Plant Services - July 2008 - (Page 44)

A step-by-step approach identiﬁes ﬂoor problems, causes and eﬀective solutions By Tara W. Crowley he word quality often is misunderstood by many people, regardless of profession, education, geographical location or marketplace. is includes the industrial marketplace as it relates to plant ﬂoor problems. e question of quality is best approached using some of the common deﬁnitions that literature on this subject has oﬀered. As referenced in Wikipedia, the most progressive view of quality is deﬁned entirely by the end user’s evaluation of the entire customer experience. at’s the aggregate of touch points customers have with a company’s product and services, and is, by deﬁnition, a combination of these. Another question is how to achieve it. Flooring product manufacturers achieve quality by adherence to a standard such as ISO 9001:2000. e International Organization for Standardization developed it so companies can compete in a global marketplace using identical quality requirements. Manufacturers should seek a quality-management system (QMS) certiﬁed to the ISO 9001:2000 standard. ey do this to better fulﬁ ll customers’ quality requirements and meet applicable regulatory requirements, while enhancing customer satisfaction and achieving continuous improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives. T ese manufacturers typically provide a trained installer and follow-up to verify installation eﬀectiveness. Manufacturers have the in-depth knowledge of the problem identiﬁcation and root-cause analysis process that comes from training and experience in meeting their QMS requirements. Your supplier’s purpose in using a quality approach is to help you address problem causes and potential problems while removing knee-jerk reactions and unjustiﬁed assumptions. A quality approach (also known as “Corrective and Preventive Action” in the ISO standard), typically involves seven steps you should be looking for and be able to identify: 1. Problem identiﬁcation 2. Immediate action 3. Interim action 4. Root cause identiﬁcation 5. Solution implementation 6. Follow-up veriﬁcation 7. Preventive action Problem identiﬁcation On the plant ﬂoor e ISO 9001 standard is of signiﬁcant help in applying a quality approach to an existing ﬂoor problem. Specify 9001 or a similar quality standard when choosing companies that will be addressing your ﬂooring problem. ey should show demonstrable proof that they’re focused on the standard, not just on some glib, loosely deﬁned deﬁnition of quality. Understand exactly whose customer you are. End users often rely on contractors to resolve problems and might unknowingly remove themselves from the manufacturer’s customer-satisfaction process. Contractors lacking a QMS might be unable to provide a quality approach to problems when the manufacturer isn’t directly involved in the project. Manufacturers with an established QMS shepherd end users through a quality process that helps them recognize, dissect, prioritize and identify the actual ﬂoor problem. 44 e manufacturer should help you prioritize ﬂoor problems, which are multidimensional and based on certain criteria: • Impact: e seriousness of the current situation – its eﬀect on your goals. • Urgency: Health or safety threats; deadlines (legal, regulatory, contractual); complaints, returns, reputation or market share; costs (corrections, adjustments, rework). • Trends: e consequence of leaving it alone – probability of remaining stable, getting worse or becoming recurrent. Some ﬂoor problems occur during design and construction where chemical and physical abuses often are overlooked. A few years later, the following problems of an unprotected or insuﬃciently protected concrete ﬂoor might then arise: • Physical destruction: Impact from falling drums, power trucking, wheeled traﬃc, heavy loads, fork lifts. • Chemical attack: Spillage, bacterial build-up, leakage, penetration and thermal shock. • Worker safety: Unevenness (defects, holes, depressions) and slippery surfaces (hot oil, grease, continuously wet). J .PLANTSERVICES. http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

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Plant Services - July 2008 Contents From the Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner Asset Manager Technology Toolbox Cover Story Compressors Power Transmission Flooring Web Hunter In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Energy Expert

Plant Services - July 2008

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