Pipes And Puddles Framework: Risk Management In Manufacturing Processes To Reduce The Total Cost Of Quality

Abstract

Purpose: An open issue is the decentralization of standards to each process owner. Centralized standards are a common situation which puts a big amount of chore tasks against continual improvement. The Pipes and Puddles framework was born to solve this problem. Design/methodology/approach: Pipes and Puddles research has been conducted through goal-oriented business requirements engineering, and the model melts the Lean philosophy pillars, the PDCA Deming’s cycle for change management, and shapes the three pipes underlying each business process by risk analysis. Findings: Putting a clear difference among reactive and preventive problem-solving is the first observable change when adopting this framework, which drives to keep cost of poor quality permanently close to zero. Another important consequence of adopting this framework is that each process owner is responsible for continually improving their processes. Research limitations/implications: This research is still limited to a few empirical cases of use; the diffusion of its benefits and guidelines to its real implementation is an opportunity for a massive adoption. Practical implications: Pipes and Puddles framework brings to management a roadmap to foster the role of process owner, providing a decentralized approach towards risk management, to react to non-conformities and to implement effective channels for continual improvement. Social implications: The virtual elimination of cost of poor quality and the empowerment of all employees by having specific roles and regular channels to effectively act as problem-solvers, hence, as agents of continual improvement. Originality/value: The vision of each process in the firm as the interconnection of three pipes (sub-processes) is a novelty that completely solves common issues for all processes that are transversal to all others (risk management, non-conformant products, customer claims, change management, etc.).