SiliciumHex FieldKit · Method library
Operations method library
Step-by-step guides to 136 operations methods for quality, problem solving, supply chain and design to cost — written by practitioners, with when to use each method, the steps, a field tip and its origin.
Problem Solving & Quality
Forty-eight field-tested methods to state a problem precisely, contain it, find the proven root cause and make sure it never comes back — from Is/Is-Not and the 5 Whys to FMEA, SPC, 8D, DMAIC and A3.
48 methods →Supply Chain
Forty-four methods to map the flow, forecast, source, make and deliver — and to absorb shocks: value stream mapping, S&OP, the Kraljic matrix, SMED, theory of constraints, OEE, OTIF, CPFR and more.
44 methods →Design to Cost
Forty-four methods to set a defensible target cost, break it down, find the value, generate and evaluate cost-reduction ideas, negotiate on facts and track attainment — target costing, should-cost, VA/VE, FAST, Kano, QFD, DFM/DFA.
44 methods →Problem Solving & Quality
State
Describe the problem as a measurable gap — no cause, no culprit, no solution yet.
- Is / Is-Not AnalysisFor each dimension — what, where, when, how much — write where the problem is and where it could be but is not. The…
- 5W2H QuestioningAnswer seven plain questions — what, who, where, when, why, how, how much — to turn a vague complaint into a factual…
- Deviation StatementWrite one sentence: object, defect, expected value, observed value, since when. No cause, no culprit, no solution…
- SIPOC ScopingMap suppliers, inputs, process steps, outputs and customers on one line to agree where the problem lives — and where…
- Closure Criteria FirstBefore any analysis, agree the measurable result and the observation period that will allow you to declare the problem…
Contain
Protect people, the environment and the customer while the real fix is found.
- First-Hour Incident ProtocolA fixed sequence for the first hour: make safe, stop the spread, preserve evidence, inform, appoint a leader. Thinking…
- Immediate Containment ActionsProtect the customer now with temporary barriers — extra inspection, sorting, a manual check — while the real fix is…
- Suspect Lot QuarantineTrace every lot made since the last known good one, block it physically and in the system, and define the clean break…
- Evidence PreservationKeep the failed part, the sample, the logs and the settings exactly as found — tagged, photographed and stored before…
- Andon and Escalation RulesGive every operator the right to signal an abnormality, and fix who responds, within how many minutes, before it…
Observe
Go where the problem happens and collect facts, counts and timelines — not opinions.
- Gemba WalkGo to the place where the work happens, watch the real process, ask open questions and write down what you see — not…
- Fact–Opinion SortTag every statement on the board as measured fact, observed fact, assumption or opinion — then go and check the…
- Check SheetDesign a simple tally form — defect type by time, machine or location — that operators fill in at the source with one…
- StratificationSplit the data by shift, line, operator, supplier, raw-material lot or product — a flat average often hides one guilty…
- As-Is Process FlowchartDraw the process as it really runs today — with loops, workarounds and waiting — by walking it with the people who do…
- Event Timeline ReconstructionRebuild minute by minute what happened before the failure from logs, historian data, shift notes and witnesses — and…
Root Causes
List the possible causes, dig down the chains and prove the real one before acting.
- Ishikawa DiagramPlace the effect at the head of a fishbone and list possible causes along families — method, machine, material…
- 5 WhysAsk “why?” again and again from the verified symptom, checking each answer with facts, until you reach a cause you can…
- Three-Path WhysRun three separate why-chains: why it occurred, why it was not detected, and why the system allowed both. Each path…
- Fault Tree AnalysisStart from the undesired top event and break it down with AND / OR gates into the combinations of failures that can…
- Change AnalysisList every difference between the problem case and a comparable good case, then every change around the date it…
- On/Off Cause VerificationProve the suspected cause by switching it on and off under control: the defect must appear and disappear with it.
Quality Tools
The statistical and risk tools of industrial quality: Pareto, SPC, capability, measurement, FMEA.
- Pareto AnalysisRank defect categories by frequency or cost and plot the cumulative curve: attack the vital few that make most of the…
- Scatter DiagramPlot pairs of values — temperature against viscosity, speed against scrap — to see whether two variables move together…
- Control Chart (SPC)Plot the process over time with limits calculated from its own variation, to tell common-cause noise from special…
- Process Capability Cp/CpkCompare the natural spread of a stable process with the tolerance: Cp says whether it can fit, Cpk whether it is…
- Gauge R&R StudyHave several operators measure the same parts several times to see how much of the observed variation comes from the…
- Failure Mode and Effects AnalysisFor each function or process step, list how it can fail, the effects and causes, rate them, and act on the highest…
Solutions
Generate countermeasures that act on the cause and choose between them openly.
