Make loss visible
VSM · Gemba · OEE · Andon
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Choose the method for the loss or problem you need to change.
QAPP connects observation, root-cause work, action ownership, evidence and effectiveness. Lean/CI methods are not presented as AIAG Core Tools; they support the improvement system around AIAG quality and problem-solving workflows.
Demonstrate cause
A3 · 8D · CQI-20 · data analysis
Standardise the result
Standard Work · 5S · Control Plan · LPA
Value Stream Mapping
Map material and information flow to expose value-added time, waiting, inventory and bottlenecks.
Open the tool →Standard Work
Define the current best-known method, sequence, time and conditions needed for repeatable execution.
Open the tool →Pull & Kanban
Link replenishment to actual consumption using signals and visible limits.
Open the tool →Heijunka
Level volume and mix to reduce scheduling-induced variation and stabilise flow.
Open the tool →TPM
Connect equipment losses to basic conditions, planned maintenance and shared production-maintenance ownership.
Open the tool →SMED
Reduce changeover by separating internal from external activities and simplifying the remaining steps.
Open the tool →OEE
Separate availability, performance and quality to show where planned productive time is lost.
Open the tool →5S
Make workplace condition visible, repeatable and easy to verify.
Open the tool →Andon
Turn an observed abnormality into a signal with owner, response time and escalation rule.
Open the tool →Gemba Walk
Structure direct process observation before proposing solutions.
Open the tool →Kaizen
Turn small opportunities into controlled experiments with baseline, action, result and standardisation.
Open the tool →A3 Problem Solving
Connect the problem, analysis, causes, countermeasures and result in one visible logical thread.
Open the tool →PDCA
Plan, test, check and standardise change in an explicit learning cycle.
Open the tool →5 Why
Explore a causal chain using successive questions and evidence for each link.
Open the tool →Ishikawa / Fishbone
Organise cause hypotheses and turn them into a verification plan.
Open the tool →How CI connects to AIAG quality
| CI finding | Quality feedback |
|---|---|
| A new failure mechanism is demonstrated | PFMEA / Control Plan |
| Measurement data is not trustworthy | MSA |
| Process signal or stability problem | SPC / reaction plan |
| Corrective action changes the process | APQP / change control / PPAP as applicable |
| Critical control must be sustained | Standard Work / Control Plan / LPA |
AIAG relationship
CQI-20 supports robust problem solving and explicitly focuses on problem description, team participation, analysis, review and avoiding skipped steps. CQI-8 links Layered Process Audits with KPIs, ownership and management review. QAPP uses these principles to connect CI actions with Quality records.
Important
VSM, 5S, Kanban, Heijunka, TPM, SMED, OEE, Andon, Gemba and Kaizen are not labelled as AIAG Core Tools. QAPP presents them as supporting CI methods and states the AIAG connection only where it can be justified.