Original Date: 04/28/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

The Production Process Verification system recently instituted at Lockheed Martin Electronics and Missiles (E&M) has provided significant improvements in the areas of quality and first time yields in products manufactured at that facility. Lockheed Martin defines Production Process Validation as “a quality surveillance system which vests responsibility for product quality with those who build the product.”

In developing and implementing the new process, individual work teams were established to train and build quality into the product and take responsibility for proactive defect prevention. Process operators were trained to ensure they had the skill and knowledge necessary to assume sole responsibility for the quality of products that they produced. Specific operators were certified for manufacture of specific hardware and processes were certified. Operators were then trained to the concept of process certification. The teams were then instructed in how to establish and maintain metrics to help to monitor their progress. The traditional product inspectors became quality assurance personnel who monitored the process and not the work of the operators. These quality assurance personnel became key personnel in helping the process operators maintain the production process and build quality into the product.

Prior to implementation of this process, the company commonly saw first time yields of 85%, rework of product of 3.0%, and total product manufacturing cycle times of 19 days. Once the process became robust, first time yields rose to 98%, rework dropped to 0.5%, and total manufacturing span time dropped to 15 days.

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