The aim of six sigma is to improve processes and facilitate data driven decision making. When Lean gets added to Six Sigma, it incorporates the dimension of waste reduction as well...

For reducing wastage and rework cost, Inspection is important.

What do you classify inspection as A Value Adding Activity or a Non-Value Add task?

Justify what you express...!!

Value Add activity is one :

- for which Customer is ready to pay

- Which transforms a product or a process

- which is other than 7 wastes.

As far as Inspection is considered , I will classify it as a Non Value add activity , as customer will not pay anything extra for it .

AS far as inspection is concerned certainly and theoretically it is a Nonvalue added activity

 

Our approach to lean and six sigma Should be as a Poke YOKE methods

1. warn
2. avoid
3. eliminate

However, Inspections adds value to the product in terms of Quality and Correctness of the Functionality. So it is a nonvalue added activity and we need to work on it to make to at least reduce the nonvalue adding in terms of $$$$$$$$$$$$$ by automation, by increasing the band and controlling the process etc., as my friend suggested it's not important from customer point of view as he is not ready to pay and it's not value added as we will spend More on Quality aspects, but I say even though its NVA it adds value to product we need to reduce the time and investments made on inspection is to be our goal to achieve success as the Golden role 1 of Define process, a well-defined problem is half problem solved similarly A well defined and controlled process will eliminate Defects and there by we can remove Inspection

Totally agree with both the points of view.

Although the customer does not pay for Inspection on most occasions, inspection does add value in terms of correctness of the deliverable.

In that sense, can we treat INSPECTION as an Essential NVA?

Dear Ankit,

 

We need to approach this scenario from two perspectives viz VOC(Voice of Customer), VOB(Voice of business).

One point is clear if the customer is unwilling to pay then it becomes an NVA.So does quality.But then, as I pointed out, quality is an implicit requirement which again falls into the purview of VOB.

 

Suppose if you don't inspect, there is every possibility of losing customer goodwill and business as well in case there is a defect.

 

There comes the concept of inbuilt quality (someone pointed about implementing poka-yoke), this would detect any potential errors and avoid them).

In a nutshell, if you are able to arrive at the CCR's, establish the indicators and invent methods to check them during the process itself without any additional manpower, time and cost.That point you can eliminate inspection.This is something which is a dream to most of the manufacturing companies.But then as you progress you shall bring a lot of changes.

 

YES ...QUALITY IS AN NON VALUE ADDED ACTIVITY..No doubt!!!

Yes, Inspection is a mostly a non-value added activity...

 

I said 'Mostly' because, there are processes that have zero inspection.. example: McDonalds... and it is a 'Non value added activity' because it does not provide any value to customer. What customer expects is a defect free quality product, and he doesn't mind if you are improving your processes to that level or if you are doing a sequential inspection to deliver a quality defect free product. As it is rightly mentioned, he doesn't want to pay extra for anything that does not add value to him...