processes from both a managerial and workforce perspective. These diagrams can also be used to identify gaps in the organizations structure and further develop organizational procedures. From these activities further measures can also be developed for efficiency improvement.

How to use Turtle Diagrams
We will go through the diagram step by step:

INPUT:
Enter details of actual process inputs such as raw material, requirements, information, documents, etc.

PROCESS:
Enter your management process.

OUTPUTS:
Enter your expected or defined output of your process. This can be finished goods, products, records, documentation, etc.

CONGARTS you already described your main process. Now we will complete it with details.

WITH WHAT:
This is asking for materials and equipment. Enter details of materials, components, machinery, test equipment, software, etc. all you use in the process.

WITH WHO:
Resources and competencies. Enter human resources requirements, including qualification, competencies and training requirements or restrictions.

HOW:
The how goes for the supportive processes, procedures and methods. Write down linked processes, pre-processes, supportive processes, instructions, procedures, standard work described, etc.

WHAT FOR:
Key Performance Indicators. Enter the targets, KPIs, performance measures, etc. to measure effectiveness and efficiencies.

Example of a Turtle Diagram

How to use the Turtle Diagram for auditing
When running an internal audit, you can use the Turtle Diagram to understand the relation between input and output for the audited process or activity. In order to get full advantage of the audit, the auditor needs to assess not only the process itself but also the complete surrounding such as the process owner, stakeholders of the process, standard work procedures, training and qualification matrix of persons involved, as well as linked processes. Based on the Turtle Diagram Layout the auditor has a guide to follow through the process audit.

Running the Turtle Analysis
When talking about quality management, process analysis is a key part of daily business. With the Turtle Analysis and the resulting Turtle Diagram you will have the chance to describe processes in a simple and clear one pager. The summary of this one pager is the description of the most important process characteristics. This overview can then be taken to identify risks and weaknesses of the process and build the framework for upcoming quality audits.

The Turtle Diagram gives a clear picture of the links between two process steps or different processes. As usual in manufacturing environment the output of one process step is the input of the other. This can be made visible with the the Turtle Analysis. You starting point is then when interfaces do not run smooth or e.g. important information is lost during hand over phase.

In addition after a Turtle Analysis or audit with the diagram and identified risks and weaknesses you can define specific objectives to be addressed. As mentioned above you can steer and control your improvement actions with pre-defined KPIs, this helps you to visualize deviations from the set course easier.

If you think you need a deep dive on one specific topic found during the Turtle Analysis, we recommend the ISHIKAWA or the 5Why methodology.

Pareto Principle

The Pareto Principle describes that 80% of problems can be closed with 20% of the causes. This principle is named after Vilfredo Pareto who found out that 80% of Italy’s wealth belonged to 20% of the population.

With this in mind it is worth to have a look at it.

Let us start with an assumption, according to the Pareto Principle it allows us to assume that

• 20% of input creates 80% of the output

• 20% of customers create 80% of your revenue

• 20% of causes create 80% of failures

• 20% of your employees create 80% of sales

• and so on…

But before you run away now and think you have the answer hold a second. With the 80/20 rule you might tend to say that it always have to be 100 - it’s not. Make a deep analysis before making such statements! 20% of your employees can also make only 20% of sales or 60%. So before you fire 80% of your employees keep in mind that the Pareto Principle only gives you an idea on the distribution.

The whole idea behind it is that most things in life are not distributed evenly!

When we talk about value adding activities and the final product is 100% What is with all the necessary tasks, that are not adding any value to the final product but have to be done to run the company.

Or think about failures and finding the root cause, where to start to take actions? This is great when you think about a Failure Pareto and you want to satisfy your customer as quick as possible. Of course you are focusing first on the most failures and most of the time - not always - the other failures will disappear as well.

But most important of all, your customer gains trust in you that you have the competencies to do the job.

The key point is that most things are not in a 1/1 actio = reactio relationship.

So what can we use it for this 80/20 rule?
The Pareto Principle in first place supports you on realizing that most of the outcome are based on a minority of inputs. This means:

• 20% of input creates 80% of the output > try to reduce those non value adding activities

• 20% of customers create 80% of your revenue > install a key account manager that the customers knows he/she is important to your company > your customers success is your companies success

• 20% of causes create 80% of failures > Focus on fixing those failures first

• 20% of your employees create 80% of sales > get those employees a reward

We could continue on and on. To bring it to the point > focus on the 20% and not on everything at the same time.

