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Dr. Shigeo Shingo
Our "Guru of the Month" is Dr. Shigeo Shingo.
Dr. Shingo was one of the greatest
influences in Japanese quality control.
Shigeo Shingo, along with Deming and Juran,
believed that the application of zero defects by good engineering
and process investigation instead of the American and Western
philosophy of slogans and exhortations. Shingo believed that results
of improvements should be displayed and announced and not the
display of defect statistics, which were demoralizing. Poka-Yoke
Techniques to Correct Defects + Source Inspection to Prevent Defects
= Zero Quality Control. This equation is the essence of the Zero
Quality Control Concepts.
Dr. Shingo’s first of many accomplishments
occurred in 1930. He introduced scientific management to the Taipei
Railway Company. By implementing the scientific management system,
he was able to reduce operation costs. In 1951, Shingo discovered
the concept of "statistical quality control." By investigating
around 300 companies, he was able to gain a greater understanding of
the subject. By 1959, Dr. Shingo was already known as an
"engineering genius." By not only focusing on management, but also
production, he established himself as an extremely reputable
Industrial engineer. Between 1956 and 1958, Shingo was able to
reduce the four (4) month set-up time of a super tanker to two (2)
months, setting a record.
I n the 1960’s,
Shingo’s major contribution to Quality Control by the development of
the Poka-Yoke (a mistake-proofing mechanism) and source inspection
systems while working as an industrial engineer at The Toyota Motor
Corporation. As the gradual development of these developed, Shingo
had a realization that statistical quality control would not reduce
defects to zero automatically.
I n the 1970’s,
Dr. Shingo developed a concept called "Single Minute Exchange of
Dies." The integration of this concept significantly reduced
operating costs.
Using his teachings and concepts of Just In Time
(JIT), Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) and Zero Quality
Control, many manufacturing companies have realized greater profits.
According to the American Production and
Inventory Control Society (APICS), JIT can be defined as, "A
philosophy of manufacturing based on planned elimination of all
waste and continuous improvement of productivity. It encompasses the
successful execution of all manufacturing activities required to
produce a final product, from design engineering to delivery and
including all stages of conversion from raw material onward. The
primary elements include having only the required inventory when
needed; to improve quality to zero defects; to reduce lead time by
reducing set-up times, queue lengths and lot sizes; to incrementally
revise the operations themselves; and to accomplish these things at
minimum cost."
The concept of SMED is to reduce the set-up time
of dies, which results directly in smaller batch sizes for parts.
With the smaller batch sizes, there are lower costs associated with
work in inventory storage. SMED results in higher productivity and
fast engineering design changes with little cost.
By using the ideal scenario of Zero Quality
Control, quality improvements can be made. By implementing
mistake-proofing devices, Shingo would eliminate any possibility of
a defect. Also, by targeting the initial cause of the defect, the
need for statistical process control would be eliminated.
Dr. Shigeo Shingo’s teachings and concepts have
formed the background for efficient engineering practices. He
enabled a better way of life for operators and corporations. In
1988, Utah State University founded the Shingo prize in his honor.
This prize recognizes world-class manufacturing.
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