Q & A on QA

Alex Kuchar Explains the Genesis and Features of APA''''s New Quality Management System

June 19, 2000
HousingZone

Editor's Note: Following nearly three years of research, development and mill trials, APA this year launched its new Quality Management System. The following interview with APA Quality Services Division Director Alex Kuchar provides explanation of the program's origins, purpose, and implementation status.

EWJ: How is the new program different from what has existed in the past?

KUCHAR: The fundamental difference is that instead of relying primarily on testing and inspection of the finished product, the new program places greater emphasis on the mill's quality management system and process. It is grounded in the recognition that all aspects of the manufacturing process play a vital role in determining quality of the finished product. The new program encourages the manufacturer to move quality control upstream within the production process, and to build corrective capabilities into the system. So rather than simply waiting for defective product to be culled at the end of the production line, the production process itself is monitored and adjusted to reduce below-grade production.

EWJ: Why was the new program developed?

KUCHAR: Over the past few years the industry trend has been to build larger, faster and more productive mills. We've witnessed significant manufacturing innovations and broader raw material variation. These developments have placed new demands on quality control methods, and so APA and its members began to investigate new ways of conducting the entire quality management process. The approach is not unique to the panel industry, by the way. The automotive, steel, consumer electronics and other industries also have turned to process management as a way to help assure product quality.

EWJ: Who was involved in developing the new program?

KUCHAR: It began with an OSB Design Team comprised of APA member company representatives working with APA staff. A Task Group of the Board of Trustees was then also formed to review the work and recommendations of the Design Team. We also enlisted the counsel and expertise of a blue-ribbon committee of outside quality management experts, including Robert Peach of Robert Peach and Associates, a North Carolina consulting firm; Dr. Debby Cook, a statistical process control expert with Virginia Polytechnic Institute; and Bob Martel of Factory Mutual Research Corporation. Internally, we've established OSB and plywood implementation teams comprised of APA Quality Services Division personnel to help implement and manage the program. The OSB team is headed by Steve Blankenship and the plywood team is led by Loren Pollard. Between them, they have 41 years of quality services experience.

EWJ: The Design Team outlined several principles or concepts that the new program was to incorporate, correct? What are those principles?

KUCHAR: It was agreed that the new program must:

Provide assurance that the product meets the desired standard.

Be flexible so that different quality systems can be recognized if they can be demonstrated to work.

Be consistent so that each participant can have confidence other mills are meeting the requirements of the standard.

Have complete credibility with regulatory agencies.

Be conducted in a manner that results in assisting the participating mills with quality processes.

And finally, provide for full documentation of all APA procedures.

EWJ: You mentioned statistical process control. What is that and how is it relevant to quality assurance?

KUCHAR: Statistical process control, or SPC, is the application of statistical techniques for measuring and analyzing variation in a process. Variation can be attributed to randomness or to some assignable cause. Random variation is just an inherent part of any process. Not much can be done to address random variation without making basic and usually expensive changes to a process. On the other hand, variation due to assignable causes can be economically addressed. If you know the variation is due to specific causes, deliberate steps can be taken to reduce that variation. In doing so, the process becomes more efficient and the overall cost of production can be reduced.

EWJ: What are the advantages or benefits of the program from the point of view of the manufacturer?

KUCHAR: There are several aspects of the program that are of interest to producers. For example, it shortens quality control reaction time in the plant since problems can be diagnosed and corrected without having to wait for product test results. It gives the manufacturer more immediate control of, and also responsibility for, the quality management function. It provides the mill greater flexibility in designing and conducting a quality assurance program tailored to that mill's specific needs. That includes the opportunity to incorporate its own proprietary quality initiatives, which is important to some companies. And it offers the potential to lower the cost of the quality function itself. APA dues for mills operating under the new program are $0.45 per thousand square feet of production, compared to $0.49 per thousand for mills using the existing program.

