Lean Manufacturing - Lean Systems, Quality and the Environment

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process throughout the company from accounting to packaging utilizes the quality procedures laid out in the quality plan to ensure company-wide compliance with all procedures. There is also a plan for quality inspection. Guidelines are established for percentages of product to sample. There are also guidelines to quarantine non-conforming product to ensure no non-conforming product leaves the plant. Suppliers who supply product to their floor; have to have all of their product checked by a governmental agency to ensure compliance to all quality standards. Corrective actions are utilized both internally and externally. If there is defective product produced in their facility; the product is immediately quarantined. Corrective actions are issued to break the problem down to discover the root cause of the defect. The corrective action is used to fix the root cause. If non-conforming product is delivered from a vendor; the corrective action process is used as well. The vendor is served a corrective action report. They then have to use that report to determine root cause. Once the root cause is determined; they must then develop an improvement plan to correct the root cause. This plan has to be submitted for approval. Dates for all improvements must be assigned, and follow up with the vendor is done for a set amount of time to determine if the corrective action has been taken and followed. All suppliers must be certified. Preferably ISO certified. However; if a vendor is not ISO certified; there is an audit process that can be done to achieve certification. The audit consists of verification of all standards and procedures. Financials are examined to ensure dealing with a viable company. All manufacturing, safety and quality procedures are examined to make sure procedures are in place and followed. Once the audit is processed, the vendor is determined to be certified. This certification may come with instructions of improvements that Boeing would like made. A time line must then be established and accomplished.

There are times when lean manufacturing may conflict with green manufacturing. For instance; for lean manufacturing; there is not excess inventory on the floor; only what is needed for production. This brings up environmental concerns due to transport. More fuel is utilized to bring in inventory on a JIT basis rather than one large delivery. When those conflicts arise; the issue must be broken down into its smallest parts and the best decision possible must be made.

Boeing is doing a great job implementing green, quality and lean principles. They began implementation in 2002; so they are ahead of the game. The fact that they continue to innovate and improve makes them very successful. The best thing that Boeing can do at this point in their process is to develop the biofuel they desire. This will impact the environment in a huge way. Especially since Boeing is willing to share best practices and innovations globally to effect environmental change.

References

Boeing. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.boeing.com/

Jenkins, M. (2002, August). Getting Lean. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2002/august/cover.html

Quality Assurance Program Plan. (2008, January). Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.boeing.com/assets/pdf/aboutus/environment/santa_susana/ents/mntrgrpts_100406_section15_part3of9.pdf