Fish Bone Diagram Analysis to find the root causes of complaints the Dish Washer Company is receiving (Case Study Sample)

Student name: Student ID: Title of the paper: Course title: Submission date: Course instructor: Table of contents Executive summary. Research overview. Methods of Implementation. Findings. Recommendations. Conclusion. References. Executive summary This research is done in order to identify and rectify the complaints a dishwasher company is having that the quality of its products is decreasing and its dishwashers are not washing pots and utensils as they used to be. In order top restore the company’s name and its market value the research was done to find the main cause behind that problem and to find the ways to remove that problem as soon as possible. For that purpose, the researcher gained complete knowledge from a dishwashers raw materials, its assembling. Wiring procedure till its packaging and implemented QC tools such as pareto chart to find the root cause and its abundancy. All of this was made possible by adopting fish bone diagram technique as it assisted in gaining access towards all causes and then with the pareto chart and multi voting, main cause was focused which was negligence on behalf of a few workers, employees and QC officers was reported. DMAIC improvement cycle implementation then assisted in identifying as well as finding the ways to eradicate the problem in the minimum span of time and which methods will be beneficial to eradicate and reduce such complaints in the minimum time. Research overview A complaint is made regarding accompany that used to produce and sell very fine quality products in the past, but recently it is constantly receiving complaints that its products are not up to the mark as they used to be in the past and the most prominent among them all is the dishwasher. A dishwasher is a machine that washes the utensils and dishes automatically after they are placed in it by operator. It works by provision if mechanical action which equally distributes the solution and water over and around all the dishes. As the process of its manufacturing is long from production of its raw materials to its final sale to end consumers. Problem may arise at any step and it becomes the responsibility of the company to ascertain the fact that what kind of problem the consumers are facing and what could be done to prevent that in future so that it does not further ruin the reputation of the company and does not lead to any hazard to a customer (Understanding dishwashers | The American cleaning institute, n.d.). In order to find all such aspects that can cause problem at any stage this whole research is conducted. Here we have implemented procedure of fish bone method (from tail to head) to identify and analyze any problem that may arise at any step. In order to obtain better quality of products and to reduce such situations it lies the responsibility of an organization to have proper check on quality of its products. As the dishwasher follows long chain from its manufacturing to its sale then there is a high chance that error may occur at any stage due to any sort of negligence and quality parameters must be implemented and checked thoroughly at each stage. In order to gain complete knowledge about defect arising at any stage we reviewed all quality tests the company was undertaking and we also noticed the QC procedures going on in the company for overall process improvement of the dishwasher and finding the root cause of the problem which is required to be eradicated as soon as possible. Thus, the main objective of this study is to ascertain the knowledge about the fact that at which step the problems are arising and what we can do to prevent such errors. Also, we will discuss the recommendations to improve this process in detail and how such problems can be avoided and the ways to overall improve the quality of the product. Our research will thus help in evaluation of all the process such as production, processing functions, distribution or sale of the final product and errors arising at all these steps will then be monitored and rectified according to the requirements. Implementation of methods This dishwasher selling company is making dishwashers for a long time and have been delivering their products worldwide. For last two months it received complains and different issues from its customers. As the manufacturing of dishwasher is a long process beginning from raw materials production and collection, leading to proper shaping, insulation etc. and involving all welding and combining procedures followed by proper packaging and transferring to storage area and then sending to the retailer from where it reaches to the consumer, error may occur at any place due to anyone’s negligence. So, in order to find the root problem and the betterment of the supplies the researcher gathered the data of all departments involved in manufacturing to navigate the problem for its eradication. What are dishwashers? A brief overview A dishwasher is a machine that works by washing the dishes by allowing the flow of detergent and water over, around and under all utensils or dishes placed in it by the operator. Working principle of a dishwasher After introduction of water inside the appliance, spray arms begin to rotate and pre wash the dishes with spray. Internal heater then heats the water according to specified temperature followed by the release of detergent and that heated water by rotating arms around the dishwasher thus cleaning and washing all the debris around the dishes. The dirty water is then drained away and fresh water is added for rinsing purpose. Then this rinsed water is also drained and the dishes are dried using residual heat inside (America International, 2022). Figure 1: working principle of a dishwasher. Components of a dishwasher A dishwasher has following components: 1 Heating element. Located at the base, heated element is responsible for increasing the temperature of the air and water during the cyclic process. 2 Dispenser: This dispenses detergent and rinse aid upon storage before the cycle starts. It is located inside the door of dishwasher. It ensures the release at a proper time and it also requires cleaning from time to time. 3 Control pad: It is located at top or sometimes at front of the door. It helps in selection of cycles required for wash. 4 Racks: Dishwashers mostly have 2 to 3 racks upon which dishes are placed securely. Figure 2: Components of dishwasher 5 Silverware basket: Some dishwashers come with this basket which is easy to move and remove according to the items you have to place inside 6 Spray arms: There are two spray arms which activates when water from pump pushes itself through the arms. 7 Door latch: This keeps the dishwasher secure when the door is closed. After its closure, dishwasher starts its cycle. If there is a fault in door latch it can lead to leaking of the dishwasher. 8 Valve for water inlet: It is on inside of the dishwasher and open and closes to control the amount of water during the cycle. 9 Motor and circulation pump: Motor increases the pressure of the water whereas the circulatory pump force the water into the dishwasher tub. 10 Filtration: Filter is usually located in the corner or sometimes under the lowest rack. It protects the clogging due to large sized food particles. It serves the purpose of filtration. It also requires cleaning from time to time (Parts of a dishwasher: A quick reference guide, 2021). Lifecycle of a dishwasher Life cycle of adishwasher follows manufacturing of raw materials which are either of plastic or steel depending on the requirement, for its parts which are then transported to the suppliers which then send them to the factory or other dishwasher manufacturing facility. Then after manufacturing it is transported to packaging department where they are stored for required period of time and then sent to the retailer which then sells them for use to the consumers (Porras, 2019). lefttopFigure 3: Dishwashing cycle. Manufacturing of dishwasher Manufacturing of dishwasher involves the raw materials that are either made of plastic or steel depending upon their requirement. Its frame assembly is made of steel and also has steel door panel. This may also include stainless steel sheets which are brought from other manufacturers, and are then cut and designed inti required shape and sizes. The door and wrap around cabinets are also purchased. Some other parts are also made according to specifications provided by suppliers. Racks made of steel but comes to the manufacturing factory in coiled forms. Racks are coated with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or with nylon to prevent damage and scratching with dishes. Inner box is tub which is a sort of molded tub. This injection molding is done with plastic having high strength and its inertness. Its many other components are also injection molded such as basket and spray arms. Some other parts like motor, pumps are made by the help of sub-contractors. The manufacturing process of dishwasher involves two molds. Cavity relief mold and Core relief mold. They ae designed for shaping outside and inside of the tub. Both have previously shaped and upon combination makes the shape of a tub. Tools are held together of injection molding machine. Polypropylene pellets ae melted and then injected into the void. The high pressure then molds the plastic into all crevices inside the tool thus forming a tub which is still at high temperature. This is then transferred to a cooling area. Other plastic parts are also made with injection molding process. In another plant steel components are made. Outer cabins and doors are cut and shaped into steel from one-sided prefinished coils. Steel bars are sheared to the required length. Racks are also de burred, shaped by process of welding. Tines that help racks by supporting them are also welded at their required place. Racks are then cleaned and coated with PVC in order to prevent corrosion as well as sc...