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4 MS
4 MS
This can be hard to accept when a company has invested significant time and money in more complex tools and
highly skilled specialists, yet we still find it to be true.
One such tool is the 4Ms of manufacturing, and most organizations we work with are familiar with the concept to
some degree. Whether they know it as the 4Ms, the 5Ms, the 6Ms, Cause and Effect analysis, Fishbone diagram or
Ishikawa, the basic definition is there.
What is often a surprise to many people is how powerful this simple approach can be in solving operational
problems by identification and eradication of the root cause(s) by those associates closest to the issues when
and where they occur.
The 4Ms
Over time, additional M’s have sometimes been added to the traditional 4Ms. Whether to direct more industry
specific thinking, to demonstrate evolution or improvement of the tool, or to simply make it more complex as
part of rebranding. However, the big 4 are still the same:
o Do our associates have the skill (and the will) to do what is expected of them safely, consistently and
effectively?
Machine (Equipment)
o Are our machines capable of safe and reliable output at the desired quality and rate? Do breakdowns,
o Do we have standard work methods in place which ensure and support consistent, safe production?
o Do they meet the required specifications – are there no defects and shortages? Is excess handling or
4M thinking finds a place in all of our Total Performance Maintenance pillars to some extent but is most widely
used as a root cause analysis mechanism. The structure it brings in identifying sources of variation, root causes
of problems or improvement opportunities is invaluable as a core element of problem solving
Safety: The 4Ms play their part in identifying root causes and improvement opportunities within the safety
sub-committees.
Focused Improvement: We use 4Ms to help structure the team’s thinking within the analyse phase of our
standard DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) framework for focused improvement.
Daily Management System: It is often the routine application of the 4Ms in a simple one page format that
best engages and enables the problem solving capability needed to unlock the full potential of the
organization.
equipment, correcting basic weaknesses, and preventing issues from coming back. Working together, 4Ms
helps the pillars to understand where the weaknesses are and address them through restoration and
prevention.
Quality Management: 4Ms Analysis is used to better understand our QA Matrix and address those factors
which can most likely influence the generation of defects within the manufacturing processes on our
Continuous Skills Development: A 4M analysis pinpoints improvement areas for “huMan” and “Method,”
which drive CSD projects to cultivate a flexible, highly skilled workforce working and creating consistent
procedures.
Of course just as a TPM implementation relies on leveraging people, process and leadership working together,
the pillars working together ensures variation is reduced across all 4Ms, and there is rarely a situation where you
cannot draw a link from each pillar to all 4 of the Ms.
4M Analysis
The 4M analysis is a method for evaluation which of the 4M conditions is responsible for a defect mode. Most
commonly practiced is the Fishbone / Ishikawa Diagram. This is a tool designed to identify, explore, and
graphically display the possible causes related to a problem or condition. This approach allows teams to focus
on content of the problem, creates a snapshot of the collective knowledge and consensus of a team, and focuses
the team on the cause rather than the symptom.
At Milliken & Company and other organizations guided by Performance Solutions, dramatic operations
improvements are commonplace. Through implementation of the Milliken Performance System, execution of
the daily management practices that support it, Zero Loss Thinking to prioritize improvement projects, and an
emphasis on culture change and employee empowerment, manufacturers in many industries — automotive,
chemical, aerospace, food and beverage, consumer-packaged products, paperboard and packaging, plastics
and rubber, etc. — have tapped into unknown potential and agile capabilities within their organizations.
Complete the form below to access our DMAIC Problem Solving Tool to see how the 4M analysis can be
utilized as part of your DMAIC process.