July 31, 2024

The Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is a critical quality assurance gate, yet it is often marred by inefficiencies.

This article intertwines the narrative of a Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE) with the practical application of Lean principles to address the challenges of the seven wastes.

A story about the 7 wastes

Alex, a seasoned SQE (like you, maybe), found himself immersed in the complexities of the PPAP process. His journey began with the omnipresent issue of defects.

He remembered that a rejected PPAP is not merely a setback but a costly disruption to the supply chain. By implementing a standardized PPAP checklist, developed collaboratively with the customer, Alex could proactively address potential issues, aligning with the Lean concept of building quality in.

After that, the Lean principle of eliminating overproduction resonated with Alex as he juggled multiple PPAPs; “Producing excessive documentation for future projects is a waste of resources”, he said. With that in mind, a robust PPAP management system -prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance- became Alex’s tool to combat this waste, aligning with the Lean ideal of producing only what is needed, when it is needed.

Eventually, transportation -another Lean waste- manifested in the physical movement of documents. This was not the first time that this happened, as in more than one occasion, Alex found himself often chasing paper trails. He then seek for a centralized digital platform that could streamline the process, mirroring Lean’s emphasis on minimizing unnecessary movement.

Eventually, Wait Time appeared – this is a common culprit in operational inefficiency, and was also a familiar foe for Alex. But he knew he had to down breaking the PPAP into smaller, sequential steps, and leveraging parallel processing where feasible, accelerating the process and exemplifying Lean’s pull system approach.

Then came Inventory, that in the context of PPAPs, refers to excessive documentation. In his next steps, Alex discovered that a comprehensive review of PPAP requirements, coupled with effective change management, could significantly reduce this burden, aligning the with the principle of eliminating waste through inventory reduction.

In the mid time, Alex came up to notice Motion, the unnecessary movement of people or things, was being part of in-between his day to day, being mostly evident in his frequent travels required for PPAP-related issues. By embracing technology, such as video conferencing, Alex minimized travel while maintaining effective communication, embodying Lean’s focus on value-added activities.

Finally, overprocessing, performing non-value-added tasks, was a constant challenge to face. Alex realized that by standardizing processes, reusing existing data, and focusing on core value-added activities, he could significantly improve efficiency.

How are you facing these wastes in a daily basis?

With this storytelling fashion, we’ve shown how Alex’s journey underscores the powerful synergy between action and data-driven improvement. By viewing the PPAP process through the lens of Lean principles, SQEs can identify and eliminate waste, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving overall product quality – just as Alex did it.

Are you familiar with this story? Please share your thoughts.