- Brainwriting 6-3-5Six people each write three countermeasure ideas in five minutes, then pass the sheet on and build on what they read …
- TRIZ Contradiction MatrixState the conflict — improving one parameter degrades another — and look up the inventive principles that resolved…
- Hierarchy of ControlsRank each countermeasure from strongest to weakest — eliminate, substitute, engineer, organize, protect or inform — and…
- Weighted Decision MatrixAgree criteria and weights first, then score each option against each criterion: the choice becomes a visible…
- Pugh Concept SelectionCompare each concept with a reference solution, criterion by criterion, as better, same or worse — then combine the…
- Risk–Benefit GridPlace each candidate solution on two axes — expected benefit and implementation risk — to separate quick safe wins from…
- Potential Problem AnalysisBefore launching the chosen solution, ask what could go wrong with it, what would cause that, and prepare preventive…
Act
Plan, pilot and run the fix — with owners, dates and a structured roadmap.
- Action Plan with OwnersOne line per action: what exactly, linked to which cause, one named owner, a due date and a status everyone can read at…
- Pilot Run with Go/No-GoTry the countermeasure on one line, one shift or one tank, with success criteria and a rollback plan written down…
- PDCA CyclePlan a change on a hypothesis, do it small, check the result against the prediction, then act: standardize it or start…
- A3 ReportTell the whole problem-solving story on one A3 sheet — background, current state, goal, causes, countermeasures, plan…
- 8D MethodEight disciplines from team to recognition — including containment, verified root cause, permanent fix and prevention …
- DMAIC RoadmapDefine, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control: a data-driven project roadmap for chronic variation problems whose cause is…
Sustain
Verify the result, lock it into standards and spread the lesson so it never comes back.
- Effectiveness CheckCompare the indicator before and after the countermeasure over the period agreed at the start, and close only if the…
- Poka-YokeDesign a device that makes the error impossible or immediately visible — a keyed fitting, a sensor that stops the…
- 5S Workplace OrganizationSort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain: a workplace where abnormalities — leaks, missing tools, wrong parts …
- Standard WorkWrite the current best way to do the task — sequence, key points, reasons, timing — so the fix becomes the new normal…
- Control PlanFor each critical characteristic, fix what is checked, how, how often, by whom, and the reaction plan when it drifts …
- Horizontal Deployment (Yokoten)Copy the proven countermeasure to every similar machine, line, product or site where the same cause could strike — and…
- Lessons Learned RegisterTurn each closed problem into a short, searchable record — symptom, cause, fix, where it applies — and feed it into…
Supply Chain
Map
See the whole chain end to end before touching any part of it.
- Value Stream MappingMap every step of a product family from supplier to customer, with timelines, to expose waste and lead time.
- SCOR Reference ModelStructure the analysis with the SCOR chain: Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return — and their metrics.
- Supply Flow DiagramDraw the physical and information flows on one page: who orders what, from whom, with which lead time.
- ABC/XYZ SegmentationSplit items by value (ABC) and demand stability (XYZ) to give each class its own stock policy.
- Bottleneck WalkWalk the flow with the people who run it and mark every queue, wait and double-handling you see.
Forecast
Anticipate demand so the chain plans from facts, not hope.
- Monthly Demand ReviewCompare forecast and actuals item by item, flag the big misses, and capture the reasons before re-forecasting.
- Forecast Method PickerChoose the simplest method that fits: moving average for stability, exponential smoothing for trends, seasonal models…
- Forecast Accuracy AuditMeasure MAPE and bias per item family; a systematic bias means the process, not the model, is broken.
- Safety Stock CalculatorSize buffers from demand variability and lead time: the more volatile or slower the supply, the fatter the buffer.
- S&OP Meeting DesignSet up the monthly Sales & Operations Planning rhythm: demand review, supply review, and one reconciliation meeting…
Source
Secure the inputs: suppliers, contracts and total cost.
- Kraljic MatrixSegment suppliers by impact on profit and supply risk: routine, leverage, bottleneck, critical — and manage each…
- Total Cost of OwnershipPrice is the tip: add logistics, quality failures, inventory carrying, switching and exit costs before comparing…
- Supplier Risk ScorecardScore key suppliers on financial health, geography, capacity, single-point dependency and quality history.
- Dual SourcingQualify a second source for anything that stops production, and split volumes to keep both suppliers honest.
- Supplier Development PlanTreat a key supplier as a partner: joint improvement targets, regular reviews, and support where their process is weak.