Some examples that might help you for a better understanding:

• Instead of spending a whole night to prepare a presentation and thinking about where to start > focus on one topic and do it. You will get a feedback anyway during the pitch. This feedback gives you the chance to take it and improve it.

• Instead of focusing on one solution that might be the best and go through all the details. Make a list of three and go through the pros and cons with your colleagues that probably know the topic better anyway and based on their opinion make a decision with what to go on.

Maybe this examples are nuts for you but we want to emphasize that you should focus only on the important 20% and forget - for the moment - the other 80.

Last but not least - the Pareto Principle is not a law of nature it is a guideline to steer your focus and to save time on problem solving or simply getting your job done faster.

FMEA

Failure Mode Effects Analysis - FMEA

The method of the FMEA - Failure Mode and Effect Analysis has been used for years in the automotive and manufacturing industry.

The risk analysis framework has been applied in a wide range of industrial sectors. The first areas of application were traditionally in product development. Based on this the integration of the production process planning and the production. In the automotive industry, the joint creation of FMEA for products and processes by Today customer, supplier and subcontractor are a natural part of a cooperation. 

The user is guided through the "10 Steps to Creation of the FMEA".

Step 1 - Review the process

• Use a process flow chart or an already existing value stream map to identify each part of a process

• List all process steps in a FMEA table

• If you think the list gets too long it might is. Use this chance to split up the process and cut the elephant. It makes more sense to work on smaller parts of the process instead of getting lost in the woods.

Step 2 - List potential failures

• Review all existing data and documents that can give you a hint about each component that can lead to a failure

• After having a complete list try to cut it down and to combine the parts of the initial list

• The chances are high that you will identify several potential risks of failures for each component

Step 3 - List potential effects of failures

• The effect is the outcome of a failure on the finished good or a process step

• It is common that not only one effect will occur for a single failure, don’t be suprised

Step 4 - Assign the level of failure to risks

• This is based on the consequences for each failure

• Think about the ranking as the worst impact that it can have

Step 5 - Assign the possibility of occurrence

• How high is the possibility of occurrence

• What impact will it have if occur

Step 6 - How can it be detected

• What are the chances that you will detect the failure before occurring

Step 7 - Calculate the RPN (Risk Priority Number)

• Severity (S)

• Severity x Occurence (S x O) = criticality

• Severity x Occurence x Detection (S x O x D) = RPN

Step 8 - Define the action plan

• With the decision making process followed by the prioritization from the RPN (Step 7) focus on the topics with the highest RPNs

• Follow a classic action plan by defining who will be doing what till when

Step 9 - Take action

• Get things done!

• Implement the defined improvement actions

• Follow the PDCA principle

  • Plan - done

  • Do - right now

  • Check - Step 10

  • Act - loop starts over

Step 10 - Re-evaluate the RPN

• Time to check on the impact of your actions

• Re-evaluate each potential failure identified and determine if the improvement measures have an effect or not

• If not follow the PDCA and start over with step 8

The FMEA is linked to all CIP and Kaizen activities - there is always something to improve.

Ergonomic Workplace

An ergonomic workplace is a work system that considers the ergonomic aspects of an operation and the operator such as the operator’s hight, range and reach with the goal that the operator does not need to bend or turn.

The ergonomic workplace goes hand in hand with the work improvement.

Definition and purpose

1. Reveal waste increasing cost and not adding value.

2. Find waste in the movement of workers, eliminate/improve, pursue net work adding value.

Worker Movement

Lean Manufacturing and Ergonomics may have different roots and directions but together they can complement each other and define a more efficient and safer workplace.

One of the best person known for focusing on productivity and efficiency in manufacturing processes was Henry Ford with the invention of the modern assembly line. Ford really was focusing on eliminating waste and to cut down unnecessary costs in relation to the manufacturing of his cars.

Toyota is one of the best known companies that has stretched to the maximum the idea of Lean Manufacturing and is now holding the pole position when it comes to the reputation according the elimination of “waste”.

By looking at the Lean Model as well as Work Ergonomics, you clearly see the necessity of both practices in the industrial workplace, as well as observe that both can complement each other. 

The 7 types of waste to eliminate include:

• Transport

• Inventory

• Motion/Movement

• Waiting

• Overproduction

• Overprocessing

• Defects

The list of TIMWOOD is what Toyota has defined as the seven major types of wastes or non-value-adding activities. The seven wastes do not add any value to the product and the customer in the end is not willing to pay for it. Therefore it is essential to remove as much waste as possible which will have also an effect on the ergonomic workplace and furthermore on the health of the operators.

