Virat Services Case Study: A Lucky Day of Absence – The Day that Changed Harmitbhai’s Factory

The names used in case studies do not reflect any individual or company and are totally fictional.

"It was a lucky day for Harmitbhai and his factory as 2 of their inspectors for QC were absent that day, and Virat got the chance for improvement that brought drastic change."

Scene: Morning at Harmitbhai’s Brass Components Factory

Virat: Hi Harmit, how are you?

Harmit: Not good exactly!!

Virat: What’s wrong?

Harmit: Just recently, I got 8000 pieces of a brass-part returned from one of my major customers due to quality issues. And to make matters worse, both my line inspectors are on leave today. QC guys blame machine operators, and operators blame QC for not coming on time. No one takes responsibility — and I have to bear the loss of money, time, and reputation.

Virat: Hmm… That sounds critical.

Harmit (frustrated): Virat, you talk a lot about QMS, systems, training, and all that. But tell me honestly — what can your QMS do in this kind of mess?

Virat (smiling): Harmit, every problem is a hidden opportunity. Come with me to the shopfloor — let’s find that opportunity and act on it today itself.

Harmit (skeptical): What can we really do in one day?

Virat: Just keep faith — in QMS and in Virat.

Scene: On the Shopfloor

Virat gathers all machine operators for a quick talk.

Virat: Friends, let’s think of something simple. If the chapatis at home are half-cooked and raw, who is responsible?

Operators (smiling): The cook!

Virat: Right! If you board a bus to Rajkot and it drops you at Morbi, whose mistake?

Operators: The bus driver, obviously.

Virat (pausing): Now… these brass components that are going out with defects, who made them?

(Operators look at each other, some with guilt, some in confusion.)

Virat: Speak up… who?

Operator 1 (softly): We… the operators.

Virat: Exactly! You are the cooks, and the drivers of your machines. So why should someone else check your output? If you made it, you are the best person to inspect it!

🎯 The Bold Decision: Operator-Based Quality Assurance

Virat (turning to Harmit): Harmit, I request your permission to make a bold change today. Let’s stop dependency on line inspectors and empower our operators to take charge of their own product’s quality.

🛠️ Systematic Changes Implemented Immediately:

1. Laminated Operation Drawings:
   Every machine now has a laminated drawing pad showing operation sketches and key quality parameters — easily accessible and protected from oil/dust.

2. Shared Digital Calipers:
   One digital caliper for every 4 machines, calibrated weekly. Easy access for all operators.

3. Pre-Production Briefing:
   Before any component production starts, operators receive a 5-minute quality briefing — even for repeat parts.

4. Simplified In-Process Inspection Sheets:
   Simple checklists introduced — easy to fill, just 3-5 key parameters.

5. Self-Checking Routine:
   Every 10 minutes, operators inspect 3 random pieces. If any defect is found, machine is stopped immediately.

6. Rejection Analysis by QC:
   Rejected pieces collected separately. QC team analyses cause, documents in a rejection log, and recommends preventive actions.

📈 The Results After Just 2.5 Months

Metrics	Before	After
Rejection Rate	5.8%	0.9%
Monthly Customer Complaints	2-3	0
Rework Hours per Month	90-100 hrs	20hrs
Customer Satisfaction Score	72/100	91/100
Average Delivery Delays	4 days	0-1 day max
Machine Downtime due to QC Confusion	High	Minimal
Employee Morale	Moderate	High

🎉 Closing Scene:

Harmit (smiling): Virat, I used to think QC was just about inspection — but you made me realize it's about ownership and awareness.

Virat: Harmit, that’s the soul of Quality Assurance — when every operator becomes the first inspector of his own work.

Harmit (shaking hands): I salute QMS… and I salute Virat. Let’s keep walking on this path of continuous improvement.

Moral of the Story:

Sometimes, absence of people opens doors to presence of systems. And that’s exactly what happened on that lucky day when both QC inspectors were on leave!