BUSINESS CONTEXT OF PROJECT

Title: Enhancing Air Pods 1 Production Quality

The purpose of this project was to elevate the production quality of Air
Pods 1, aligning with our commitment to delivering cutting-edge
technology and meeting the evolving demands of our discerning
customer base.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The successful execution of the "Enhancing AirPods 1 Production
Quality" project is instrumental not only in meeting the immediate goals
of improved quality and efficiency but also in securing the long-term
competitiveness of Air Pods 1 in the market. This project report
provides a detailed account of the initiatives undertaken, challenges
faced, and the achieved enhancements in production quality, thereby
reinforcing our commitment to delivering exceptional products to our
valued customers.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
• Current production processes and quality control measures are not
optimized, leading to a higher-than-desired defect rate in Air Pods 1.
This compromises our ability to consistently deliver a premium
product, impacting customer satisfaction and potentially eroding our
market position.
• CHALLENGES
1.High Defect Rate
2.Inefficiencies in Cycle Times
3.Customer Satisfaction Concerns
IMPROVEMENTS
1. Defect Reduction:
1. Objective: Achieve a 20% reduction in product defects.
2. Proposed Actions: Implementing rigorous quality control measures, employee training programs, and technology
upgrades.
3. Expected Outcome: Targeting a defect rate reduction from 8% to 6.4%, enhancing overall product quality.
2. Cycle Time Improvement:
1. Objective: Achieve a 15% reduction in production cycle times.
2. Proposed Actions: Streamlining production processes, optimizing workflow, and investing in automation where
feasible.
3. Expected Outcome: Anticipating a reduction in cycle times from 12 days to 10.2 days, enhancing operational
efficiency.
3. Customer Satisfaction Enhancement:
1. Objective: Strive for a 10% increase in customer satisfaction scores.
2. Proposed Actions: Implementing a customer feedback loop, addressing product defects promptly, and improving
communication channels.
3. Expected Outcome: Aiming to elevate customer satisfaction scores from 75% to 82.5%.
POTENTIAL PROJECT BENEFITS
• Potential Customer Benefits (External and Internal):
1.Customer Type 1: Retail Consumers
1. Potential Benefit 1: Enhanced product quality leads to increased customer satisfaction.
1. Assumed Value: A 10% increase in customer satisfaction scores, resulting in improved brand loyalty and
repeat purchases.
2.Customer Type 2: Distributors and Retail Partners
1. Potential Benefit 2: Reduced product defects result in decreased returns and warranty claims.
1. Assumed Value: A 15% reduction in returns and warranty claims, leading to improved relationships with
distributors and retail partners.
3.Customer Type 3: Internal Teams (Production and Quality Assurance)
1. Potential Benefit 3: Streamlined production processes lead to increased efficiency and job
satisfaction.
1. Assumed Value: A 20% reduction in production cycle times, improving overall efficiency and employee
morale.
• Potential Direct Savings (Hard Savings):
1. Cost of Defects Reduction:
1. Potential Benefit 1: Decreased defect rates lead to reduced production costs.
1. Assumed Value: Achieving a 20% reduction in defects results in direct savings of $500,000 annually.
2. Operational Efficiency Gains:
1. Potential Benefit 2: Streamlined production processes result in reduced labor and operational costs.
1. Assumed Value: Achieving a 15% reduction in production cycle times leads to direct savings of $300,000 annually.
3. Supply Chain Optimization:
1. Potential Benefit 3: Improved supply chain integration reduces material waste and procurement costs.
1. Assumed Value: A 10% reduction in material waste and procurement costs results in direct savings of $200,000 annually.
• Potential Indirect Savings (Soft Savings):
1.Improved Customer Loyalty:
1. Potential Benefit 1: Enhanced product quality and customer satisfaction contribute to increased
brand loyalty.
1. Assumed Value: Indirect savings of $1 million annually through increased customer retention and positive word-
of-mouth.
2.Enhanced Employee Productivity:
1. Potential Benefit 2: Increased job satisfaction and efficiency lead to higher employee productivity.
1. Assumed Value: Indirect savings of $150,000 annually through improved employee morale and reduced turnover.
3.Brand Reputation Enhancement:
1. Potential Benefit 3: A reputation for delivering high-quality products positively impacts the brand.
1. Assumed Value: Indirect savings of $500,000 annually through enhanced brand reputation and market
competitiveness.
INITIAL ESTIMATED FINANCIAL
IMPACT
• Assumptions:
1.The assumed values are based on preliminary estimates and may be
subject to adjustments during project implementation.
2.Financial benefits are projected for the first year post-completion of the
project.
3.Direct savings are considered quantifiable and measurable, while indirect
savings are estimates that may not have precise monetary metrics.
•DIRE
•DIRECT/HARD
•INDIRECT/SOFT
•DIRECT/HARD+INDIRECT/SOFT
 DIRECT/HARD INDIRECT/SOFT DIRECT/
HARD+INDIRECT/SOFT
TOTAL FIRST YEAR POST 1000000 1650000 2650000
COMPLETION BENEFITS
TOTAL PROJECT COST 1800000 350000 2150000
TOTAL NET FYPC BENEFITS $1500000 1650000 3150000
DATA COLLECTION PLAN
MEASURE SOURCE/SYSTEM TIMEFRAME TIMEFRAME(POST SAMPLING PLAN SUBGROUPING PLAN METHOD TO
(BASELINE) BASELINE) MEASURE/COLLECT/A
NALYSE DATA

