Ford Six Sigma QOS Quality Operating System

Ford, where quality is not typically job one (my wife's Windstar check engine light was on for a decade), is seeing some success from Six Sigma improvement methods that reduce variation. The company packages its methods into a management system, or QOS. The critical to quality (CTQ) variables are monitored to drive customer satisfaction. ...

... "Ford also provides assembly plant teams the necessary tools to deliver quality in the manufacturing process. For example, the company’s Quality Operating System (QOS) is critical for identifying and correcting problems within the manufacturing facilities. QOS is implemented in each plant by Variability Reduction Teams (VRT) – cross-functional groups of engineers, plant management and product specialists, including the company’s most skilled problem solvers who’ve been trained through Six Sigma. Each team is assigned to one of 12 vehicle subsystems crucial to customer satisfaction, such as paint or body interior, and examines every detail, looking for imperfections so slight that even the untrained eye, or ear, could not detect them. " ...

Via Ford: Warranty Repairs Costs Decline