8D report
An 8D report is a document that is exchanged between supplier and customer (but also internally) as part of quality management in the event of a complaint. 8D stands for the eight compulsory disciplines (process steps) that are required when processing a complaint in order to overcome the underlying problem. An 8D report is therefore part of the complaint management and is used for quality assurance at the supplier .
The type of complaint, responsibilities and measures to remedy the defect are laid down in the 8D report. The 8D report is standardized by the Association of the Automotive Industry , among others .
With the 8D method, similar to the Six Sigma method, a systematic approach and consistent documentation of the individual solution steps is achieved. The approach of both methodologies is fact-oriented and ensures that product defects are traced back to their causes and that these are permanently eliminated instead of just covering up symptoms .
The 8D method largely overlaps with the DMAIC core process in Six Sigma and, like this, can be used above all when the cause of a problem is unknown or needs to be proven and the solution to the problem goes beyond the knowledge of an individual, i.e. a Team (e.g. from different departments) is required. It is also often important that a time-consuming problem needs a quick fix.
Before the method is applied, it should be clarified whether this complex method is necessary. Smaller problems can often be solved more quickly using other methods.
The process
The 8D method can only work effectively if the 8D report documents the progress of the improvement efforts promptly and is used as a tool for processing complaints. Incorrectly, an 8D report is often only created after a complaint has been closed because the customer requests such a report. The method is sometimes used to find the cause of deviations / anomalies in technical processes. It should be noted that this is only possible if the process to be examined has also functioned (stably) once at a previous point in time.
The 8D process comprises the following eight steps:
D1 Assemble a team to solve problems
The members of the team should have sufficient process and product knowledge. They should also be willing to cooperate and have the necessary knowledge and skills to analyze the cause of the problem, initiate corrective measures and monitor their effectiveness.
D2 Description of the problem
The problem should be defined as precisely as possible, whereby the core of the problem should be identified and quantified .
D3 Define immediate measures
Immediate measures serve to limit the damage, should at least temporarily ensure the ability to deliver and prevent the further spread of the problem until a permanent solution has been found (e.g. segregation through sorting inspection or 100% inspection of suspect material).
D4 Determine the cause (s) of the error
The causes of errors are searched for and the most likely root cause (s) is identified and verified through experiments, tests and comparisons.
In order to ensure in the long term that similar errors do not occur again, the organizational level must also be considered in the course of the root cause analysis beyond the technical cause. To this end, it is advisable to use the three areas "Why did the error occur?", "Why was the error not discovered?" (Determine the point of penetration) and "Why was the error not prevented?"
Depending on the problem, various techniques can be used in D4 to determine the cause, for example the 5 Why method or Ishikawa diagram .
D5 Plan corrective actions
Measures are identified that can eliminate the root causes. The optimal measure (s) are selected and proven through tests that the problem can be solved effectively and efficiently and that no undesirable side effects will arise. When defining measures, the focus is on preventing errors and not detecting them.
D6 Implementation of corrective measures
The corrective actions can affect process parameters, product specifications and other specification documents as well as test methods and employee qualifications. After successful implementation of the corrective measure (s), the immediate measure (s) will be lifted.
For the automotive industry, it is stipulated that only process improvement measures are permitted as corrective measures in the sense of the 8D process. Personal measures such as admonitions, training courses or courses are not considered to improve processes.
D7 Prevent error repetition
It must be ensured through preventive measures that the same or similar errors can be excluded in the future. The effectiveness of the measures taken is - z. B. by increasing the test severity - monitored over a reasonable period. Manufacturers of products for the automotive and aviation industries are called upon to evaluate and assign the newly identified risks in the development and manufacturing process in the development and manufacturing process using the FMEA method - failure mode and effects analysis (failure mode and effects analysis) - (risk analysis) minimize. The quality management system with its established procedures and regulations may also have to be adapted to new requirements.
D8 Appreciating team performance
The joint effort is appreciated and experiences are exchanged.
Parallelism of the 8 disciplines to the Six Sigma core process DMAIC
The disciplines D1, D2 and D5 are at Six Sigma part of the D efinitionsprozesses wherein discipline 5 in addition to the fields D3 and D6 the connection to the improvement process, the Improve when DMA I C project manufactures. The discipline D4 would be part of the M dining or A nalyseprozesses, D7 corresponds to the C ontrol in Six Sigma core process, so the control of the process to exclude error repetitions. In DMAIC projects, too, there should be a corresponding appreciation at the end of each project, i.e. the eighth discipline according to the 8D report.
See also
literature
- Chris SP Visser (2017), 8D Problem solving explained - Turning operational failures into knowledge to drive your strategic and competitive advantages, ISBN 978-1-5430-0093-1