5 Solutions for Common SPC Project Challenges

Statistical Process Control (SPC) can be a game changer for any manufacturer, but only if it’s an integral part of your company’s culture. Without the proper cultivation, SPC programs start and stop depending on employee turnover or commitment, which negatively affects the value the program can create within your organization. 

The success of any project takes proper planning and commitment. If you are considering implementing an SPC project in your organization, here are five ways to overcome common project challenges to ensure success.  

Stakeholder Buy-In  

Change is hard, even in the best circumstances. Now add a project that wasn’t expected or worse yet, a project that employees don't see as valuable, and you're already fighting an uphill battle. To improve employee engagement, communicate with stakeholders at all levels, including operators, engineers, and management, to ensure that everyone understands the scope of the project, the goals you're trying to reach, and most importantly, what’s in it for them.

Stakeholders at different levels have different objectives. For example, the operator is concerned with being given another task that complicates their daily functions. Instead, if you show an operator how this SPC program will make their jobs easier, they can become a champion that communicates that value to their team.

The Plant Manager, however, is likely more concerned about reaching production goals. Adjust your benefit statements to address their concerns by highlighting how an SPC program can reduce variation and increase production. 

Start with a Small-Scale, Results-Oriented Project 

Committing wholeheartedly and diving into a large-scale SPC program is tempting, but it's unfortunately often unsuccessful. Start with a small-scale project that is focused on results that can be measured. This approach ensures that SPC is a long-term program and not a one-hit wonder by:  

• Allowing trial and error to determine what works, and more importantly, what doesn't work
• Proving the value of the program with each success achieved
• Driving continuous improvement with experience from recent successes

Know the Problem & Solve It

When you choose your first SPC project, pick a known issue with an attainable solution. The costliest quality problem, for example, is a great place to start. It’s well known, and the impact of solving it would help solidify the value of the SPC program across your organization. These elements make it a great place to get started.   

Shine a Spotlight 

Your first project is a success – Congratulations! Now what? It would seem logical at this stage to rise and repeat – but before you do, there’s a vital step to ensure your continued success that you might not consider. You have to shine a spotlight on the win. The project needs to be documented including the who, the what, the why and the results. And once it’s documented it needs to be shared with all of the stakeholders and beyond. You know what you did, and those involved do too, but if SPC is going to be adopted across the organization, everyone needs to understand how you achieved what you did. 

Rinse & Repeat

Once you can successfully complete your first project and share it with stakeholders, it’s time to start at the beginning. Each success will build on the next, gaining momentum and creating a culture of continuous improvement, generating excitement, and helping to expand the program.  

Conclusion

Creating a successful SPC program takes careful planning and commitment. By getting stakeholder buy-in, starting with a small results-driven project that you know you can solve, sharing successes, and doing it all over again, you are able to overcome some of the biggest challenges project owners face.