Inspection Planning Improvement Framework Based on the PDCA Cycle

Inspection Planning (IP) is critical to assure product quality during the Manufacturing Stage. IP takes place mainly during the stage of Process Development and is considered an inflexible static output resulting from the initial plan. However, revisions can become necessary according to the manufacturing system’s dynamic situation. Therefore, a flexible IP is needed, which can be achieved through a Continuous Improvement (CI) approach. Although the advantages of feedback mechanisms are renowned, the design of quality control loops is not common in practice. Specifically, there has been no application of the PDCA cycle aimed at performance improvement of IP. This paper proposes an IP improvement framework based on the PDCA cycle. The framework is applied in a case study in which IP changes were driven by a Kaizen Event. This paper provides new empirical evidence and extends the body of knowledge related to the CI of IP, showing that companies can stabilize and even increase their inspection performance by implementing improvement actions through the proposed framework. The case study describes alterations related to which quality characteristics to inspect and whereby, while suggesting that changes in inspection extent are more likely to happen during the ramp-up phase. It concludes that companies need to create and maintain structures and processes that enable a quick, effective response to internal and external change drivers through a well-structured approach. This framework provides an organized and easily understood management approach for the effective improvement of IP.