Some of these things like transport, waiting or unnecessary movement can be reduced to a limit what the operator still needs because as human being the operator is limited by his body.

The Lean Manufacturing initiatives and workplace ergonomics stepped into the manufacturing world at different times and therefore are not fully integrated. But you are perfectly advised by combining the principles of Workplace Ergonomics with Lean Manufacturing initiatives. Through a cooperative assessment and teamwork you have the chance to complement each other in making the workplace more efficient and a safer place.

Blue Ocean Strategy

Innovation for New Markets

The blue ocean strategy leads out of the shark tank: instead of copying the competition, companies find new markets.

Blue Ocean strategy: Off to new markets

Which company does not dream of an untouched market? And how many companies are stuck in the constant, sometimes ruinous competition and are treading on the spot? In order to escape this fierce struggle for survival, a rethink is necessary: If your own market or the market you are aiming for is too fiercely contested, you create a new one.

Opening up new markets is the core idea behind the so called Blue Ocean Strategy. To explain it simple the Red Ocean stands for existing markets where the sea is full of blood and therefore red, the Blue Ocean is the untouched, sweet spot of sea where nobody was before you.

I think we don’t have to discuss the obvious advantages of an untouched market. At least in the beginning you won’t have any competition. Your organization can act instead of react which automatically gives you higher turnovers and returns. But it is for sure not risk free, failure can get you everywhere. And even worse you will swim all by yourself not finding any customer and starve to death or die of thirst.

Customer Centric Focus

The Blue Ocean Strategy comes with several tools with which your organization can create new business cases. What they all have in common, is the focus on the customer benefit, regardless on the how to sail the blue ocean. Just think about technological innovation.. typically driven by making the customer lives more comfy.

Analyze and reposition your offer

The Blue Ocean Strategy first starts by analyzing your existing offer, which has to be done from the customer perspective. This is followed by the competitors analysis, what do they have that customers buy their products instead of ours, what is the extra value? The outcome is then recorded in a so called value curve.

The next step is the usage of the so called ERIC square. A typical tool to redesign service offers of drive product developments. The Blue Ocean gets a shape.

The E stands for Eliminate: What existing features are obsolete for the new use case?

The R means Reduction: What is important for the customer but can be reduced to an absolute minimum without being kicked out?

I for increase: What product features should be raised above the existing standard?

And finally C for Creativity: What awesome features does the customers want but don’t know yet?

A slightly different approach can also be the use of the Osborn Checklist, but won’t be covered in this article.

Creating Blue Oceans

Let’s face it, you can have the best product in the world, but without a market it is worthless. This already indicates the crucial factor of success of a blue ocean strategy, e.g. creating new markets or at least expand the existing one. To help you getting to new markets six paths can be taken:

Are there existing strategic groups in the industry?

Are alternative fields of operation possible - and if so, which ones?

Is there a potential target group that has been ignored so far?

What are the new mega trends that others haven’t recognized yet?

Are there complementary services or goods that nobody has on the radar?

What functional or emotional motives would customers want to buy the new product from?

Following these questions already shows you that the Blue Ocean Strategy rarely ends up in a completely new and disruptive product. The reality is that different product features are combined and given out to the market as new release. That is for sure not the idea behind the Blue Ocean Strategy, but used for it. The benefit of the Blue Ocean Strategy is to turn non-customers into customers. These folks are your blue ocean.

Have a look on Show Stoppers
Like with all theories, the Blue Ocean Strategy seams quite simple. But no matter what and how you do it, make sure to have a clear and transparent communication throughout your organization. Everybody has to be on board and support the planned journey, otherwise chances of getting stuck at the harbor and not setting sail are quite high.

And finally, when set goals or targets think about SMART, most important > it has to be realistic - can’t say this often enough.

Checklist: Blue Ocean Strategy

In summary, the following aspects must be taken into account in the Blue Ocean Strategy:

1. A saturated market with predatory competition does not permit growth.

2. A new, unrivaled market is created through beneficial innovation.

3. The existing offer is analyzed from the customer's point of view.

4. A new range of services or features is created.

5. Employees in the own company are involved in the implementation.

SMART - OBJECTIVES

Goals are helpful both in our daily work and in our personal lives, as they give us something to work for. 

SMART - Objectives drive us forward and continually remind us of what we want to achieve. They help us to set priorities more clearly, to focus better and give us the strength to continue.

HOW TO DEFINE GOALS 

Objectives can be manifold, but one of the best known methods to describe goals is the S.M.A.R.T. methodology. The 5 steps can be used to clearly describe a goal and make it "tangible".

