In IFS/Quality Management – Control Plan, you can:
Control plans are applicable to a wide range of processes and technologies, and should be viewed as an integral part of an overall quality program.
A control plan is a description of the system for controlling parts and processes to minimize product and process variation. The purpose is to aid in the manufacture of quality products according to customer requirements.
To ensure that all process outputs are in control, a control plan should describe the actions required at each step in the manufacturing process, e.g., at receiving, while in process, and at outgoing. Periodic requirements may also be addressed in the control plan. The control plan does not replace the information contained in detailed operator instructions.
The control plan should be maintained and used throughout the product life cycle. Early in the product life cycle, its primary purpose is to document and communicate the initial plan for process control. Subsequently, it guides manufacturing in how to control the process and ensure product quality. The control plan is to be used as a living document and should be updated as the measurement systems and control methods are evaluated and improved.
Some of the benefits of using control plans are:
The purpose of a Control Plan Template is to make it easier to create and maintain control plans for a lot of parts. The Control Plan Template is a set of generic data points which specify how a part is going to be controlled or tested. The control plan template can be used to create control plans for many parts or from a control plan header to create control plan lines.
When used for manufacturing parts, it is highly recommended in using routing templates to standardize the routings. Since the data points on the Control Plan Template refer to operation numbers and work centers, this will make it much easier to make sure that the control plan lines refer to the correct operations when applying the control plan template.
The Control Plan Template is site specific, and can be of three types: manufacturing, purchasing and inventory. Control Plans can be used from a single control plan or it can be used to create new control plans for several parts.
The Control Plan Template can be used by reference or by copy. When used by reference, ensure when the template changes, these changes can be propagated to the related control plans as well. When copying the template create new control plans with the same content as the template, but with no such reference.
Control Plan log is a place where you review the messages. Control Plan Log receives messages mainly when Applying Template to existing control plan/several parts or when Activating Control Plan Template revision. Messages will be logged in for a site.
Log Description
Consists of the details of a process which was executed. It will cause the Log ID to be created and the reason will be displayed in the log description. Log description will be either of the following .
1. Applying Template to Existing Control Plan Header
2. Applying Template to Several parts Using Assistant
3. Activate New Control Plan Template Revision
4. Activate Control Plan Using Assistants
5. Propagate Changes to Open Shop Orders Using Assistants
Log Reference
Log reference includes, Reference type/reference Id 1/ reference Id 2 which indicates what is the base for receiving messages which is indicated in the Reference Type as Template. The other reference will indicate the Template ID and the Revision Number.
Control Plan Log, Table Information
Control plan log lines consist mainly of two parts. They are mainly the information about the Part/Control Plan and the information about the message.
Control plans can be used with configured parts, at a basic level. This means that control plans for Inventory and Purchasing are not affected by configuration rules. The same control plan will simply apply whether the part is configured or not. Inventory Analyses are created without reference to configuration, which means that samples will be selected from the total stock of the part, not from a specific configuration.
Control plans for Manufacturing are affected by configuration rules, since the control plan lines are connected to operations. The control plan can contain several alternative data points that will apply depending on the configuration. The basic rule is to create a control plan line on the shop order if the operation and work center exists on the shop order as a result of the configuration:
An analysis can be created manually or automatically. To create an analysis automatically, sample frequency triggers are used. Whether creating an analysis for a specific control plan is required or not is a basic data requirement setting in IFS Quality Management. When triggers are defined, analyses will be created according to the defined trigger type. Different trigger types are used for purchased parts and manufactured parts.
Trigger types used for manufactured parts are:
Trigger types used for purchased parts are:
The start shop order trigger prompts an analysis to be created every time the shop order is set to Started status. This trigger is triggered by the Status field in the Shop Order window. When the status of the shop order is changed to Started, this also triggers the start shop order trigger. Then the analysis will be created automatically for all the control plan lines (data points) connected to the start shop order trigger.
e.g., If you have a control plan manufacturing (as given below) where all the data points are connected to the start shop order trigger :
| Data Point | Routing Operation No | Work Center No |
| 1 | 10 | WC100 |
| 2 | 10 | WC100 |
| 3 | 20 | WC100 |
| 4 | 20 | WC100 |
| 5 | 30 | WC200 |
| 6 | 30 | WC200 |
When the status of the shop order is changed to Started, 3 analyses will be created automatically by the start shop order trigger. One analysis will include data points 1 and 2 (Routing operation no=10), next analysis will include data points 3 and 4, and the last analysis will include data points 5 and 6.
If an existing analysis is not fully accepted, then the nonconforming trigger will create an analysis automatically to assure 100% inspection. When the analysis results are confirmed, the status of the data points will also be calculated automatically. If at least one defective item is found, then the nonconforming trigger will be triggered and a new analysis will be created for all data points connected to the specific routing operation number.
E.g., If the three analyses created by the start shop order trigger (refer the example above) are A, B and C:
| Data Point | Routing Operation No |
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 10 |
| Data Point | Routing Operation No |
| 3 | 20 |
| 4 | 20 |
| Data Point | Routing Operation No |
| 5 | 30 |
| 6 | 30 |
When the analysis results are entered and confirmed :
Analysis A - No nonconformities are found. The nonconforming trigger will not be triggered.
Analysis B - Three nonconformities are found. The nonconforming trigger is triggered. A new analysis will be created for all data points connected to Routing operation number 20 .
This trigger type will create an analysis by the defined time interval. For instance, once every hour. This trigger creates analyses by a frequency specified in the Value field in the Control Plan - Manufacturing/Sample Frequency Trigger/Define tab.
When the status of the routing operation number is changed to In Progress or Partially Reported, the clock starts counting (from zero). This will create one analysis immediately. The next analysis will be created after the time specified in Value field is reached.
E.g., If the value specified is 1 hour: the time interval between creating 2 analyses will be 1 hour.
At arrival trigger will create an analysis at every receipt made.
Here an analysis is created after the specified time interval is reached since the last analysis, at the time of making the next receipt. In other words once the first analysis is created, the next analysis will be created only after the duration since the last analysis is equal to the time specified, when the next receipt is made.
E.g., If the time specified is 3 days, an analysis will be created 3 days after receipts are made.
This trigger will create an analysis when the number of
receipts made becomes equal to the value specified. The value is specified in
the Control Plan - Purchasing/Sample Frequency Trigger/Define
tab.
The example given below will explain this more clearly.
E.g., If the number specified is 3, an analysis is created when 3 receipts are made.
Trigger:- Every third receipt (value = 3)
| Receipt Date | No of Receipts since last analysis | Trigger Criteria fulfilled | Create Analysis |
| 2004-06-01 | 0 | Yes | Yes |
| 2004-06-05 | 1 | No | No |
| 2004-06-08 | 2 | No | No |
| 2004-06-20 | 3 | Yes | Yes |
| 2004-06-21 | 1 | No | No |
| 2004-07-20 | 2 | No | No |
| 2004-12-31 | 3 | Yes | Yes |
Once the sample frequency trigger types are defined, next step is to connect the defined trigger types to the preferred data points. An analysis created by a trigger will only include data points connected to the trigger. A specific data point can be connected to none, one or many triggers.