Reduce waste. Reducing waste in a process always pays dividends. Waste takes many forms, time, material, transportation, verification, among others. Are your testing results telling you anything, and how are you using the information?
Reduce variation. Depending on your process, making small changes to improve quality can save a significant amount of money and time. Are you listening to the voice of the process?
SPC and trend analysis. A robust process should run without much intervention. Taking the proper measurement during and after the process can tell you a great deal about what’s going on within it. Are you taking the right diagnostic data and what are your data telling you?
Eliminate product defects. Rework is an extreme form of waste, not only does it waste time and labor but it can slow down or even shut down your process. A product that cannot be reworked wastes time, material, and disposal costs. Do you know your process capability?