EWJ: What is ISO 9000 and how is the new program similar to or different from it?

KUCHAR: "ISO" stands for International Standards Organization, an agency based in Geneva, Switzerland. The "9000" refers to a series of quality standards outlining the requirements for a Quality Management System covering everything from product design and production to testing, inspection, installation and service. The ISO 9000 system of standards is used to certify a quality management system. The APA system is not intended to meet the specific requirements of ISO 9000. However, the APA system does employ many ISO concepts and principles, and therefore can be helpful to mills interested in obtaining ISO 9000 certification. APA can assist mills wishing to gain ISO certification through an agreement we have with International Approval Services, an Ohio-based ISO registrar.

EWJ: How many mills are now operating under the new system, and what is the implementation timetable?

KUCHAR: As of today (July 31) nine APA member mills are fully qualified to operate under the new program. So far, most APA member OSB mills have indicated they wish to adopt the program, and about half of the plywood mills have expressed interest. Our goal is to implement the program by the end of this year in all of those OSB mills and in half of the plywood mills that elect to adopt it.

EWJ: The new system is not mandatory, then, as a condition of APA membership?

KUCHAR: No. Some mills for various reasons will opt to stay with the existing program. Some mill managers, for example, prefer the higher frequency of APA auditing visits under the existing program. One of the goals in developing the new program was to be able to better serve the specific needs of each member mill, and maintaining the existing program as an option serves that purpose.

EWJ: How does the new program differ, if at all, in OSB and plywood mills?

KUCHAR: The basic concept does not differ based on product type. As a matter of fact, the program was developed to be applicable across a wide variety of product lines. The program requires three things of all manufacturers: (1) their quality system must be documented, (2) the system must result in product that meets the requirements of the appropriate standard or standards, and (3) APA audits must confirm that the mill's quality system continues to function as intended. The program will differ in some of the operational details such as grading and test methods because these tend to be product specific. However, the basic concept remains the same.

EWJ: What does APA qualification of a mill's Quality Management System involve and how long does it take?

KUCHAR: There are three basic steps required for qualification. A mill must first develop and gain APA approval of a Quality Manual, which documents the mill's specific quality control procedures. Once the manual is approved, APA staff conducts a recognition audit. This audit is designed to provide evidence that the system outlined in the Quality Manual is actually implemented and functions properly. This is done through a review of the mill's records, interview of staff, examination of test equipment and procedures, and by sampling and testing product. The recognition audit is conducted over approximately two days. The next step is a series of four confirmation audits. The confirmation audits are designed to provide an interim period during which APA assures that the quality system continues to work as intended. Each of the four confirmation audits lasts about a day to a day and a half. The confirmation audits are scheduled over a two-month period. Following successful completion of the confirmation audits, a mill. s system is considered fully qualified and the routine system of follow-up audits begins. As for timing, review of a mill's Quality Manual can be turned around in a week to a week and a half after it arrives at APA, and the recognition audit and four confirmation audits can be completed over a 45-day period. The time required to develop a quality system and document it is strictly dependent on the mill.

EWJ: And what are the ongoing requirements to maintain recognition?

KUCHAR: Once qualified, a mill must continue to pass routine follow-up audits, which are conducted a minimum of 12 times per year. APA auditors have unrestricted access to the production facility and all records pertaining to the producer's quality system.

EWJ: You said earlier that the new program places greater emphasis on quality management of the production process as opposed to inspection and testing of the finished product. Does quality auditing of the finished product still play a part, though, in the new program?

KUCHAR: Yes, testing and inspection of the finished product continues to be an important feature of the new program. Products are compared to the standards or specifications to which they are produced. This includes independent testing of critical performance elements.

EWJ: Can and will the new program be applied in other APA engineered wood product facilities, such as glulam or I-joist plants?

KUCHAR: It certainly can be and we're exploring the possibility. To some degree these facilities already operate under a similar program.

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