While it might seem like an insurmountable task to instill quality control into every aspect of your organization, the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) inspection plan will help you accomplish precisely that. The inspection plan is designed to be used by practitioners as part of a broader approach to managing quality, in order to achieve long-term success with minimum resources required.

The following information provides details of how this type of program works in practice so that you can implement its principles within your own company or institution.

Overview: what is a LSS inspection plan?

The LSS inspection plan is a tool that is used to measure the outputs of any given process for the basis of determining if those outputs are good or bad. When the process is followed, an organization can identify, analyze, and correct problems in order to improve its processes. The goal of the inspection plan is to find and fix any potential problems before they have an impact on the customer or create other issues for the company.

Typically used in conjunction with DMAIC, or Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control, the LSS inspection plan measures how well or poorly a process is performing and, then, determines what needs to be done to improve it. In order to create an inspection plan, you must first understand what your goal is and how you want to measure it. Once you have this figured out, all that’s left is finding ways to measure against those goals so that you can determine whether they were met.

3 Benefits of following an inspection plan

1. Avoid the risk of missing quality problems.

By creating a way to inspect quality issues frequently, you reduce the chances that there will be a lapse in safety or reliability.

2. Implement corrective actions without disrupting your production schedule.

This means you’ll reduce the risk of having to stop manufacturing and correct issues after products have already been shipped.

3. More efficient than other types of similar plans.

LSS inspection plans are more effective than other types of inspection plans because they take into account things like product characteristics, customer requirements, sample size, appropriate gages for measuring characteristics, and what kind of sampling plan would best fit your needs.

Why are inspection plans important to understand?

If you’re working on a Six Sigma project, the inspection plan is one of the most important parts of your project. It’s what tells you whether or not your process is working properly. Without it, you have no way of knowing whether or not your process is working well enough to be considered good or bad. It is also the easiest and most efficient way to check your actual progress or the outcome against previously set goals.

An industry example of inspection planning

There are a number of different ways to go about creating an inspection plan. The most important thing is to tailor the plan to the specific needs of the company or industry. For example, a company that manufactures electronic components will have a very different inspection plan than a company that sells food products. In general, however, most inspection plans will involve some combination of sampling, testing, and auditing.

Sampling is used to select a representative portion of the products or services being produced. Testing is then used to determine whether or not those products or services meet the required standards. Finally, auditing is used to verify that the inspection plan is actually being followed and that the results are being properly recorded.
The use of inspection plans is an essential part of quality control in many industries. By taking the time to create a tailored plan, companies can ensure that they are catching any potential problems before they cause dissatisfaction with the product or service, or even damage.

3 Best practices when thinking about inspection plans

1. Clearly identify one area of concern to address.

The inspection process should begin with an inspection plan that identifies an area of concern that can be anything from the strength of paper clips to the diameter of machine screws. The plan should be created before any process is analyzed so that it can be used as a guideline for the analysis. It should include everything from what needs to be inspected, how often, who will do it, and what tools are needed.

2. Have a clear plan to remove defects.

The inspector must develop a sampling plan to determine which products have defects so that they can be removed from circulation before being sold.

3. Correct the defect.

After the defect has been identified and rectified, instructions on how to correct it are included in Lean Six Sigma’s documentation system.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about inspection plans

Are inspection plans and control plans the same thing?

An inspection plan is a document that specifies the inspection procedures that will be used to ensure the quality of a product or service. A control plan is a document that specifies the controls that will be used to manage the quality of a product or service. Both inspection plans and control plans are important tools for quality management, but they are not the same thing.

Do I need both an inspection plan and a control plan?

There is no right answer to this question since it depends on the specific product and process under consideration. In general, an inspection plan is used to identify potential defects in a product, while a control plan is used to establish methods for preventing or correcting those defects.

If the product under consideration is simple and the process is well understood, then a control plan may be sufficient. However, if the product is complex or the process is not well understood, then an inspection plan may be necessary in addition to a control plan.

Who executes inspection plans, and how is that person selected?

There are a few different ways that an inspection plan can be carried out. The first is by having a designated person within the company who is responsible for conducting inspections. This person is usually chosen based on their experience and knowledge of the company’s products and processes.

The second way is to hire an outside company to carry out the inspections. This is often done when a company is looking to improve their quality control procedures.

The third way is to have a mixture of both internal and external inspectors. This is often done when a company is large and has many different products and processes.

Fast, cheap, and effective

Quality is of utmost importance to any business that wants to succeed, which is why inspection plans to uphold high standards of quality control are a must for any business. And while LSS has no shortage of tools on offer within its methodology, very few can be implemented in such little time, with little money, yet be just as effective, as the inspection plan.