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Quality Guide

Overview​

Quality tracking records rejected parts and their reasons, helping operators and quality teams identify defects and track improvements. This guide covers entering and adjusting rejects, configuring reasons, quality reporting, and the Quality component of OEE.

For machine stops and their causes, see the separate Downtime Guide.

Quality Tracking​

What is Quality Tracking?​

Quality Tracking logs rejected parts during production, enabling root cause analysis of quality issues.

Key Capabilities:

  • Operators reject parts in real-time (ShopPulse)
  • Quality team adjusts rejected parts retroactively (post-inspection)
  • Reject reasons hierarchy (parent → subcategory)
  • Quality affects OEE (Quality component)
  • Quality reports (Pareto charts, trends)

Rejecting Parts (Real-Time)​

Operator Workflow:

  1. Operator identifies rejected part(s)
  2. Taps "Reject Parts" button on ShopPulse (available from any tab)
  3. Enters number of parts to reject
  4. Selects reject reason from hierarchy
  5. Chooses Scrap or Non-Conforming
  6. (Optional) Adds note for context
  7. Taps "Save"

Example:

Quantity: 3
Reason: Quality Issues → Out of Tolerance → Dimension A Oversize
Type: Scrap
Note: "Measured 1.005", spec is 1.000" ±0.002""

See Also: Parts Produced and Rejected in ShopPulse guide

Adjusting Rejected Parts (Retroactive)​

When: Quality inspection occurs after production (post-job inspection).

Who: Quality Management Team, Managers, Executives

Where: Machine Quality page or Parts tab on Machine Overview

Step-by-Step:

  1. Navigate to Machines → Select Machine
  2. Click Quality tab or Parts tab
  3. Find production run to adjust
  4. Click "Adjust Rejected Parts"
  5. Enter quantity:
    • Positive number: Add rejects (e.g., +5 = 5 more rejects)
    • Negative number: Remove rejects (e.g., -2 = remove 2 rejects, corrects over-rejection)
  6. Select reject reason
  7. Choose Scrap or Non-Conforming
  8. Remove from Good Parts checkbox:
    • Checked: Rejected parts subtracted from good parts count
    • Unchecked: Good parts count unchanged (if already accounted for)
  9. (Optional) Add note
  10. Click "Save"

Use Cases:

  • Post-production inspection finds additional rejects
  • Operator over-rejected (correct by entering negative number)
  • Rework parts initially rejected but later fixed (adjust count)

Scrap vs. Non-Conforming​

Scrap:

  • Part is unusable
  • Cannot be reworked
  • Total loss

Non-Conforming:

  • Part is outside spec
  • May be reworked or used with deviation approval
  • Potential recovery

Configuration: Reject reasons can have fixed behavior (always Scrap or always Non-Conforming) or let operator choose.

Reject Reasons​

What are Reject Reasons?​

Reject Reasons classify why parts are rejected.

Purpose:

  • Root cause analysis (identify top quality issues)
  • Pareto charts (80/20 rule)
  • Targeted improvement initiatives
  • Track quality improvement over time

Example Reject Reasons:

  • Dimensional Issues
  • Surface Finish
  • Cosmetic Defects
  • Tool Issues (dull tool, tool break)
  • Process Issues (incorrect speeds/feeds)
  • Material Issues (material defect)

Reject Reason Hierarchy​

Hierarchical Structure: Reject reasons can have multiple levels, using a pipe (|) separator between each level.

Format:

Parent | Subcategory | Sub-subcategory

Examples:

Dimensional | Out of Specification | Groove | Diameter Big
Dimensional | Out of Specification | Groove | Diameter Small
Dimensional | Out of Specification | Drill | Hole Size Big
Dimensional | Out of Specification | Drill | Hole Size Small

Surface Finish | Rough Surface
Surface Finish | Scratches

Tooling Issues | Dull Tool
Tooling Issues | Tool Break
Tooling Issues | Wrong Tool

Material Issues | Material Defect
Material Issues | Incorrect Material

Benefits:

  • Broad Analysis: View all "Dimensional" issues
  • Specific Analysis: Drill down to "Diameter Big" for specific feature
  • Targeted Improvements: Focus on specific root causes

Configuring Reject Reasons​

Access:

  1. Navigate to Settings → Quality → Reject Reasons
  2. Click "+ Add Reason"

Fields:

1. Reason Name

  • Enter name
  • For hierarchy: Use | separator (e.g., Dimensional | Out of Specification)
  • Important: Each level requires its own entry
    • Create parent: Dimensional
    • Create subcategory: Dimensional | Out of Specification
    • Create sub-subcategory: Dimensional | Out of Specification | Groove

2. Scrap/Non-Conforming Behavior

  • Scrap or Non-Conforming: Operator chooses
  • Scrap: Always marked as scrap
  • Non-Conforming: Always marked as non-conforming

