FMEA Success Story: Training and Workshops for Daimler in China

All over the world, corporations and successful medium-sized companies rely on the innovative services and expertise offered by DIETZ Consultants. The result: numerous, major and minor success stories about best-practice solutions in the fields of risk management and FMEA and quality management, written in collaborative partnership. With leading automotive suppliers and OEMs from the automotive sector, the aerospace technology and mechanical engineering industries, and many other sectors. Daimler, too, has placed its trust in the expertise of DIETZ Consultants in China, where it has arranged for staff based at Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. (BFDA) to be trained by DIETZ China.

Enable BFDA employees to optimize processes

“With the training courses for Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Daimler AG and Chinese truck manufacturer Beiqi Foton Motor, we’re further expanding our presence in Asia,” is the emphatic verdict of Winfried Dietz, CEO of DIETZ Consultants. The month of December saw the first workshop under the direction of Lassie Li, CEO of DIETZ Consultants in China. The aim was to enable BFDA employees to optimize processes, including the development of an interface FMEA for the black box. “The employees are highly motivated,” says Lassie Li with satisfaction. The FMEA expert, who can look back on 16 years of experience in the development of individual solutions in the FMEA and risk management field, is sure of one thing: “With our FMEA expertise and practical knowledge of the automotive industry, we can provide valuable support for BFDA’s projects.” Background: In the past, the high workload at BFDA has often left no time for risk management, and the processes need to be intelligently integrated into the existing procedures.

FMEA workshop: Basics and practical applications

The FMEA training began with a drastic example. The explosion of the Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986 illustrated all too clearly the general importance of FMEA. Of all the reasons, the following particularly stand out: Risks are more likely to be detected and prevented, leading to a reduction in repairs and errors in production. What’s more, an FMEA reduces the number of complaints and provides valuable analytical tools to increase product quality. During the two days of the workshop, Lassie Li discussed the basics of FMEA with the BFDA participants before going on to make connections with the practical applications of FMEA in BFDA’s daily work. In particular, the 7-step method, defined as a standard in the context of FMEA harmonization (VDA/AIAG), ensured that all the participants developed a sound understanding of the principles. Group exercises then simulated FMEA work in projects. After the successful first workshop, the intention is now to extend the training to other areas of the company. We hope to establish a complete FMEA database for Daimler through subsequent services of DIETZ Consultants, and improve the process and application of FMEA. So we use the FMEA tool to set up a firewall for quality.