The Challenge
Hiab is the world’s leading provider of on-road load handling equipment, intelligent services and smart and connected solutions.
With ambitious growth targets and an obsession for quality, Hiab understood how quality could be a differentiator in the market and a mechanism to unlock growth potential. And they brought us in to help ensure that quality.
How We Did It
We began by assessing the way quality was managed across the business, then implemented a programme to transform quality performance.
An insight phase saw us quantify existing quality issues and grow support for a programme of improvements. We collated and analysed Hiab’s quality data, interviewed internal and external stakeholders, carried out site visits and deep dived into different business areas.
During the improvement phase we created a ‘firewall’ to ensure only quality product left the factory, and three rapid improvement events were run with a focus on key quality issues.
A value chain assessment was also completed looking at the maturity of Hiab’s quality processes. This formed the basis for the evolution of a new quality function.
The next phase of improvement built on the momentum of the first, evolving the ‘firewall’ into a permanent quality plan for assembly.
The quality plan concept was then extended to true Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) covering design, supply chain, assembly and distribution partners. To ensure improvements were sustainable, an overarching quality strategy and set of quality principles were set out together with an organisation-wide approach to continuous improvement, with dashboards showing the customer, process, cost and improvement dimensions of quality.
The Outcome
- The client saw a 53% uplift in orders alongside a substantial profit increase.
- They enjoyed 18 consecutive months of falling warranty costs.
- Customer satisfaction rose to 90% and a reinvigorated and more engaged workforce was reported.
- They created 100+ opportunities for leaders to hear from stakeholders.
- Our work helped see Hiab awarded the 2018 International Quality Organisation of the Year by the Chartered Quality Institute