3. Color

  • Assign color for visual identification (reports, dashboards)

4. Archive

  • Archive obsolete reasons (not deleted)
  • Archived reasons hidden from operator selection
  • Historical data retained

Sample Reject Reasons​

Best Practice Hierarchy:

Dimensional
  ├─ Out of Specification
  │   ├─ Groove
  │   │   ├─ Diameter Big
  │   │   └─ Diameter Small
  │   ├─ Drill
  │   │   ├─ Hole Size Big
  │   │   └─ Hole Size Small
  │   └─ Thread
  │       ├─ Pitch Out of Spec
  │       └─ Depth Out of Spec

Surface Finish
  ├─ Rough Surface
  ├─ Scratches
  └─ Chatter Marks

Cosmetic
  ├─ Burrs
  ├─ Chips/Nicks
  └─ Discoloration

Tooling Issues
  ├─ Dull Tool
  ├─ Tool Break
  └─ Wrong Tool

Material Issues
  ├─ Material Defect
  └─ Incorrect Material

Process Issues
  ├─ Incorrect Program
  ├─ Incorrect Speeds/Feeds
  └─ Incorrect Setup

Impact on OEE​

How Quality Affects OEE​

Quality Component:

Quality = (Good Parts / Total Parts Produced) × 100%

Key Points:

  • Rejected parts directly reduce Quality
  • Quality calculated over entire scheduled period (including setup if configured)
  • 100% Quality = no rejects
  • Examples:
    • 200 total parts, 150 good, 50 rejected = 75% Quality
    • 100 total parts, 100 good, 0 rejected = 100% Quality

Impact on OEE:

Example:
Availability: 80%
Performance: 90%
Quality: 75%

OEE = 0.80 × 0.90 × 0.75 = 0.54 = 54%

If Quality improves to 90%:

OEE = 0.80 × 0.90 × 0.90 = 0.648 = 64.8%

Key Insight:

  • Even small quality improvements significantly impact OEE
  • Reducing rejects is often fastest way to improve OEE

For the complete OEE calculation and aggregation across machines, see Understanding Your Data.

Quality Reports​

Quality Report​

Purpose: Analyze rejected parts by reason and identify quality trends.

Access: Navigate to Reports → Quality

Report Sections:

1. Rejected Parts Pareto Chart

  • Bar chart showing top reject reasons
  • Sorted by count (number of parts)
  • Pareto line (cumulative percentage)

2. Rejects Table

  • List of all rejected parts
  • Columns:
    • Time: When reject occurred
    • Machine: Which machine
    • Job: Associated production run
    • Part Count: Number of parts rejected
    • Reason: Reject reason
    • Message: Operator notes
    • Type: Scrap or Non-Conforming
  • Sortable: Click column headers
  • Searchable: Text search

3. Rejects By Machine

  • Table showing rejection data per machine
  • Total rejects
  • Breakdown by reject reason

Filters:

  • Date/Time Range: Select period
  • Machine or Machine Group: Filter to specific machines
  • Shift: Filter to specific shift
  • Rejection Reason: Filter to specific reason

Use Cases:

  • Identify top quality issues (Pareto)
  • Track scrap reduction initiatives
  • Compare quality across machines/shifts
  • Justify process improvements or tooling investments

See Also: Quality Report

For combined production metrics, see the OEE Report. Use Report Builder for custom metrics and grouping.

Best Practices​

Quality Tracking Best Practices​

1. Create Specific Reject Reasons

  • Avoid generic "Quality Issues"
  • Use hierarchy: "Dimensional | Out of Spec | Feature X"
  • Specific reasons enable targeted improvements

2. Add Notes for Context

  • What was the measurement?
  • What is the spec?
  • Was it close or way off?

Example Note:

"ID measured 1.505", spec is 1.500" +0.002/-0.000. Out of tolerance by 0.003". Tool may be worn."

3. Reject Parts in Real-Time

  • Don't wait until end of shift
  • Immediate rejection more accurate
  • Reduces uncategorized rejects

4. Perform Post-Production Inspection

  • Quality team inspects sample or all parts
  • Adjust rejected parts retroactively if needed
  • Captures quality issues operators didn't catch

5. Use Reject Data for Improvement

  • Review Quality Report weekly
  • Identify top reject reasons (Pareto)
  • Prioritize improvements (tooling, process, training)

6. Track Improvement Initiatives

  • Before/after comparisons
  • Example: "Implemented new tooling → 50% reduction in 'Dull Tool' rejects"

Getting Help​

Quality Affecting OEE More Than Expected​

Review the Quality Report, verify good and rejected part counts, and check the selected reject reasons. Quality is calculated as good parts divided by total parts produced.

Contact Support​

Contact MachineMetrics Support with the machine, production run and time period, affected reject reason, quantities, screenshots, and expected behavior.