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Horizontal Deployment at INX


When we first started deploying TPM in pursuit of the JIPM TPM Excellence Award, our Sensei introduced us to a new improvement route called the “QC Story.”  This tool was not new, but it was unknown to any of our personnel in the USA. Prior to this, we used various improvement routes, including:


·        A3 Thinking → Visual management + leadership alignment

·        DMAIC (Six Sigma) → Statistical rigor, variation reduction

·        PDCA Cycle → Foundational iterative learning loop (embedded in all)

·        Kaizen Events (Blitz) → Short-term focused improvements (3–5 days)


In our case, we had multiple production sites with the same equipment producing similar items. We identified an additional step and added it to our version of the QC story: horizontal deployment (Yokoten in Japanese), the process of systematically applying proven improvements, corrective actions, and best practices across similar equipment, products, or processes throughout the organization.


The QC story steps are like A3 thinking and Kaizen events.

  1. Theme selection or project title

    1. AA of BB of CC: ie 90% reduction OF scrap OF lid closure lines

  2. Current situation analysis, reason for the project. Prioritize projects based on the Cost Loss Matrix for the location.

  3. Target setting and schedule. Try to make the target zero

  4. Root cause analysis and understanding the current situation. Drill down by conducting a factor analysis to reach a “root cause”.

  5. Countermeasure plans to experiment. Consider the “four principles of KAIZEN, that is, ECRS (Eliminate, Combine, Rearrange, and Simplify)

  6. Implementation – carefully experiment and measure impacts

  7. Check results – measure impact and compare to expectations

  8. Standardization – Document changes needed, and ensure a process to continue verification for several months to “hold the gains”.

  9. Horizontal Deployment (additional step)


By adding the Horizontal deployment step, we were able to quickly take advantage of significant improvements made by one team in many areas and other locations, thus expanding the rates of improvement in:

  • Knowledge Transfer of lessons learned

  • Loss Prevention by impacting many operations on one project

  • Special recognition to the initial team

  • Standardization with documentation for many locations

  • OEE Enhancement


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