Process Planning

Process planning needs to be in order to be successful and deploying the corporate goals and visions to departmental levels. Moreover, the methodology for creating a process focuses on the needs of the customers is the QFD matrix.

Approaches:

• The process-plan matrix links with the customer requirements to the process parameters (across the top).
• The process owners in consultation with customers and process fact holders will fill in this chart. Moreover, experiencing difficulty in filling the chart will indicate a need to develop process understanding.
• The chart allows for emphasis to be put on the areas where performance lags expectation by the greatest amount. For example, if ‘moisture < 0.5%’ is a key focus since it is a high priority and the process parameter that most affects the moisture content requirement is ‘temperature at the end’. This would be a key focus for improvement to move the process forward.
• By using this approach there is a formal recognition of the need to link goals to means and to robustly define the priorities for improvement within the process. This is a necessary precursor to establishing process stability and capability on key parameters, rather than wasting improvement effort on less relevant aspects of the process.

Steps in the Planning process

• Firstly, establishing goals or objectives.
• After that, establishing a planning site.
• Then, deciding the planning period.
• Developing supportive plans.
• Lastly, measuring and controlling the process.

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