REFOCUS: QUIETLY PADDING IT OUT IN SOLIHULL'S FINAL ASSEMBLY 1

In Solihull’s FA1 Zone 2, the headliners team have been making some quiet improvements and reducing the number of vehicles being diverted due to squeak and rattles.

Zone 2 Group Leader, Steve Ellis-Thomas and the team have been making some simple but super effective improvements to their toolboxes – having a positive impact on quality.

Steve explained, “Recently, our toolboxes have been breaking becoming a big bugbear for a lot of us. When we heard about Refocus we wanted to understand how we could make some quality improvements to help the business.”

It’s been a simple fix, and with the help of Jack Kempson and Mark Bradshaw, Steve and the team has taken their toolboxes to another level. 

Steve continued, “Associates take their toolboxes into the car when completing processes. With fasteners sticking out awaiting parts, they can crack your toolbox if placed upon. What we were finding is if your toolbox cracks, nuts, and bolts can fall out unnoticed. This then works through to squeak and rattle, diverting the car.”

After finding some spare padding, Steve produced a prototype toolbox. 

“We made up a new toolbox with some cheap padding which adds an extra layer of protection to stop bolts falling out. We also added some magnetic plates to keep our fasteners on and stop them rattling around.”

Since making these simple improvements Steve and the team in Zone 2 have seen their quality levels improve and less squeak and rattles being found. Amazing!

We asked Steve why quality is so important to him? “Buying a Range Rover is someone’s dream coming true. If you’ve worked your whole life to buy one of our vehicles, you’d want it to be perfect. We need to make everything we do perfect for our customers.”

How could you make simple but effective quality improvements in your area? Email your ideas to Solihull@jlr-colleaguecommunications.com

 

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