QRQC and 4-Step problem solving for internal deviations.
4-Step is the method for fast internal deviations such as scrap, rework or parts out of spec: the engineer defines the problem, finds the root cause, fixes it and verifies the fix, alone, with no team and no forms. With SolveR the engineer never has to guess which step comes next, and the closed case stays in the knowledge base for anyone who meets a similar problem.
When to use 4-Step, and when not to
4-Step is a short four-step case record: in scope it matches a 4D report, in a QRQC routine it can serve as the case record, and it does not replace the QRQC board or the daily meetings.
You pick it when the problem stays in-house: internal scrap, rework or a deviation, with no customer involved and no safety risk. A full 8D is too heavy for problems like these, so today they often end up in action tables or get settled by word of mouth, with nothing written down.
- Just-Do-It for the obvious fix at one workstation, done right away and written down at once.
- 8D when a customer is involved, when safety is at stake or when the problem keeps coming back.
Which method fits which problem: see the method table on the How it Works page.
A case from the line, today and with SolveR
A typical case: a burr on the edge of a stamped part, and the parts go to rework.
| Today | With SolveR |
|---|---|
| The line spots a burr on the edge of a stamped part. The parts go to rework, and one line is left in the action table. | The engineer opens the case alone and describes where the burr sits on the part, on which tool and since when. |
| The problem is too small for an 8D, so nobody writes the cause down to the end. | As the problem is described, similar solved cases from your knowledge base come up. |
| The tool goes for regrinding, because that helped last time. Nobody checks whether that was really the cause. | The cause is confirmed on the tool: a worn cutting edge. The fix and the check on the next parts are recorded in the same case. |
| When the burr comes back, the engineer starts again and does not know what was tried last time. | The closed case stays in the knowledge base with its cause, fix and check, and comes up when a burr appears on another tool. |
At the meeting we show 4-Step on one of your own internal cases.
What you get: a closed record in four steps
A case record in which the problem, the confirmed cause, the fix and the check are linked from the first description to closure. The engineer closes it alone, with no team and no forms. An auditor can follow it from start to finish, so nothing needs cleaning up before an audit.
Where SolveR guides you
SolveR walks the engineer through all four steps, from the description to the check, so nobody guesses the next step and nobody works from memory. As the problem is described it shows similar solved cases, and it suggests causes and actions from your plant's closed cases with the source of each one. The engineer decides.
Four steps: define, find root cause, fix, verify
- DEFINEDefineWhat, where and since when
- FIND RCFind Root CauseThe root cause, not the symptom
- FIXFixAn action on the confirmed cause
- VERIFYVerifyProof that the fix holds
Every closed case stays in the knowledge base
A closed 4-Step stays in the knowledge base with its cause, fix and check, even after the engineer who solved it has moved on. When a similar deviation comes back, this case and what worked back then come up as the problem is described. Internal problems are more frequent than customer complaints, so most of what builds up in the knowledge base comes from them.
Every method writes into the same base. You can also ask Brain. The How it Works page shows what goes into the base and what comes out.
Questions about 4-Step and QRQC
What is the difference between QRQC, a 4D report and an 8D report?
QRQC (Quick Response Quality Control) is a fast response routine: a defect is handled as soon as it occurs and where it occurs, in levels from the line up to the plant. A 4D report is a shortened form of 8D for manageable problems, and its steps vary from company to company. An 8D report is the full answer to a customer, with a team, immediate actions, validation of the actions and prevention. 4-Step in SolveR is close to a 4D report in scope and can serve as the case record in a QRQC routine.
When is 4-Step not enough, so you need an 8D?
When the customer expects an answer, when safety is at stake or when the problem keeps coming back despite the fix. Those problems call for an 8D, with a team, immediate actions that protect the customer and prevention. An internal deviation that the engineer closes alone stays in 4-Step.
What does a closed 4-Step record contain?
The problem description, the confirmed cause, the fix and the check that the fix holds. Everything sits in one record and is linked from the first description to closure. Because each step is recorded as you go, there is no separate report to write at the end.
Does 4-Step replace the QRQC board and the daily meetings?
No. The QRQC board and the daily meetings stay as you run them today. 4-Step is the record of a single case: what you agree at the meeting, the engineer records in four steps, and the record stays in the knowledge base long after the board has been wiped clean.
Can we keep our own 4D report format?
Yes. If your team already works to its own steps or its own 4D report format, we build your method from them. Closed cases go into the same knowledge base as the cases of every other method.
Other methods
Every team picks the method that fits the problem, and one knowledge base stands behind all of them.
Bring one internal case from the line to the call. Two documents are enough.