The acronym SMART stands for the following 5 steps:

S - specific | Clearly defined goals

M - measurable | The target should be measurable (has a KPI)

A - accepted | The accessibility of the goal should be accepted by all stakeholders (alternative: ambitious/attractive)

R - realistic | The attainability of the goal within the set framework should be realistic,

T - terminated | The time of target achievement is clearly defined.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT, SMART BECOMES SMARTER

Some of the terms have changed over time. So the A at the beginning stood for agreed upon. This is from the thinking that the term is used within a company. In this respect, it was important that a goal was accepted by all involved. Over time "agreed upon" often became "achievable" or "attainable".

Not only the terms themselves have changed. The acronym itself has often changed recently. Many authors have switched to making SMART - SMARTER.

The E stands for "evaluated".

The R stands for "reviewed."

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In my opinion, the popularity of SMART goals stems from the simplicity of the method and the higher probability of success. Why should it be higher? Now the SMART method requires from the person or department that set the goals a certain time and focus on those goals. When one is so intensively involved with defining goals, one inevitably thinks of ways in which the goal could be achieved. Furthermore, one has already taken the first step and is now more motivated to take the next necessary steps.

Of course these steps must not be missing. Action plans must be derived from the goals, whose degree of goal achievement should be regularly reviewed. Regular monitoring of progress enables me to adjust my next actions to the achievement of my goals. 

PDCA

The idea behind the PDCA cycle is to empower employees to independently identify and solve problems. It is also a crucial element of the continuous improvement process (CIP).

Many projects in which a culture of continuous improvement (CIP) is to be anchored also fail because of the tools required for this. With the A3 Report, for example, there are such tools. Just for clarity upfront, problem solutions, decision bases and strategies are presented on a sheet of paper in DIN A3 format. The A3 Report provides employees with a kind of template for which analysis and action steps must be taken when solving a problem. This process, in turn, is based on a systematic approach: the PDCA cycle.

The four phases of the PDCA cycle

Of all the quality improvement tools, the PDCA cycle is the most important. It describes the basics of an improvement process and divides it into four phases:

Phase 1: Plan

In this phase the problem and the actual state are described, the causes of the problem are analyzed and the target state is defined. In addition, measurements for reaching the target condition is defined.

Phase 2: Do (Implementation)

In the implementation phase, the predefined measures for achieving the target status are fixed.

Phase 3: Check

In the review phase, the experience gained and the results achieved in implementing the measures are reflected and the measures are readjusted if necessary.

Phase 4: Act

In this phase, the experience is gathered and the problem-solving process is evaluated and standards for future action are derived.

PDCA Cylce

Teams always go through this process when they have identified a problem or a relevant opportunity for an improvement. Then a new PDCA cycle is started with the aim of establishing a new standard in the company which serves as a basis for further improvements. The following case study shows how working with the PDCA cycle works.

The PDCA cycle explained using a case study

The management board of an electrical motor manufacturer has adopted a new strategy to further expand the company's quality leadership in electric motor production and increase customer satisfaction. To this end, the management team defined the following so-called breakthrough targets:

• The production processes must be state of the art

• The work must be based on the zero-defect principle

• The striving for continuous improvement (CIP) should be anchored among the employees

These goals have been broken down to all levels. At a meeting, the head of department pointed out to the group leader that the five pressing lines he supervised produce less than the target of 35k motors per day. The consequences: Supply bottlenecks and customer dissatisfaction. The group leader should now solve this problem. In accordance with the PDCA cycle, the following procedure was followed.

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PDCA Phase: Plan

The group leader analyzed the production figures of the past weeks. He found that the joining line supervised by the team leader only delivers an average of 32k motors per day instead of 35k. The team leader suspected that this was due to high line rejects. They then took a look at the sorted motors in the quarantine stock. The result: the labelling on almost all rejected motors are displaced or not readable.

The group leader asks the team leader what could be the cause of the problem. His assumption: "The printer is not running perfectly and the application process is not stable. A check of the incoming labels has proven that all material is in specification, so the failure has to be within the printing and application process. The team leader then looked at the scrap figures in the shift reports. It turned out that over 80 percent of the rejected motors are produced during the night shift.

So the group leader and the team leader observed the labelling process in the following night shift. They noticed that the labeling belt occasionally jams in the conveyor belt, which is why the labels are applied offset to the desired location. The team leader suspected that this was due to the fact that the printer mounting and so the printer location was in the wrong position, a further analysis has shown that a new employee has been placed in the night shift and he didn’t understand the correct setting and placement of the printer after exchanging the labeling roll. In addition, it came out that the cartridge has to be replaced after 24 hrs which also was usually coming to the night shift. So the root cause was clear.

