In pursuing perfection, challenges can arise—deviations, inefficiencies, and lapses in compliance that threaten to undermine the essence of quality production. Enter the concept of Layered Process Audits (LPAs). A transformative approach that brings a new dimension to quality assurance in manufacturing.

What are LPAs?

Layered Process Audits are a quality enhancement technique utilized in manufacturing to ensure the integrity of the production process. Unlike traditional inspection methods focusing primarily on the final product, LPAs observe and validate manufacturing processes on the shop floor. Multiple layers of the organization conduct audits on a scheduled cadence with the goal of identifying deviations in the process that could lead to defects in the product.

Questions should examine the most sensitive process variables with simple Yes/No responses, with answers expanded to include observable evidence in the event of a non-conformance. Depending on an individual's area of authority, audits will occur at different frequencies and cover a part of the production process or an area of the facility.

This approach promotes cross-functional involvement, allowing employees, from frontline factory workers to top-level management, to participate. This diverse participation encourages objectivity, impartiality, and a fresh perspective on how processes function and how they can be improved.

Why are LPAs Important?

Layered Process Audits play a crucial role in the manufacturing industry by ensuring manufacturing processes' effectiveness, consistency, and compliance. These audits are vital for maintaining product quality, reducing defects, and enhancing overall operational efficiency.

By conducting audits at various organizational levels, from the shop floor to senior management, companies can identify potential areas of waste, inconsistencies, and improvement opportunities within their manufacturing processes. This proactive approach enables organizations to detect and rectify issues before they escalate into larger problems that could negatively impact product quality and customer satisfaction.

One of the key reasons LPAs are so important is their ability to drive continuous improvement. By systematically examining processes and identifying non-conformances or discrepancies, companies can implement corrective actions to streamline operations, reduce costs associated with defects and rework, and ensure that products consistently meet quality standards. Moreover, LPAs provide a tangible means of enforcing regulatory compliance, helping organizations adhere to quality standards such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 45001, and ISO 14001.

Furthermore, Layered Process Audits foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and collaboration across different departments within an organization. These audits encourage open communication between operators on the shop floor and top-level management, giving employees the opportunity to voice their concerns, suggestions, and insights.

How Digital Forms Can Help With Layered Process Audits

To streamline their LPA, organizations are increasingly using digital forms and checklists like those found in Poka. Going digital offers significant advantages over traditional pen-and-paper methods and helps optimize the audit process by facilitating streamlined completion at all organizational levels, improving audit evaluations through a scoring system, centralizing data for easy real-time analysis, as well as providing efficient digital recordkeeping.

Given the specific scope and objectives of Layered Process Audits, it's essential that the operations management in the areas where these audits are carried out takes full ownership of the process. Through Poka, managers can ensure:

Timeliness: Layered Process Audits can be scheduled and notifications can be sent to auditors.
Proper Designation: Audits can be assigned to dedicated locations or areas.
Results Tracking: Dashboards and reports make it easy to ensure audits are occurring on time and to identify trends in non-conformities.
Issue Resolution: Follow-up actions can be assigned and tracked.

With that being said, let’s dive into Poka’s different product features that can help you take your LPAs to the next level.

1. Digital Forms

Digital Forms play a crucial role in LPAs by providing a structured framework for auditors to document their observations and findings. Automated form scoring is beneficial during LPAs because it allows auditors to assign quantitative targets to individual checks. For example, audits scoring below 85% can be flagged for immediate review or even specific high-risk questions when they are submitted with a potential problem. Answers are given numerical values, and the digital form automatically calculates the final audit score to quickly and easily determine pass/fail rates. This scoring system allows organizations to identify areas that require improvement more precisely by highlighting consistently low-scoring items.

Deviations are inevitable in any process, and LPAs can be effectively managed using the Poka platform. When an auditor identifies a deviation from the established process during an audit, the system can automatically flag it accordingly. Depending on the responses provided by auditors, the form can also adapt accordingly. This feature streamlines the audit process by reducing unnecessary data collection, making audits more efficient and focused.

