Quality Assurance in the Supply Chain

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Quality Assurance in the Supply Chain
https//katalysttech.com/
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A supply chain is only as strong as its weakest
link. If a product ultimately arrives in poor
condition, the consumer doesnt care where
something went wrongthey want to see it fixed.
Fortunately, a company that collects proper data
can determine problem areas, leading to reduced
errors, cost savings, and satisfied customers.
Mistakes Happen Errors are inevitable even in
the most efficient supply chains. Some invisible
or concealed mistakes, as well as difficulties in
the shipping process, will cause flawed products
to find their way into consumers hands. There
will always be a small percentage of damages that
slip through, says Tracy Warren, Manager of
Delivery PMO at Katalyst Technologies. The
goal should be to put the critical checks in
areas of the most risk, such as receiving,
picking, packing, and shipping.
Warren stresses open communication and
maintaining relationships with the entire chain.
The best way to fix problems is to take a step
back and review the entire warehouse process for
gaps where quality mistakes could be made, she
says. Talk to the associates. I cant stress
this enough. They hold the clues to improving
processes.
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Traceability Advances in data have made it
possible to track every step of the supply chain
logistics in remarkably precise detail. This
concept of traceability has become vital as
supply chains become increasingly complex.
Imagine a car manufacturer trying to pinpoint a
production flaw. The point in the past where
their analysis might have concluded is now just
the beginning. You build the entire story of
the creation of the vehicle, says Paul Bailo,
an executive of digital and data innovation and
adjunct professor at Columbia University and NYU.
Youre now able to go down to a minute detail of
really saying what the problem is. Many
companies used to investigate problems down to
just the physical level, perhaps putting the
blame towards a faulty bolt and ending it there.
However, that no longer needs to be the case. Now
an organization can determine where that bolt was
manufactured and at what stage in the process the
issue occurred. They can even track down the
exact employee who screwed in the bolt. More
Touches, More Problems For years, supply chain
managers have operated under the philosophy that
the fewer touches a product experiences, the
lower the risk of defects and errors. Ultimately,
the only way to improve a supply chain is to
shorten it. If you look at the data, the data
will identify all the real touch points, says
Bailo. You could identify the areas that arent
adding any valueany movement, any blink of the
eye that doesnt add value could be eliminated.
Examining even the smallest step that can be
reduced or eliminated will lead to a faster and
more efficient supply chain management. If you
have a process that has 10 steps to revolution,
then you get it to nine steps, and you get it to
eight steps. So utopian view, theres
ultimately no steps.
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Management consultant Dr. David Anderson promotes
the Rule of 10, which states that each stage in
the manufacturing process a mistake goes
undetected or unresolved results in a tenfold
cost increase over the previous steps. If a flaw
is dealt with immediately, costs are minimal if
it makes it through the next five stages,
accounting for parts, time, and labor, it will
cost 100,000 times as much.  In order to catch
mistakes as quickly as possible, you need a
dedicated and well-trained team. Hire the
right people, then train them for success, says
Warren. Accountability is also key. Embrace the
audit process, she says. Teaching your
associates to be on the lookout for quality
issues and explaining exactly what that means is
critical.  Katalyst Can Help  Customers demand
quality, and your organization cant afford to
make avoidable mistakes. Reach out to the experts
at Katalyst to keep your supply chain in
check.   Source Link - https//katalysttech.com/bl
og/quality-assurance-in-the-supply-chain/
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• Katalyst Technologies is a leading IT services
  and solutions company servicing clients in the
  manufacturing, wholesale distribution, life
  sciences, e-commerce, logistics, and retail
  sectors. We provide industry specific IT
  products, strategies and solutions for companies
  implementing large-scale and transformational
  projects. Our business and technology experts are
  highly-skilled and work seamlessly across
  multiple geographies, with a global footprint in
  the U.S, U.K, India, and Germany. We specialize
  in the areas of Digital e Commerce,
  Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain
  Management, Engineering and Manufacturing,
  Professional Services and e Publishing.

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