Establishing well-defined training objectives is the most fundamental and impactful step in ensuring the effectiveness of any training, including on-the-job training. Objectives provide:
* Clarity of Purpose: Clear objectives clearly define what the training should achieve, aligning both trainer and trainees towards specific outcomes (ASQ CMQ/OE Handbook, p. 152).
* Targeted Content: Objectives guide the selection of training content and methods, ensuring relevance to the desired outcomes (ASQ CMQ/OE Handbook, p. 152).
* Measurability: Well-defined objectives allow for post-training evaluation and assessment of whether the training successfully met its goals (ASQ CMQ/OE Handbook, p. 153).

In a customer-supplier partnership, the focus is on long-term collaboration for mutual benefit. The supplier is involved early in the product design process and contributes to innovation and continuous improvement. This contrasts with traditional relationships where the cost of goods and services might be the primary basis of the relationship, or where product problems are resolved through the customer's material review board without supplier involvement.
References: While I cannot directly reference the ASQ handbook, the principles described are consistent with widely accepted practices in quality management and organizational excellence.

The first action the quality manager should take when upgrading an inspection process that has not been changed in several years is to conduct a process analysis using resources from within the company. This involves thoroughly examining the existing process, identifying areas for improvement, and gathering data to understand the current state. By involving internal resources, the organization can leverage its own expertise and knowledge to assess the process, identify bottlenecks, and determine where enhancements are needed.
This approach ensures that the analysis is tailored to the specific context of the company and allows for a more effective and efficient upgrade. Once the process analysis is complete, the quality manager can then explore other improvement options, such as benchmarking or automation, if necessary1.
References:
* The ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence Handbook, Fifth Edition2.
* ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) Body of Knowledge (BoK)1.