By trade · Automotive
Lean Six Sigma in the automotive industry
Most of the tools in the field come from this sector, and it keeps the most demanding uses of them: a formal, traceable response to complaints, alert devices at the workstation, structured problem solving on several levels. The methods there are less improvement projects than a daily way of operating.
Tiered supply adds a constraint of its own: a defect found at the end customer travels back up the chain, and each tier must show not only that it has corrected it, but that its control system should have stopped it. That is what explains the weight given there to the twin analysis of occurrence and non-detection.
The tools illustrated by a case from this sector
4 entries reviewed in English — 4 entries in all on the French page.
Takt time
Takt time is the pace set by customer demand: the available time divided by the quantity to deliver over the same period.
Measurement and indicators · case: Automotive supply
FMEA — Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
FMEA methodically lists the possible failure modes of a product or a process, assesses their severity, frequency and detectability, and prioritises the actions to take before the failure occurs.
Problem solving · case: Automotive supply
Andon
The andon is the device that makes an anomaly visible the instant it occurs, and calls for help. It is not a warning light: it is an alert chain whose value lies in the response time.
Lean tools · case: Automotive assembly
A3 problem solving
The A3 method holds a complete line of reasoning — background, current situation, causes, countermeasures, plan, follow-up — on a single A3-size sheet, whose space constraint is the main tool.
Problem solving · case: Automotive parts supplier
Practise
The training corpus is not split by sector: the questions are about the tools, which are the same everywhere, and the certifications do not split their exams by sector either. To find your level, the shortest way is a fifteen-question quiz, no account needed:
The other trades: Lean Six Sigma by sector.