Many people face daily challenges such as quality, cost, and delivery deadlines.
In particular, delivery delays due to unexpected problems, the concentration of workloads on specific processes or personnel, and the personalization of know-how that relies on many years of experience are major factors that hinder productivity improvement.
To overcome these situations, proper “process control” is necessary.
In this article, we will explain the basic concept and purpose of process control, as well as common problems and solutions that are encountered in the field.
The term “process control” is used daily in production sites, but there are probably few opportunities to delve deeply into the exact meaning and importance of process control.
Here, we will explain in detail everything from basic knowledge of process control to the tasks and the differences.
Definition and Purpose of Process Control
Process control is the activity of planning, executing, managing, and adjusting the entire production process of a product in order to efficiently produce products that meet quality standards by the specified delivery date. Its main objectives can be summarized as follows:
Stable supply of quality
Maintaining consistent product quality and minimizing the risk of defective products.
In order to eliminate quality variations and provide customers with products of consistent quality, it is necessary to clarify quality standards for each process and strictly manage them.
Minimizing costs
It is to minimize production costs. We aim to reduce manufacturing costs and maximize profits by reducing unnecessary inventory, shortening waiting time, and improving equipment utilization rates.
Strict adherence to delivery deadlines
It means strictly adhering to the delivery date promised to the customer. By producing according to plan, we can prevent delivery delays and gain the trust of customers.
The above three elements are called “QCD (Quality, Cost, Delivery)” and are the three most important elements to consider when improving business operations.
Process control tasks and management items
The scope of work involved in process control is wide-ranging, but can be categorized into the following areas:
Production planning
Based on production targets, we create specific plans that include when, what, and how much to produce, as well as how to allocate the necessary personnel, equipment, materials, etc.
Managing and monitoring progress
It constantly monitors whether production is proceeding according to plan, checking for delays or problems. It also manages and adjusts whether products meet quality standards at each process, and whether optimal personnel allocation and equipment utilization are being implemented.
Response and improvement when problems occur
If an unexpected problem occurs, it will quickly identify the cause and take measures to resolve it. It will also work to improve the entire process to prevent the problem from recurring.
Information sharing and collaboration
It closely shares the status of the production site with relevant parties (sales, quality control, etc.) to strengthen cooperation. Cooperation with the sales department is particularly important in providing accurate delivery date information to customers and responding to urgent orders.
The difference between process control and production control
The difference between process control and production control is in scope and focus.
In short, while production controls the entire production process from a broad perspective, such as “what to make, how much, and by when,” process control delves deeply into the specific manufacturing process, such as “how to make it,” and pursues efficiency at the on-site level.
Scope | Purpose | Example | |
Process control | Each stage of the manufacturing process, on-site processes | Optimization of individual processes, improvement of quality, and reduction of lead time | Improving work on specific assembly lines and identifying causes when defective products occur |
Production control | Overall production activities, from order receipt to shipment | Meeting customer demands, increasing profitability and achieving corporate goals | Adjusting the overall schedule and ordering raw materials to achieve this month’s production target |
Many people face various challenges in their daily work. Here we will explain some of the most common challenges in process control and how to solve them.
Problems that tend to occur in process control
Lack of transparency regarding progress
Many workplaces face situations such as “I don’t know which product is currently in which process and how long it will take to complete,” or “I cannot immediately answer when asked about the progress of a specific product.” This is especially common when relying on paper slips or manual entry management in Excel.
If information is not updated in real time or shared between departments, the overall progress becomes unclear, making it difficult to give accurate delivery date responses or detect problems early.
Burden on specific processes and personnel
If there are situations where “that process always seems busy” or “there are tasks that only certain veteran workers can do,” this can cause problems. Concentrating work on experienced staff or specific equipment increases the likelihood of overall productivity declining. It also increases the risk of staff leaving the company due to accumulated fatigue and a decline in motivation, so concentrating work on specific employees is something you want to avoid.
Responding to sudden and unexpected problems
Unforeseen problems occur on a daily basis at production sites, such as equipment breakdowns, delayed material delivery, defective products, sudden order changes, etc. If these unexpected problems cannot be dealt with quickly and accurately, production plans can be severely disrupted, resulting in delivery delays and cost overruns.
To resolve the problem
Early detection of problems is crucial
It is important to respond quickly before problems become serious, and to do so, it is essential to have a system that can grasp the status of each process in real time.
For example, if an abnormal rise in temperature in equipment is a sign of trouble, using a tool such as Temperature Labels can make it possible to visually detect the abnormality early on.
The necessity to “visualize” progress
When managing on paper or Excel, information is not updated in real time, making it difficult to grasp the latest situation. By “visualizing” progress, anyone can grasp the overall production flow and the status of each individual task at any time.
This makes it possible to quickly identify processes where delays are occurring or personnel with concentrated workloads, and take the necessary measures.
A system for recording and storing processes
If know-how about work procedures and quality is reliant on individual experience, there is a high risk that it will be lost when personnel are transferred or leave the company. Also, if past trouble cases and their solutions are not shared, the same problems may occur repeatedly.
These problems can be solved by establishing a system that can record and accumulate processes. By creating standard operating procedures (SOP), digitizing daily work reports and quality records, and creating a database of trouble reports, it is possible to promote the sharing of know-how and improve the knowledge level of the entire organization.
This article has explained the basics of process control, as well as its purpose, benefits, and methods. In increasingly complex production sites, proper process control is necessary to optimize quality, cost, and delivery time.
For companies that want to implement thorough quality control, we offer Temperature Labels . They are used in workplaces that require precise temperature control, such as maintaining the appropriate temperature during heat treatment processes, temperature control during transportation, and early detection of abnormal heating in equipment.
If you would like to visualize your temperature control and aim to improve the efficiency of your process control and quality, please see the link below.