SQDC is visual management tool used at the production floors in manufacturing. It stands for Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost. This board depicts the metrics and the performance of the process against each of the elements of SQDC for each day.
Implementation steps:
1. Define Metrics
Metrics used for each SQDC elements are defined , few examples as below :
Safety |
Quality |
Delivery |
Cost |
| No near misses | RTY > 90% | 100% on time customer delivery | Warranty claims < 5% of sales last 3 months |
| No safety violations | Defects < 5 per day | Complete units/ day >10 | Rework < 5% of sales |
| No absentee due to injuries | DPMO < 50 | Scrap < 3% of the total cost |
2. A blank SQDC board is displayed at the beginning of the month.
3. Daily performance is measured against the metrics baseline and the day is marked Green for goal achieved and Red for goal not achieved.
4. Leader or the manager visits the SQDC board, after each production day, to check on the latest markings on the board.
5. Discussion is held and “genchi gembutsu : Go and see for yourself” is prioritized and performed for improvement, basis markings on the board.
Following are amongst the many benefits of using SQDC board :
1. Quick and easy understanding of the performance status.
Red and Green markings on the board on the daily performance leads to quick and easy understanding of information at a glance.
2. Ensure process running as per the designed flow.
The board leads to identify any deviations from the designed process flow. The deviations can be in the form of defects, breakdowns, non – compliance to steps etc. and can be depicted using tools like Pareto, bar chart, histogram.
3. Reduced miscommunication.
SQDC board enables to reach common level of understanding on the focused areas for improvements. It reduces miscommunications among managers and leaders on the gaps and priorities.
4. Increased attention to gaps and their closures
Deviations are identified and recorded as Red marks on the SQDC board. This pushes for immediate discovery of the causes and the action plans for their closure.