The group leader then asked the team leader to formulate a target state for possible countermeasures. He knows through trainings that targets should follow the SMART rule, but on this topic mainly measurable. He wanted to achieve the target by training the new operator. Done deal.

PDCA Phase 2: Do

But the group leader was not satisfied with that. He asked the team leader if he knew exactly how the operator were going to change roles and cartridges if there was a standard operation instruction (SOI) of this process and how to train new operators. The team leader denied this.

In the following night shift, they both watched the change of roles and cartridges by experienced and inexperienced operators. The experienced operators made sure that the labels did not touch the floor during the change and that the printer is in the correct position after replacing the role. The inexperienced, on the other hand, often rubbed the labels on the floor and just pushed the printer in the station without checking the first parts after replacement. Dirt gradually collected in the label dispenser, causing the tape to jam from time to time and the incorrect position of the printer led to misplaced and crushed up labels which in the end of line led to the rejects of the motors.

The group leader asked the team leader and his team to consider possible countermeasures, prioritize them and draw up an action plan. The countermeasures were among others: 

1. 5S sessions at the end of each shift to restore cleanliness and order in the line

2. Installation of training matrix in order to know how is able to follow the process and how is experienced enough to train new operators

3. Install a Poka Yoke fixture to ensure a process stable positioning of the printer

4. Install a counter with light indication when the cartridge of the printer needs to be replaced after an evaluated amount of labels printed

Based on the prioritization, the team members drew up an action plan. They also agreed:

The current status of the project is always documented on the cell board of the labelling line for the next three months

The progress figures are reported in the daily shop floor meeting – not the team meeting of the cell. It has mgt. focus.

PDCA Phase 3: Check

In the following weeks, the team leader of the cell reported daily the figures and the impact of the measures on the outcome. They also defined further measures on the basis of their experience to date. For example, the machine is always stopped when the label tape reaches into the light barrier, caused by an air blast. The measure was to install a duct for the carrier tape of the labels into a bin placed under the line, easily accessible for the line clean up at the end of the shift.  As a result, the reject rate fell by almost 80 percent after three months. The initially formulated target of 40 percent fewer rejects was achieved.

PDCA Phase 4: Act

After this assessment, the group leader asked the team leader what he wanted to do with regard to standardization. He replied that he would prepare a written description of the optimal process "maintaining the label printer" as well as for training new operators. In addition, from now on he will carry out a daily process control in order to detect target/actual deviations earlier.

The group leader praised the team leader and asked him at the next team leader meeting to inform the team leaders of the four other production lines about the new standard and the findings in the PDCA problem-solving process so that they could learn from the experience. Him himself informed the head of the motor production department that the problem of insufficient motor production had been solved.

Hansei

The Japanese term of Hansei has the meaning to acknowledge your own mistake(s) and to strive for improvement. The term describes your personal ability of reflection and will to do better.

Hansei plays a big role when thinking about the continuous improvement process and specially the part of looking back and reflect of what could have gone better or where you as person did come short and have a potential lesson.

At Toyota, Hansei is a fixed part of their production system. The Hansei Assessment is held to have a deep review or personal reflection. Typically these assessments are conducted during milestones or at the end of a project during the lessons learned part. The results are communicated to the whole organization so that all can profit from the knowledge gained from this process. By this you will support your complete organization from repeating mistakes or even improve existing standards in order to prevent this from happening again.

You see Hansei can be seen as a crucial part of the organizational development and as heavy weight components for the continuous improvement process, KAIZEN activities and standardized work, as in the end it is up to humans to run your organization and we all make mistakes we can learn from.

In a Hansei assessment you have 4 Elements to analyze and the questions to find an answer.

Hansei Assessment

Production Diary

With the help of a production diary, based on a pre-defined shift planning all other functions and outcomes are planned and tracked. This includes the mgmt. team as well as all supporting functions. In order that everyone is aware about the upcoming week the production diary is openly displayed on the shop floor. With the production diary and the pre-set structure of daily meetings of the shop floor mgmt. all daily activities are carried out. Best known part is e.g. Gemba Walks and the included problem solving activities e.g. A3 or just confirming that all processes run as planned.

With this big part of shop floor mgmt. it is clear that all regular meetings planned along the production diary are set. All other unplanned activities or extra meetings need to be conducted respecting the fixed schedule of the production diary.