- Should-Cost AnalysisBuild a bottom-up estimate of what a part should cost: materials, labor, machine time, overhead and margin.
Make
Turn materials into products at the constraint’s rhythm.
- OEE Improvement LoopMeasure availability, performance and quality on the constraint machine; the biggest of the three losses is your first…
- SMED ChangeoverConvert internal setup work to external, streamline the rest, and cut changeover from hours to minutes.
- Theory of ConstraintsFind the one constraint that sets the pace, exploit it fully, subordinate everything else, then elevate it.
- Level Scheduling (Heijunka)Level volume and mix over the horizon so upstream processes see a stable, repetitive pattern instead of waves.
- WIP ControlCap work-in-progress with a fixed number of job cards; new work only enters when finished work leaves.
- Maintenance StrategyMatch the policy to the asset: run-to-failure for cheap redundancies, preventive for wear items, predictive for…
Deliver
Move goods to customers at the right cost and service.
- Network DesignPosition warehouses between plants and customers: optimize service distance against transport, inventory and facility…
- Transport OptimizationConsolidate shipments, choose modes by total cost and lead time, and fill trucks before sending them.
- Warehouse SlottingRank locations by pick frequency: fast movers near the front, heavy items at waist height, and dead stock evicted.
- Cross-DockingRoute fast-moving goods straight from inbound to outbound, skipping storage almost entirely.
- Last-Mile OptionsCompare carriers, pickup points, lockers and drones on cost, speed and failure rate — the last kilometer eats half the…
- OTIF TrackingTrack On-Time-In-Full per customer and per lane; split the misses into late, short and damaged to fix the right cause.
Resilience
Absorb shocks: buffers, alternates and rehearsed responses.
- Supply Risk MapPlace suppliers on a map with tier, geography, dependency and recovery time; the red cluster is your exposure.
- Stress ScenariosPlay out three shocks — supplier failure, demand spike, logistics blackout — and rehearse the first 48 hours of each.
- Strategic BuffersPlace buffers where they buy resilience cheapest: critical components, long-lead items, single-source parts.
- Backup Supply PlansFor every critical input, document the alternate source, the qualification gap, and the switching trigger before you…
- Nearshoring DecisionWeigh landed cost, lead time, risk and carbon: a cheaper far source can lose on every other axis.
Digital
Instrument the chain: data, integration and decision support.
- Supply Chain Control TowerGive one team end-to-end visibility of orders, shipments and exceptions — with authority to act on what they see.
- EDI/API IntegrationReplace emails and spreadsheets with structured data exchange for orders, confirmations and invoices.
- Digital Twin SimulationBuild a simulation model of the chain and test changes — layouts, policies, shocks — before touching the real one.
- ML Forecasting PilotStart one machine-learning model on one product family, benchmark it against your current method for three months, then…
- Master Data QualityClean the basics first: item masters, lead times, bills of material, supplier records — automation amplifies whatever…
Improve
Compress time, stock and cost — permanently.
- Supply Chain KaizenRun a focused improvement week on one flow with the people who operate it; implement on the floor, not in a report.
- Supply Chain KPI TreeDecompose one top goal — cost, service or cash — into driver KPIs each team can actually move.
- Lead Time CompressionAttack the longest segments of your order-to-delivery time: queues, approvals, transport legs and changeovers.
- Inventory Reduction ProgramSet a target, classify the stock, and attack each class: kill the dead, shrink the slow, fix the planning that creates…
- Green Supply ChainMeasure the carbon where it lives — transport modes, packaging, energy — and redesign the biggest emitters first.
- Collaborative Planning (CPFR)Share forecasts and plans with key customers and suppliers so the whole chain plans from the same numbers.
Design to Cost
Target
Set the cost the market allows — before designing a single part.
- Target Cost DefinitionSet the cost ceiling from the market backwards: acceptable price minus required margin leaves what the product may cost.
- Cost Window AllocationSplit the total target into subsystems with a cost window each — no subsystem eats the budget alone.
- Price-Value AlignmentCheck that the price customers accept matches the value they perceive — a gap means margin risk or value left unpriced.
- Cost Business CaseModel volumes, margin and investment: the target cost must still make money at the volumes you really expect.
- Top-Down Cost DriversFrom the total target, identify the few physical or technical drivers that explain most of the cost.
Breakdown
Decompose the cost to know exactly where the euros go.
- Cost Breakdown StructureDecompose the product cost into materials, bought parts, labor, machine time, overhead and scrap — visible to all.
