Process Quality

Solumina provides a complete paperless system for the documentation, tracking and disposition of discrepancies- and for management of corrective actions, from root-cause analysis to effectiveness verification.

Deliver a quality product consistently and with confidence, fully leveraging the functionality in Solumina. Solumina provides functionality to monitor your processes and identify the areas where enhanced work instructions are needed the most.

Product Control

All data and documentation are tied to each unit identified by serial or lot number. Product genealogy includes installed and removed components and subassemblies, making it easy to determine where a certain component or material was used.

Process Control

Solumina^® provides process control that assures:

• Proper operator skill and current certification
• Proper tools with calibration dates
• Complete and latest process documentation
• Controlled change procedures for process instructions

Inspection and Test Plans

The inspection plan prescribes how to verify that the product is built or serviced to engineering specifications. Inspection plans are incorporated into work instructions and include the following elements:

• Inspection and test operations
• Data collection requirements with control limits
• Certified buyoff stamp requirements

Product Verification

Solumina's integrated system enforces the requirements of the inspection plan during process execution. Work order operations cannot be completed until all data collection requirements are fulfilled. Data points outside control limits are immediately highlighted for the operator. Inspection and test operations force verification points in the process sequence. Work is stopped until inspectors record their "stamp" of approval at specified buyoff points.

Discrepancies

Discrepancy records document defective or nonconforming product, components, or product specifications. Discrepancy history is tied to each production unit or production lot.

• Full Integration with Process Execution. Discrepancies can be initiated from inspection or buyoff points in the work order, and can also be initiated for incidents independent from the current operation or work order.
  
  
• Configurable Workflow. The disposition, review and approval workflow is configured to handle complex routing requirements for different types of discrepancies. Communications further complement the process, documenting review and discussion threads.
  
  
• Dispositioning. A unit's disposition can include instructions to rework, repair, or scrap the unit. Authoring and approval of supplemental or alternate work instructions are part of the dispositioning process. A defective installed component or subassembly can be fixed in place or removed. When a defective component is removed, its defect history stays with the component and its removal history stays with the unit.
  

Disposition Instructions

Disposition instructions include supplemental and alternate work instructions for units requiring rework or repair. Disposition instructions can be inserted in the same work order or handled in a supplemental work order.

• Authoring. Disposition instructions are authored with the same tools used to author the work plan instructions and alter the work order instructions- the Process Engineer uses one application for all his authoring needs and is able to copy from work plans, work orders or template repair instructions.
  
  
• Execution. When dispositioning is completed and approved, the disposition instructions are dispatched to the shop. Rework and repair jobs are highlighted in the dispatch list which includes planned and unplanned jobs. The operator executes rework and repair operations with the same screens and steps used for planned operations. Solumina also provides commands to easily navigate among the related discrepancies, supplemental work orders, and the original work order.

Corrective and Preventive Action

Solumina's closed-loop corrective and preventive action process manages requests, action items and verifications. Each corrective action is a project coordinated by a facilitator responsible for following up on action items until there is an agreement and commitment on resolutions.

• Requests. Corrective action can be requested from discrepancies or corrective action requests. Corrective action requests are created to track internally or externally initiated issues like recurring defects, or customer satisfaction concerns. Several requests can be linked to a single corrective action.
  
  
• Action Items. Action items track investigation, root-cause analysis, and resolution commitments. Action items are routed according to the workflow configured for different action item types. The recipient of an action item can spawn new action items. By the end of the root-cause analysis process, the tree of action items can include investigations and resolutions from several disciplines.
  
  
• Verifications. The corrective action process is not complete until implementation is verified and proven effective. Solumina allows scheduling of implementation verification tasks according to the commitment dates. Subsequent effectiveness verifications allow time to prove the success of the prescribed solutions

Repairing, Scrapping, Salvaging, Shelving

Scrapping or shelving a unit cancels all work activities on the unit. Shelved units, like scrapped units, are set aside incomplete. Rework orders can be created to complete or retrofit scrapped or shelved units. Salvage work orders are used to remove components or subassemblies from scrapped units.

Quality metrics

Quality issues impact the ability to meet schedule and cost objectives. Solumina provides reports and charts to view quality metrics and drill down into problem areas for more details.

• Six-Sigma and Defect Normalization. Solumina can produce Six-Sigma metrics normalizing defect data per defect opportunity

Product Recalls

If your product is subject to recalls or warranty issues, you can quickly query product genealogy information to determine exactly which products contain or used a suspect component or material.