Driving Performance Towards Quality Right First Time A case study exploring the development and implementation of an RFT measurement tool

Abstract

Quality plays a crucial role in today’s competitive and rapidly evolving market, influencing an organisation’s market position and growth. To cut unwanted costs incurred from failures, rework, and other quality-related issues, working with quality and continuous improvements in a systematic way is necessary. Continuous improvement (CI) initiatives require support from accurate data to ensure efficient decision-making, highlighting the importance of establishing a reliable measurement system that can identify areas where a process is inefficient or does not meet desired standards. Measuring the proportion of Right First Time (RFT) is an instrumental part for facilitating the identification and prevention of quality gaps in a process. For global companies operating in highly regulated industries, improving performance and driving CI is considered particularly critical and complex. This thesis thus aims to explore how a measurement tool supportive of RFT can be developed to effectively assess process steps requiring quality control within a regulated process, thereby facilitating data-driven decision making to increase performance and reduce cost of rework. The study also examines key aspects to consider when implementing a measurement tool to encourage desired behaviours supportive of RFT, as well as for its implementation to reach its full potential. This thesis is a case study performed at a global development and production company within a highly regulated market. As a part of this case study, an RFT measurement tool has been designed and developed. Findings from this thesis demonstrate that for a measurement tool to be designed, developed and implemented successfully, it is necessary to consider both technical aspects, such as tool characteristics, and behavioural aspects, such as user acceptance and employee embracement. Furthermore, an RFT measurement tool should be capable of capturing both quantitative and qualitative data, facilitating identification of improvement opportunities and data-driven decision-making. To increase the chances of a successful implementation and utilisation, managers hold the responsibility of establishing supportive conditions for employee involvement and engagement. This study also proposes that effectively communicating the tool’s purpose, impact and benefits is essential for promoting employee engagement and raising awareness about the importance of doing things RFT, thereby fostering a quality culture.