- Should-Cost ModelBuild the bottom-up cost the product should have: materials at market, process times at standard, plus overhead and a…
- Cost ParetoRank components by cost: a few parts usually carry most of the money — focus there first.
- Activity-Based CostingAllocate overhead by the activities that actually consume it, not by a flat percentage of direct cost.
- Tear-Down AnalysisBuy and dismantle a competitor product: count parts, weigh materials, estimate processes — learn what they achieved.
- Cost DatabaseBuild a living library of costs: materials, processes, bought parts, quotes — searchable for the next estimate.
Value
Find what the customer actually values — and what they never asked for.
- Functional AnalysisExpress the product as functions — verb plus object — free of solutions: what must it do, not how.
- FAST DiagramOrder functions logically: how, why, when — to expose functions that exist only by tradition.
- Kano ClassificationSort features by customer reaction: basics, performers, delighters — and question the ones nobody would miss.
- QFD LiteTranslate customer requirements into technical characteristics with weights — the light house of quality, one matrix…
- Value Perception MapPlot what customers value against what it costs to deliver; the expensive-ignored quadrant is your saving target.
- Useless Function HuntChallenge every function: who needs it, what breaks without it, what does it cost? Kill the orphans.
Generate
Produce reduction ideas from functions, design rules and process rethink.
- Value Engineering WorkshopCross-functional session: state the function, brainstorm alternative ways to deliver it, cost the best candidates.
- DFM / DFA ReviewDesign for manufacture and assembly: fewer parts, simpler joins, standard processes — cost falls with complexity.
- Standardization PushReplace special parts with standard ones wherever function allows: fewer references, more volume, lower price.
- Modular ArchitectureDesign shared modules across product variants: pay variety only where customers pay for it.
- Material SubstitutionChallenge each material against alternatives on cost, process, quality and risk — with real quotes, not catalogs.
- Process RethinkQuestion the process itself: a different technology or supplier process can delete cost the design cannot.
Evaluate
Grade the estimates and price the risks before deciding.
- Estimate Confidence GradingGrade every estimate A/B/C: quoted, analogous or guessed — and never mix them in one decision.
- Trade-Off CurvesMap cost against the design variable: weight, tolerance, power — know where the next saving lives.
- Make or BuyCompare making in-house versus buying: full cost both, then weigh control, capacity and risk.
- Life Cycle CostCount the whole life, not the invoice: energy, maintenance, service, end-of-life — your product’s cost continues after…
- Cost Risk AssessmentList what could blow the target: commodity swings, tolerances, volumes — and price each risk with a contingency.
- Prototype CostingCost the prototype build honestly: it reveals the real process costs the estimate guessed.
Negotiate
Align suppliers on real costs: models, openness and prepared plans.
- Open-Book CostingShare the should-cost model with the supplier and work the gap together — transparency beats poker.
- Supplier Early InvolvementBring key suppliers into design reviews before the drawing is frozen — their process knowledge is free consulting.
- Negotiation PreparationDefine your target, your walk-away and your concessions before the meeting — trade variables, not price alone.
- Cost-Down AgreementAgree a learning-curve cost-down with key suppliers: annual percentages, shared gains, no renegotiation theater.
- Quote Comparison GridCompare supplier quotes line by line on identical scopes: the cheapest total often hides in assumptions.
Track
Keep the target visible: dashboards, gates and ownership.
- Cost DashboardOne page, one truth: current cost versus target for each module, refreshed on a fixed rhythm.
- Cost Gate ReviewMake cost a go/no-go criterion at every design gate: below target, on track, or blocked — with a recovery plan.
- Cost Variance AnalysisExplain every gap between estimate and actual: which assumption was wrong, and what does that teach the model?
- Cost Ownership MapAssign every cost element a named owner: not the controller — the designer, buyer or process engineer who can move it.
- Target Attainment ReviewAt project milestones, measure distance to target cost and decide: redesign, renegotiate, or accept with eyes open.
Toolkit
Cross-cutting methods: curves, complexity, quality and estimating tools.
- Parametric CostingEstimate from drivers, not parts: cost per kilogram, per watt, per square meter — calibrated on past projects.
- Learning CurveEach doubling of cumulative volume cuts unit cost by a predictable percentage — use it to plan cost-down, not just…
- Complexity CostCount what variety costs: every option multiplies parts, setups, tests and stock — make variety earn its keep.
- Cost of Poor QualityAdd up scrap, rework, warranty, returns and firefighting — the hidden factory is usually the cheapest one to close.
- Design-for-Cost RulesWrite ten costing rules your designers can check in seconds: standard tolerances, preferred materials, no one-off parts.