The Psychology of Quality and More

A Toolbook for Quality Improvement and Problem Solving (contents)

Check Sheet: Examples

The Quality Toolbook > Check Sheet > Examples

When to use it | How to understand it | Example | How to use it | Practical variations

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Example

The paint bay team in a car manufacturer had the objective of discovering and removing the main causes of paint blemishes in doors. To achieve this, they concluded that they needed to determine the number and location of each type of blemish. They also defined the process to capture data on one form for each paint lot. They used a combination of a Defective Item Check Sheet and a Location Plot, as below.

Paint bubbles were the most common problem, and were investigated first. The grouping led the team to investigate the paint programming, where it was discovered that the paint robot was hesitating at corners. Reprogramming the robot significantly reduced the number of errors. Further analysis found that varying paint viscosity was causing runs.

Other examples

• A customer response group use a Check Sheet to track the time band during the day when each customer calls. They then ensure that there are enough people available to cope with the heavy load periods. This reduces fatigue and increases customer satisfaction.
• A drinks retailer has a Check Sheet to log the types of purchase made, and changes her stock and displays to expand the range in the more popular types of wine. The result is a measurable increase in turnover.
• A garage uses a Checklist to ensure all service points are completed. The engineer then signs it and gives a copy to the customer as an assurance. This significantly reduces service omission errors.

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