Project "SigmaGuardian": Early Warning and Prevention system for reducing faults and failures in the manufacturing industry and hospitals. Submitted by Warwick Analytics.
Lead Participant:
WARWICK ANALYTICAL SOFTWARE LIMITED
Abstract
Despite the manufacturing industry adopting 6-sigma quality processes and computerised production, the Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) is still one of the largest costs. It is vast, 15-30% of revenues, i.e. 1-$2 trillion globally which is 3-6 times profits. COPQ includes internal defects (scrap or rework) and external defects (product returns and warranty costs). None of this includes reputation or safety issues particularly for healthcare and transport sectors.
COPQ is high because root causes are hard to resolve with so many potential variables in each defect, as well as the competitive pressure to launch ever more complex products.
The state of the art of resolving faults is using various quality and statistics tools, of which there is a plethora. However this requires skilled, manual intervention and is statistical and hypothesis-led. There is nothing on the market which automatically detects and resolves root causes of faults. If there were, COPQ would be dramatically reduced, and product innovation would increase.
Warwick Analytics (WA) provides proprietary and innovative techniques for resolving root
causes of product defects and process bottlenecks, by identifying the critical parameters and quantifying the solution. It is non-statistical, meaning it does not find 'best fit' correlation and it does not require sampling or hypothesis formulation: It just uses the data available automatically. It is a spinout of Warwick University and the technology evolved from a decade of academic research.
WA was awarded a Smart POC grant (710139) in 2011 and has now proven the concept of a software product solving real problems for Motorola, Aston Martin, Volvo et al. as well as hospital bottlenecks at UHCW. The market need was also validated.
This Project aims to build on this by developing a commercially viable prototype and
validating amongst prospective customers. It also aims to validate customer RoI and quantify the value proposition and pricing.
COPQ is high because root causes are hard to resolve with so many potential variables in each defect, as well as the competitive pressure to launch ever more complex products.
The state of the art of resolving faults is using various quality and statistics tools, of which there is a plethora. However this requires skilled, manual intervention and is statistical and hypothesis-led. There is nothing on the market which automatically detects and resolves root causes of faults. If there were, COPQ would be dramatically reduced, and product innovation would increase.
Warwick Analytics (WA) provides proprietary and innovative techniques for resolving root
causes of product defects and process bottlenecks, by identifying the critical parameters and quantifying the solution. It is non-statistical, meaning it does not find 'best fit' correlation and it does not require sampling or hypothesis formulation: It just uses the data available automatically. It is a spinout of Warwick University and the technology evolved from a decade of academic research.
WA was awarded a Smart POC grant (710139) in 2011 and has now proven the concept of a software product solving real problems for Motorola, Aston Martin, Volvo et al. as well as hospital bottlenecks at UHCW. The market need was also validated.
This Project aims to build on this by developing a commercially viable prototype and
validating amongst prospective customers. It also aims to validate customer RoI and quantify the value proposition and pricing.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
Participant |
||
| WARWICK ANALYTICAL SOFTWARE LIMITED | ||
| THE TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD | ||
| PORTRAIT TECHNOLOGY LIMITED |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Dan Somers (Project Manager) |