Structured data analysis as the key to greater customer satisfaction
Continuous quality improvements should be an integral part of every company's success strategy. But how can this objective be achieved given that the products and processes are often complex in nature? RELINE relies on its own total quality management system (TQM) - and sees its commitment confirmed: The TQM quality report of the GRP pipe liner manufacturer delivers new record values for 2024.
One figure stands out in particular: From 2022 to 2024, the quality rate of the products delivered increased by 5 times.
"Without our TQM, something like this would not be possible," emphasizes Philipp Martin, Director of Sales & Marketing. "The management system enables consistent controlling by recording all processes in a database - from the receipt of goods through the individual production steps to the material testing of the construction site samples and the feedback from users," adds Stefan Reichel, Head of Quality & Technology. Based on the database of more than 9,000,000 meters of Alphaliner produced, the RELINE team then constantly identifies optimization approaches.
Packages of measures for sustainable quality improvements
The positive developments reflected in the current TQM quality report are the result of a whole range of measures interacting together:
In 2022, RELINE will focus on the inner film required for installation of the UV-curing Alphaliner. Through targeted adjustments to incoming goods inspection, storage and the process of loading the films onto the liner winding machine, complaints attributable to production processes have been reduced to a minimum.
An equally important step was targeted changes in the manufacturing process of the individually manufactured Alphaliners, which ensure the consistency of the composite thickness. Standardized production parameters and so-called quality gates, including newly defined quality limits for in-situ thickness measurement, prevent deviations in the composite wall thickness. Additional security is provided by 100% weight control of the liners after production and comparison of this data with the RELINE database. The delivery of a liner with deviations in the wall thickness and thus in the liner weight can be ruled out.
Employees as central players in TQM
As relevant as technical optimizations are for quality assurance and improvement, the close involvement of the team plays at least as central a role.
RELINE relies on a process-oriented approach, especially in manufacturing, which makes production processes transparent and tangible for all employees. The individual work steps are standardized and illustrated in an easy-to-understand manner. Structured training and a comparison of the content taught at regular intervals ensure that employees always act according to the "best practice method" or that processes are optimized if necessary. Standardization also helps to secure the teams' accumulated wealth of experience for the future.
Another component of the Total-Quality-Managementsystem at RELINE is the open culture of communication and for dealing with errors, in which employees can not only speak openly about anomalies, but are also constructively involved in eliminating the causes. This appreciative atmosphere characterizes the daily shop floor meetings as well as the regular Gemba walks. These short area audits focus on safety issues, compliance with defined processes and quality standards, and lean management in accordance with the 5S method, among other things.
Interface management: Precise communication, smooth processes
RELINE goes one step further with its communication-focused approach. The company from Rohrbach in the Palatinate relies on a close customer-supplier relationship along the entire value chain. Because where important data and details are left behind, this can pave the way for all kinds of complications. "Especially at the interfaces, we make sure that all information and process results are coordinated together and meet the requirements of all parties," explains Stefan Reichel. "Through intensive and clearly structured exchange, delays are minimized and at the same time the performance of downstream processes can be increased."
One of the crucial processes from the customer's perspective is the delivery of the ordered Alphaliner to the construction site - and its reliable planning. This shows particularly impressively how effective a structured approach, such as with the help of TQM, can be in a company: In 2024, RELINE was able to meet the promised delivery dates 99.6 percent of the time - and thus made a contribution to ensuring that countless sewer rehabilitation projects could be implemented according to plan.
Waste reduction: a step towards recycling management
There is still a focus on sustainability: While repairs using GRP pipe liners are scientifically proven to be significantly more environmentally friendly than other methods, the production of the liners cannot be done without synthetic materials. This makes responsible handling of them all the more important: From 2022 to 2024, the waste rate was successfully reduced by more than 10%. This can and should only be a start. The RELINE team is working hard to further reduce the amount of production waste and to cleanly separate the remaining scrap in order to feed it into the recycling cycle.
The company is very confident that this too will be achieved step by step thanks to the total quality management system.
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