DEFECT REDUCTION PRODUCTION SYSTEM 12/03/2022 TO ONGOING FOR 12 ALL DATA WEEKLY SUBGROUPS EXCEL
12/03/2023 MONTH POST SPREADSHEET;MINITA
COMPLETION B CALCULATIONS

CYCLE TIME PRODUCTION 06/2023 DURING IMPROVE 10% OF USERS BEFORE AND AFTER SHAREPOINT
IMPROVEMENT WORKFLOW PHASE SUBGROUPS SURVEY;MINITAB
CALCULATIONS

CUSTOMER CUSTOMER FEEDBACK MAY 2O22 DURING CONTROL RANDOM SELECTION MONTHLY EXCEL
SATISFACTION SYSTEM PHASE OF 1 EMAIL PER DAY SPREADSHEET;MINITA
ENHANCEMENT B CALCULATIONS
UNDERSTAND DATA
1.Defect Reduction:
1. Baseline Defect Rate: 8%
2. Targeted Defect Rate: 6.4%
2.Cycle Time Improvement:
1. Baseline Cycle Time: 12 days
2. Targeted Cycle Time: 10.2 days
3.Customer Satisfaction Enhancement:
1. Baseline Satisfaction Score: 75%
2. Targeted Satisfaction Score: 82.5%
AIRPODS MANUFACTURING EXISTING
PROCESS FLOWCHART:
AIRPODS MANUFACTURING
IMPROVED PROCESS FLOWCHART:
Control Chart
User Facing Issues
160

140

120

100
No of Users

80

60

40

20

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Weeks

User Facing Issues Mean UCL LCL

Force Field Diagram
Driving Forces Hindering Forces
ILLUSTRATION OF IMPROVED PROCESSES

1. 5 hours Battery
1. 6 hours battery with single charge
2. M1 Chip ( Normal Connectivity )
2. M2 Chip ( Better Connectivity )
3. Basic Design
3. Improved design
4. More than 24 hours of listening with
4. More than 30 hours of listening with charging case.
charging case.
5. Mag Safe Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker and
5. Lighting charging case
lanyard loop
6. Not sweat resistant
6. Sweat resistant
 Summary of Improvements
Baseline Process
Minimalist Design
Single testing of sample
Battery inefficiency
Product non sweat resistant
Connectivity dropouts
Insufficient Noise Cancellation
Bluetooth 5.1
Improved Process
Better design and easy to fit
Design testing and final product testing
Battery effiency increased
Product made sweat resistant
M2 chip for better connectivity
Adaptive Noise Cancellation
Bluetooth 5.3
 CONTROL PLAN

Airpods Quality Improvement Process

Control Plan
Target
/
Expect Corrective
Category Task/Action Control Plan Owner Start Date / Frequency ed
Action
Perfor
mance
Value
Airpods quality
Product
Design improvement Product designer 04/08/2022 8.5 Airpods to made heavier
Mockup 1
control plan

Airpods quality
Backup to be New powerful batttries
Battery improvement Development team 06/09/2022 7.0
increased to be added
control plan

Airpods quality
Bluetooth improvement Bluetooh 5.3 to be
Connectivity Development team 08/09/2022 7.5
Upgrade control plan added in case of 5.2

Airpods quality
Enable
improvement
Compatability compability with Development team 15/09/2022 9.0 M2 chip to be insta;;ed
android devices control plan
FOLLOW UP ISSUES AND NEXT STEPS

1) Customer Feedback through apple phones.

2) Issue management system to be implemented
3) 24/7 dedicated customer support team to be dedicated for airpods.
4) User training modules to be made and circulated
5) Customer feedback to be shared on everyday basis with the development team