Tailor-made solution

In order to achieve the desired high product quality, Huber+Suhner, manufacturer of components and system solutions for the electrical and optical transmission of data and energy, has been using the 8D methodology adopted from the automotive industry in all areas of the company for almost 20 years. On the one hand, this methodology covers the complaint and improvement processes within the globally active locations, and on the other hand, also those of the customers and suppliers. Each year, more than 9000 deviation reports are processed by over 400 users according to the 8D methodology.

The 8D Methodology
The 8D methodology achieves a systematic approach and consistent documentation of the individual solution steps. This ensures that product deviations can be traced back to their causes and permanently eliminated, and that improvement potential can be implemented.

An 8D report is a document and thus the result that is exchanged within the framework of quality management in the event of a deviation between supplier and customer (but also in the event of internal or external potential for improvement). "8D" stands for the eight disciplines that are required in the processing of a deviation in order to overcome the underlying problem and to eliminate the causes in the long term.

The term "8D" is derived from the 8 disciplines through which a complaint or defect is processed and includes the following areas:

D1 - Putting together a team to find a solution

D2 - Description of deviation

D3 - Determination of immediate measures

D4 - Determining the cause(s)

D5 - Plan measures to prevent

D6 - Introduce the measures to prevent

D7 - Preventing a repetition

D8 - Appreciation of team performance

The CATS solution
The existing software solution for processing deviations has been successfully used at Huber+Suhner for almost 20 years and has been continuously improved and expanded during this time to reflect internal needs. The surrounding systems have changed considerably over the last 12 years. Interfaces to these are not available or can only be implemented with great effort.

The possibilities of the new web technologies were not sufficiently used with the old solution and no longer met the requirements of the employees to optimally support the work of the QM specialists. The company therefore had to decide whether and how to replace this existing software.

Although Huber+Suhner uses the ERP system SAP, it was decided not to introduce its module for variance processing, but to replace the old software with more modern technology. The requirements on the part of Huber+Suhner regarding the various interfaces in the surrounding systems as well as the data warehouse made a relaunch of the software in the sense of a re-engineering more sensible. For this "reprogramming", an external specialist was consulted and found in BST Informatik GmbH in St. Gallen.

Individual solution instead of existing ERP modules
The decisive factor for the external award was the more than 20 years of experience of BST in individual software development as well as the existing experience with web technologies to realize the project. The agile approach of the project team with SCRUM allows for short-term adjustments to the project to accommodate new, previously unknown situations and requirements. Especially in re-engineering software projects this is a frequently encountered problem, which delays the project and makes it more expensive. Classic waterfall project processes are rather unsuitable project management approaches for re-engineering solutions. In addition, the CATS software solution was designed in such a way that it can also be used by other companies and can be freely adapted to other surrounding systems.

CATS: Corrective Action Tracking System
In 2016, with these premises, the CATS solution was completely redeveloped to meet the constantly changing requirements. The requirements of Huber+Suhner

• Continuously improving products, reducing scrap, becoming more cost-efficient - are optimally supported with CATS. The software solution includes some outstanding features.
• The CATS application is available as a web-based solution centrally for all locations worldwide. This reduces local maintenance costs, as only one installation needs to be maintained.
• By using the latest web technologies with HTML5 and JavaScript, the application can be operated intuitively and easily. This results in faster usability, less learning effort and an efficient workflow for QM managers.
• CATS maps the entire workflow for variance processing and can integrate external data sources (e.g. Word and PDF documents as well as images) per case. The case thus remains self-contained and its subsequent traceability is facilitated.
• A role concept guarantees that work steps can only be carried out by those persons who have the necessary authorisation. Clear competencies and task assignment thus facilitate the day-to-day work for those responsible.
• All information such as costs, work steps and throughput times are logged at any time, stored in a database and can be evaluated. The systematic collection allows a statistical evaluation to improve the individual company areas up to the product line.
• The application is used by more than 400 users. In addition to simple user guidance, the most important information on all cases is presented to the user on the start screen by means of a "dashboard". Open cases and delays are visible at a glance to enable immediate intervention.
• The concept of "Actions" is provided for processing according to the 8D methodology, which guarantees prompt completion of the required measures. Unnecessary delays can thus be avoided.
• In addition to the workflow, CATS offers a mail interface via which the users concerned are informed of newly received tasks and important status changes by means of an info mail. The involved parties thus benefit from a notification system that provides information when needed without permanently disturbing them.

Systematic QM allows entrepreneurial course setting
Huber+Suhner requires various coding systems for internal con trolling. For this purpose, a multi-level classification system was developed that is used throughout the company. CATS enables the integration of these multi-level classifications of cases by means of hierarchical coding for failure code, root cause and much more.

On the basis of this specific coding, comprehensive evaluations and selections can be carried out with exports in Excel. CATS allows in this way to establish new relationships between cases and to show the business relevance. Adjustments of the areas based on the collected data allow a perma-nent improvement in research, development, sales, production and logistics.

Flexible connection with peripheral systems
CATS can be flexibly integrated into existing environments thanks to open interface technology. At Huber+Suhner, data from the ERP system was integrated in order to map the correct product names, customers and suppliers into the cases. A corresponding export interface was provided for the existing data warehouse so that other software services of the company can access partial data of the cases. Finally, for users, reports were created in Excel for further processing and the required 8D final report is exported to a Word document.

The real benefit of CATS
For Huber+Suhner, the consistent digital recording of all internal and external deviations results in a secondary benefit that has only become apparent over time: The sheer volume of data and feedback has become a knowledge database for research and development. For example, difficulties with specific materials in the long-term behavior of products can already be taken into account in the development process of new products.

The company's products are constantly optimised in this way. Every CATS case ensures that the same deviation cannot occur again. Outstanding, globally used, technologically leading products are the result of a consistently implemented QM strategy and the evaluation of this data.