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when our supply partners joined in the Black Belt mantra.Supplier training for Black Belt is one of the few things that DCXgives to the suppliers free of charge. Supplier Black Belt trainingis the same as that for Chrysler Groups employees.As we trained alongside our supplier partners, we worked onthe same problems and production issues. The growth in breadthand depth of the supplier involvement has developed into theparticipation more than 40 companies and 100 individuals, andwe were pleased to certify the first Master Black Belt from DanaCorporation (Toledo, Ohio) in 2005. Many more suppliers are inthe pipeline, scheduled for training.Eventually, the work of our Core Black Belt Group inCorporate <strong>Quality</strong> extended to our European counterparts.In the last two years, we have helped develop programs forDCX in Graz, Austria, and Berlin, Germany. Our activecoaching in Europe has led to the certification of 22 GreenBelts, one Master Black Belt and an overall cost savings inthe millions.Becoming Proactive: Green Y TechniqueEven though we are achieving great success in quality fixesand cost savings, the reactive program focused on finding andfixing existing problems. We began to see that many of theproduction challenges could be solved much earlier in theChrysler Development System process. We knew we had tobe much more proactive; that is when the Green Y techniquewas developed.This proactive approach began to address developmentissues. DCX began with Green Y, a simple way to determineif manufacturing variation or customer environments wouldcause warranty issues. This system worked very well on themultiple-displacement system and the stow-and-go seatingdesigns. We then included the more complex system of Designfor <strong>Six</strong> <strong>Sigma</strong> (DFSS). This technique develops products andprocesses that are robust to variation and meet predictedperformance in the presence of ambient noise. DFSS techniquesare just now coming online and will form the basis ofthe future Chrysler engineering culture.According to Stephen Walukas, Vice President, Corporate<strong>Quality</strong>, Chrysler Group, “The ability to evolve the Black Beltsystem from a reactive process to a proactive one is truly oneof the secrets to our success in improving customer satisfactionand improving our scores on a series of external metrics,including Consumer Reports and J. D. Power. The quality gapPicture at left: Reflections from bar lights allow DCX’s Component and<strong>Quality</strong> Assurance Design Studio employees to check for imperfectionsand thus ensure the surface paint on this Chrysler Pacifica is free ofbubbles. By checking early models before production, this proactivequality process allows staff to get in front of any potential surfacing andexterior fit and finish issues.There has been staggeringsuccess from the BlackBelt process.between us and the traditional leaders in quality is dramaticallyshrinking. This is the result of process but also the prideof our people, who have passionately embraced these tools todeliver dramatic results.”From an Idea, to a Way of doing Business,to the FutureThe maturing of the Black Belt process has grown from integrationby a select few to a fundamental management system thatis totally ingrained in the way DCX does business. EngineeringCore Component Teams, manufacturing and the supply groupshave each developed talent and structured processes to identifyand resolve read-across issues and chronic problems in a timelymanner. The Engineering Management process is used to identifyreactive Black Belt projects and chronic/systemic problemsin Core and Product Teams. Deployment of additional tools,such as Design of Experiments, and Robust Design and Innovation,resolve chronic/systematic problems and prevent themin future programs.We now look at the future of the Black Belt systems and thebright prospects of complete integration of the proactive DFSSinto everything we do in design, development and productinnovation. This complex and scientific approach to problemsolving is becoming part of the basic skill set needed to remaincompetitive in today’s worldwide marketplace. As part ofour corporate culture, the fundamental view of statisticalproblem solving is evolving from “Why would we do that?”to “Why wouldn’t we do that?” Complete integration of <strong>Six</strong><strong>Sigma</strong> Black Belt methodology throughout all manufacturingprocesses at DCX is an indicator that this great company has asolid and competitive future.Judson Estes is manager of the Black BeltCore Group of DaimlerChrysler AG, and hasbeen with DCX for 20 years. Mr. Estes isresponsible for leading the implementationof the Black Belt Program, worldwide, forDaimlerChrysler AG. To date, Mr. Estes hasimplemented the program in over sevencountries and for over forty suppliers.www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 39