Furthermore, the ability to create an issue directly from a form enhances the problem-solving process. If a significant issue is identified during an audit, it can be escalated to become an actionable issue. Digital forms work in conjunction with Issues Management, which allows departments across the factory to work together to resolve problems. Audit findings ensure are identified, tracked, and managed until they are resolved, all within the same digital platform.

Digital forms can also be assigned to specific shifts, locations, or equipment, ensuring each worker knows precisely which form to complete. Consolidating all forms into a single application with tailored user assignments prevents confusion from handling multiple files and versions. Additionally, the ability to incorporate media such as images and videos provides invaluable context, allowing workers to visually document and communicate issues or observations. This visual component enhances the clarity of information and facilitates better understanding for other stakeholders.

2. Factory News Feed

Poka's Factory Feed significantly enhances the process of Layered Process Audits by acting as a centralized communication hub. It streamlines various critical aspects of the audit process, including breakthrough improvements, KPI mapping, action plans, shift handovers, and layered audits. By consolidating these elements within a single platform, the Factory Feed promotes efficient collaboration and information sharing among different stakeholders involved in the audits.

This centralized approach minimizes communication gaps, reduces redundancy, and ensures that all pertinent information is readily accessible to everyone. As a result, Layered Process Audits become more effective and comprehensive, leading to improved overall operational efficiency, better alignment with organizational goals, and a streamlined process for identifying and addressing issues at multiple levels of the production process.

3. Analytics & Dashboard Builder

The analytics and dashboard builder feature in Poka empowers organizations with advanced data visualization capabilities. Through visual representations of audit data, trends, and metrics, organizations gain deeper insights into the effectiveness of their LPAs. Patterns and anomalies become more apparent, facilitating informed decision-making.

Trend analysis becomes significantly more effective with the ability to analyze historical audit data. By identifying recurring issues over time, organizations can delve into root causes and implement proactive solutions. This contributes to a continuous improvement cycle that drives process excellence. Real-time insights provided by the analytics dashboards enable management to stay updated on ongoing LPAs and their outcomes. Immediate access to data allows for swift responses to emerging issues and better allocation of resources to address pressing concerns.

Moreover, the customization offered by the dashboard builder ensures that organizations tailor their dashboards to their specific LPA requirements. This way, the right stakeholders can access the most relevant information, promoting transparency and accountability in the audit process.

With annual IATF audits being a consistent requisite for companies, it becomes imperative to have a digital trail showcasing that the LPAs have been conducted and monitored and completed consistently. The analytics feature allows companies to have an aggregated view of all activities, ensuring that there's proof of diligence in maintaining quality standards. Beyond merely performing these audits, it's of paramount importance to demonstrate that the LPAs are being completed punctually and subjected to review. The dashboard builder, in this context, offers an organized, visual representation of all relevant data, making it straightforward for auditors to verify the company's compliance.

4. Skills - Video Work Instructions

Poka Skills facilitates the creation of video-based work instructions for LPAs. These video instructions provide step-by-step guidance to the people conducting the audits, ensuring consistent execution of the audit process. Visual instructions reduce the likelihood of errors and deviations, enhancing the overall quality of audits.

Standardized training is a critical aspect of LPAs, and video work instructions contribute to this by offering a uniform training experience. Regardless of an employee’s location, they can access the same set of instructions, ensuring that all auditors are aligned regarding procedures and criteria.

Wrapping it All Up

Through their systematic and collaborative nature, LPAs equip organizations to identify challenges early, enhance product quality, and cultivate a culture of vigilance. Incorporating technology into LPAs empowers organizations to enhance their entire auditing process, ensuring efficient data management, improved collaboration and compliance, and informed decision-making for sustained process excellence.

If you want to learn more about how Poka can help streamline your layered process audits, talk to one of our dedicated experts today!

How to Navigate and Master Layered Process Audits