Reading instructions or not...

I find that most people these days do not like reading instructions.
It is much easier to try something on your own or just pick up the phone and call for help. Many times the help desk people at the other end of the line just read from the instructions/documents that came with the product or service you bought.

Whether it is online help for software or instructions for assembling products or using services, most people tend to rely on themselves or the phone rather than reading the instructions/documentation.

I have politely asked some folks that why they chose to ignore the instructions.
Some of the common responses I get to this question is..
- I didn't think of looking at the instructions
- Instructions are for dumb people
- I couldn't read beyond the first few lines on the first page
- Instructions are boring
- Trying on your own is exciting. It is even more exciting if the darn thing works!

The solution that works for me is simply assuming that instructions/documents are rarely read.

Why do people hate instructions/documentation?
Share your point of view - Comment on this post

The snowball effect

After spending years in the quality field, I find every problem starts small then gets bigger. Problems tend to have a snowball effect!

People tend to see only the bigger problems and choose to ignore the smaller problems. That is why when a quality problem first appears, some times quality personnel choose not to do anything about it. Well, this act of taking no action leads to a bigger problem that shows up downstream long after the initial problem was reported (snowball effect).
Now the problem is much bigger to handle and results in a crisis. Coming out of crisis takes longer with a larger price tag. Quality problems that cause warranty claims, product recalls, customer complaints, sorting, rework are costly and may cause poor reputation in the market. The real root cause of these problems may be well before they surfaced.
If these root causes were identified as soon as the problem was seen the first time,
they would get fixed much faster. Companies who choose not the take action on a problem now will have to face the problem on a larger scale later.

Judging capability of processes

Each time I go through the topic of process capability, I get a few interesting questions. Some of them are...
- What is the difference between Cp, Cpk?
- Why is Cpk of 1.33 critical? What does this value tell about my process?
- What index would apply for one sided tolerances?
- There are so many indices, which is the most appropriate index for my process?

For more information on capability indices, please read our White Paper Use of different capability indices.

Most customers today are demanding specific capability indices be reported with product shipped. Some suppliers wonder why this information is so important.

Customers want to know the suppliers process capability. Using the capability indices, customers can judge the capability of the process for producing parts that are consistently within specifications. This gives customers some confidence about the parts supplied.

Show me the money!

It is not uncommon to hear the phrase "Show me the money" from Senior management in today's tough economy. It may seem an unrealistic demand to some. But in most cases you have to come up with ways to save money. And tough times lead to creative ideas of doing so.
Simple things in everyday work routines can help save money.
1) Turning off the lights before leaving for the day
2) Shutting down computers we don't use
3) Working with electronic documents rather than printed copies
4) Request for accessories you really need, not what you want
5) Conserve in every possible place you can

Necessity is the mother of all invention. If you think hard, you will find ways to save. Toyota Motor company has used this fundamental principle for removing
waste. People at Toyota believe that every task can be performed
in a better way. There exists a better way...only I have to find it!

Keep it simple

Most quality practitioners with a few years of experience realize the power of the "Keep it simple stupid" or the KISS principle. This principle is specially useful during the launch of Quality programs. I have seen most managers recommending the use of this principle when rolling out a new program.
However, project champions who are driving the program launch often forget to follow the KISS principle. They get very close to the program and forget to visualize the big picture. This is when the manager or the program sponsor has to remind the champions of the KISS principle.

Track productivity losses

OEE or Overall Equipment Effectiveness is a lean metric that allows you to track the
loss of production due to equipment downtime. An equipment that is not running or is
producing defects or reworking parts already made causes losses on the plant floor.
Losses are due to...
- Poor Quality of parts made (defective parts that have to reworked or scrapped)
- Performance losses (Parts produced or time the equipment runs in a time period)
- Availability (time for which the equipment can run)

Tracking OEE allows floor personnel to determine loss of production due to equipment.
OEE also helps plan for maintenance - planned and preventive.
If used right OEE can guide toward better equipment maintenance.
This may help track tool wear and timely replacements may increase equipment life.
Use SYBEQ's OEE calculator to track OEE of your equipment.