Resources

Resources for quality work.

Practical guides, templates and tools for audits, 8D and supplier quality. Access details are shown with each resource.

What are you here to do?

Prepare an audit

Checklists, the audit guides, and the glossary terms your team will meet.

Run an 8D

The 8D tool walks the discipline; the templates keep the evidence straight.

Make the cost case

Put a euro figure on poor quality before the budget meeting.

From the Field

Case studies, written like reports.

Real engagements, anonymized where required, with the numbers in context.

Automotive Tier 1 · Escalation SupportFeatured

Escalation Programme: Working Inside the Plant's Teams

How we worked inside a Tier-1 plant in its customer's escalation programme: what we looked at, the work packages, the daily rhythm and the closing rules.

5 min readRead case study

Manufacturing · Problem Solving & Statistical InvestigationFeatured

Second Opinion: Testing a Root-Cause Analysis Against the Data

A Tier-1 supplier had to answer its customer's root-cause analysis point by point. We tested each point against the production record, process and material.

4 min readRead case study

Automotive Tier 1 · Escalation SupportFeatured

Customer Escalation: Containment and 8D Support

How rapid containment and structured 8D response supported a supplier through a critical customer escalation.

Premium freight avoided

€47,000

plus retained €2.1M annual contract

7 min readRead case study

View all case studies

Practitioner guides

Field Guide8D Problem SolvingFeatured

The Complete Guide to 8D Problem Solving in Manufacturing

A practical, step-by-step 8D guide with templates, decision checkpoints, and real-world guidance for faster containment and permanent fixes.

What you'll learn

When to use 8D instead of 5-Why or A3
How to set strong containment in D3 without hiding the root cause
How to validate root cause in D4 with evidence

IntermediatePDF · form required

14 minRead guide

Field GuideQuality MetricsFeatured

COPQ: How to Calculate and Reduce Cost of Poor Quality

A practical guide to defining, calculating, and reducing COPQ with clear formulas, data sources, and improvement levers.

What you'll learn

Define internal and external failure costs
Calculate COPQ from real manufacturing data
Identify the top three COPQ drivers quickly

IntermediatePDF · form required

12 minRead guide

Field GuideQuality ToolsFeatured

Quality Software Reality Check: Why Most Tools Frustrate Quality Teams

An honest look at the quality software market: why expensive solutions underdeliver, cheap tools create chaos, and what actually works for manufacturing teams.

What you'll learn

Why enterprise quality software often underdelivers
The hidden costs of cheap or free tools
What happens when developers build without quality experience

Intermediate

11 minRead guide

Field GuideSupplier QualityFeatured

When Your Supplier 8D Is Just a Box to Check: How to Build Real Problem-Solving Partnerships

Practical guidance for OEM quality engineers dealing with weak supplier 8D responses. How to shift from checkbox compliance to genuine problem resolution.

What you'll learn

Why suppliers treat 8D as paperwork instead of problem-solving
What good supplier responses look like and how to recognize them
How to build trust that leads to transparency

IntermediatePDF · form required

13 minRead guide

Field GuideAudits & StandardsFeatured

Audit-Ready Factory: Building a Culture That Passes Audits Anytime

How to prepare for VDA 6.3 and IATF 16949 audits without the last-minute panic. Practical guidance on pilot audits, team preparation, and handling difficult auditor situations.

What you'll learn

Why audit-ready beats audit-prepared
How to run effective internal pilot audits
Involving non-quality people in audit preparation

IntermediatePDF · form required

14 minRead guide

Field GuideVDA Audit ScenariosFeatured

VDA 6.3 Audit: 4 Real-World Scenarios and How to Handle Them

Practical guide for VDA 6.3 auditors: handling poor preparation, emotional escalation, unexpected discoveries, and personal attacks.

What you'll learn

Handle poor audit preparation proactively
De-escalate emotional confrontations professionally
Navigate ethical dilemmas with out-of-scope discoveries

IntermediatePDF · form required

12 minRead guide

Featured videos

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Webinars

Webinar · 2026

ISO 9001:2026 - What Is Changing and What to Do Now

ISO 9001:2026: šta se stvarno menja i šta možete da uradite sada

ISO 14001:2026 — What Actually Changed (and What Didn’t)

Webinar · 2026

ISO 14001:2026 — šta se zaista promenilo (i šta NIJE)

ISO 14001:2026 — What Actually Changed (and What Didn’t)

View all webinars

Quality glossary

Cost of Poor Quality

COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality) is the total cost incurred due to producing defective products or services. In automotive manufacturing, COPQ typically ranges from 3-5% of revenue and includes scrap, rework, premium freight, customer claims, warranty costs, and inspection labor.

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Resources for quality work.

What are you here to do?

Escalation Programme: Working Inside the Plant's Teams

Second Opinion: Testing a Root-Cause Analysis Against the Data

Customer Escalation: Containment and 8D Support

Practitioner guides

The Complete Guide to 8D Problem Solving in Manufacturing

COPQ: How to Calculate and Reduce Cost of Poor Quality

Quality Software Reality Check: Why Most Tools Frustrate Quality Teams

When Your Supplier 8D Is Just a Box to Check: How to Build Real Problem-Solving Partnerships

Audit-Ready Factory: Building a Culture That Passes Audits Anytime

VDA 6.3 Audit: 4 Real-World Scenarios and How to Handle Them

Featured videos

Webinars

ISO 9001:2026 - What Is Changing and What to Do Now

ISO 14001:2026 — šta se zaista promenilo (i šta NIJE)

Quality glossary

Cost of Poor Quality

8D Methodology

VDA 6.3 Process Audit

IATF 16949

Production Part Approval Process

Advanced Product Quality Planning

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