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70 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2024 be specific and detailed, including part num- ber, lot number, invoice, date received, and supporting evidence such as photographs and test results when available. e supplier will need this information to investigate the root cause and develop a corrective action plan. TQC and Six Sigma Tools For serious quality problems that generate scrap or rework, customers will insist that the supplier submit a written document describ- ing the investigation and corrective actions in a corrective action report (CAR). e doc- ument's purpose is to provide a record of the problem-solving and establish confidence that the supplier has successfully addressed the issue and that it will not recur. When selecting a problem-solving process, understand when you should and shouldn't use a structured problem-solving method: • Understand problem-solving methodology • Document and communicate progress during your problem-solving project TQC's PDCA process is Plan–Do–Check– Act. e Six-Sigma DMAIC Process is Define– Measure–Analyze–Improve–Control, and is a good place to start 1 . Familiar to many of you would be the General Scientific Method: • Define the question/make observations • Gather information and facts • Form hypothesis • Perform experiments and collect data • Analyze data • Interpret data and draw conclusions • Summarize results A common methodology used by many sup- pliers is the Eight Disciplines problem-solv- ing process (8D), a tool used to correct, iden- tify, and remove recurring issues that halt the production process (Table 1). e CAR, based on this process, is sometimes referred to as an 8D report. Another popular method- ology is the Toyota Practical Problem Solving (PPS), a seven-step process (Table 2). ese are described in detail in 24 Essential Skills for Engineers 1 . My favorite is the problem-solving method- ology taught by Kepner-Tregoe 2 . is rigorous three-day course has expanded the problem- solving processes into four areas: • Situation appraisal • Problem analysis • Decision analysis • Potential problem analysis (Figure 2) All these processes emphasize the need to understand why the issue is occurring under one set of circumstances but not another, and to consider more than one possible root cause. Regardless of which process is used, the cus- tomer should require a systematic approach to problem-solving at the supplier that avoids these pitfalls: • Problem poorly defined and characterized • Rapid convergence on a single root cause without considering others Table 2: Toyota Practical Problem Solving (PPS), a seven-step process 1 Table 1: Eight Disciplines (8D) 1