Joseph Rehall / Professional experience
Supplier quality & corrective action
I follow the problem far enough to understand it.
My supplier quality work has involved nonconforming components, failure investigations, and corrective action with suppliers and engineering teams. I care about getting the immediate issue under control, then establishing what needs to change and how to check it.
Quality work close to the parts and the people
At Lucid Motors, I developed quality controls for EV powertrain operations, including how nonconforming components were tracked and quarantined. I investigated failures and worked with suppliers and engineering teams on corrective action.
At Cruise, I developed quality management and corrective-action systems while working closely with General Motors. That work included supplier reviews and failure investigations with engineering and reliability teams. In both roles, I had to understand the failure and the records and decisions around it.
He developed a comprehensive Material Review Board (MRB) process that supported in millions of dollars worth of part dispositioning, including thousands of dollars in savings where parts were recoverable. He also constructed polices and procedures to ensure the right infrastructure was built out to support supplier warranty processes including failure tracking and nonconforming reports.
Separate what happened from what might explain it
I start by getting clear about the observed problem. I want to understand the component, the condition that drew attention, and what the available records establish. An early explanation can be useful, but it still needs to be checked.
I look for evidence that supports the explanation and anything that contradicts it. I also want the people involved to be working from the same information. A supplier, an engineering team, and an operations team may each see a different part of the failure.
Choose an action that addresses the cause
My Lean Six Sigma Black Belt background shapes how I work through root cause and corrective action. I want a clear connection between the explanation and the proposed change. If that connection is weak, I go back through the investigation.
I also separate managing the immediate condition from preventing it from recurring. Tracking and quarantining a nonconforming component addresses an immediate need. The corrective action still has to account for why the issue happened and what would show that the change worked.
Keep the evidence available after the meeting
A quality system needs to preserve the reasoning behind a decision. I think about what someone will need when they return to an issue: the original observation, the evidence reviewed, the action agreed on, and the remaining questions.
I bring process and software experience to that work. Sometimes the procedure needs clarification. Sometimes the team needs a better way to connect records and follow up on actions. I choose the approach after understanding where the work is breaking down.
My approach to process improvement
How I investigate recurring problems, develop practical changes, and check the result.
My professional background
The departments, quality work, audit responsibilities, and applications behind this approach.