Running head: E-PORTFOLIO WIZZYWATS ASSEMBLY LINE SCENARIO 1

E-Portfolio WizzyWats Assembly Line Scenario

Lisa Passerella
AET/550
June 23, 2014
Dr. Cynthia Jackson
E-PORTFOLIO WIZZYWATS ASSEMBLY LINE SCENARIO 2


E-Portfolio WizzyWats Assembly Line Scenario
Quality assurance is an essential element to any manufacturing facility. The WizzyWats
organization is experiencing great challenges in their production line and quality assurance
stations. A consultant was brought in to identify the underlying problem, however failed to
achieve the expected improvements. After further review, additional intervention is deemed
necessary to reach the organizations quality goals. Suggestions will be made to correct
employee performance issues. Interventions will be outlined and recommendations for
implementation will be made.
What factors could be included in this study that were overlooked by the consultant?
The consultant found the machinery and the speed of the line within acceptable
parameters. They also identified fatigue to be one of the primary issues. A new time study should
be conducted to encompass the assembly line speed at the beginning of a shift as well as the end
of a shift. Often, time studies fail to integrate the correct rate at which a person fatigues
depending on the specific task at hand. Jobs that require more physical exertion will fatigue at a
faster rate than those that are sedentary.
In addition to a new time study, station setup and employee movement should also be
considered. A work station that is ergonomically correct is more likely to fight fatigue than one
that is not. The old saying a place for everything and everything in its place has great value in
the efficiency and accuracy of quality control. The employees movements should also be taken
into consideration. Do they sit exclusively or does their position require standing and moving as
well? If an employee is distracted with their work environment, the employee will be more likely
to lose focus on the task at hand.
E-PORTFOLIO WIZZYWATS ASSEMBLY LINE SCENARIO 3


Training on what the organization considers acceptable in terms of quality should be
considered after discussion with the employees to gain their insight of the ongoing issues.
Employee involvement can identify factors that the consultant would not be aware of. Simply
asking those who perform the tasks regularly, what their idea of what the problem might be, can
shed light on invaluable information. According to O'Brien (1995) The focus on process
improvement on which quality management depends may have an important levelling function,
since it is necessarily based on inputs from all those who work on the process. (pp. 110 - 120).
The employees ability to participate in the problem solving stage creates awareness, ownership,
and a sense of pride in their skills and job knowledge.
Select a solution and decide which level of intervention seems most appropriate for
implementing your solution
The most viable solution for this scenario would be to combine employee involvement
with ergonomic improvements. This solution will require a non-instructional intervention.
Ergonomic interventions, focused on the relationship between people, their occupations,
equipment, and environment attempt to decrease physical and mental stressors while increasing
comfort, safety, and the workers ability to think ("HPT Toolkit," 2014). Unidentified
ergonomic stressors are most likely the reason the assembly line has not shown improvements.
Discussing the issues with the employees will pave the way for a successful ergonomic
intervention. The employee feedback will bring insight to how and where they require their tools
within their workspace. The intervention must be completed with the cooperation of the staff to
insure ownership and accountability.


E-PORTFOLIO WIZZYWATS ASSEMBLY LINE SCENARIO 4


State the reasons for your selection and describe what that intervention might look like
This intervention will encompass the missing elements from the initial consultation.
Providing a comfortable chair is not enough if the employee cannot reach the assembly line to
properly inspect the components. Proper ergonomics requires chairs to be at the appropriate
height to position the employee in the proper location to easily access their work space. When
employees are uncomfortable, productivity declines. An ergonomic work environment will
greatly benefit employees by making them more comfortable. It will also benefit the organization
by making the employees more productive. According to Carter (2010) Research shows that
companies with high employee engagement substantially outperform those with low engagement
on a range of financial performance measures. (pp. 14-17).
The intervention will include the following tasks;
Set Goals
Redefine the quality goals to be met
Set measurable goals for performance improvement and environment
improvement
Analyze Performance Issues
Interview each employee to identify their concerns and suggestions for
improvement
Review each work station to identify what tools are necessary and what can be
eliminated
Design Intervention
Create a plan to upgrade each employees work station
E-PORTFOLIO WIZZYWATS ASSEMBLY LINE SCENARIO 5


Create a plan to implement the changes and incorporate the employees
participation
Implement Intervention
Each tool must be placed in the appropriate position to insure that it is readily
available when the employee needs it
Employee training for ergonomically correct positioning of the of the
equipment and their body within the work environment
Sustain
Create a schedule to verify the ergonomically correct methods and processes
are being used
Follow-up with the employees to identify their satisfaction level with the new
changes
Continuous assessment and improvement
How would you evaluate your intervention to know that you were successful?
Evaluation of the intervention is equally important as the intervention itself. Without
meaningful evaluation of the changes made, the intervention may only be temporarily successful.
Evaluation and follow through with continuous improvement will insure long term success of the
intervention. According to Pershing (2006), Despite the fact that most HPT practitioners are
highly skilled in analysis, this phase begs for careful and thoughtful evaluation, since this
analysis forms the foundation on which all of the HPT methods and tools needed will be built; if
the analysis is flawed, the initiative has little to no chance for success. (Chapter 13). This is why
evaluation is an important final step in the process.
E-PORTFOLIO WIZZYWATS ASSEMBLY LINE SCENARIO 6


To complete the final stage of the intervention, the evaluation, several steps will be taken
to verify the interventions success. Employee satisfaction surveys will be conducted to identify
overall satisfaction with the implemented changes. Employees will be interviewed to gain better
insight of what changes were the most effective and why, and if additional changes need to be
made. Assembly line statistics will be charted and analyzed to measure the number of defective
components against prior performance. Frequent observation of the production floor and work
stations will be conducted to insure the changes are being maintained and bad habits have not
intruded back into the work environment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the WizzyWats organization was experiencing an unusually high defective
component rate in their assembly line. A consultant was brought in to identify the underlying
problem but failed to improve the defective rate. After further analysis and review, suggestions
have been made to identify additional factors that may be affecting performance. The most
viable solution was identified and intervention plan was recommended. Upon completion of the
intervention, a plan for evaluation has been recommended to insure the success of the
intervention. The WizzyWats assembly line is expected to see significant improvements through
this intervention plan.






E-PORTFOLIO WIZZYWATS ASSEMBLY LINE SCENARIO 7


References
Carter, R. (2010). Training and Development in Australia. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/208559760?pq-
origsite=summon.
HPT Toolkit. (2014). Retrieved from http://debwagner.info/hpttoolkit/noninstr_hpt.htm
O'Brien, R. C. (1995). Employee involvement in performance improvement: a consideration of
tacit knowledge, commitment and trust. Retrieved from
http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/journals.htm?articleid=87958
0.
Pershing, J. A. (2006). Handbook of Human Performance Technology: Principles, Practices,
and Potential (3rd ed.). Retrieved from
https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/OSIRIS:46863024/context/co/
view/activityDetails/activity/1c1bee58-0dcd-4e96-ac21-bcffb41a4667/expanded/False.