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PPM, FTQ, scrap, rework, number of claims. The indicators are everywhere. They’re reported in daily meetings, displayed on monitors throughout the plant, and featured in management dashboards that travel weekly to corporate offices.
 
But how many of those data points actually turn into real decisions?
 
The question every SQA or quality engineer should be asking is simple:
Is your dashboard built for action — or just for reporting?

It’s time to react, not just measure

Indicators aren’t the issue. The real problem starts when they simply display results without helping you understand what to do next. A dashboard might show 400 PPM, but if you don’t know where it’s happening, why, or what actions to take, then it’s just another number — until the customer calls it out.

That’s where the mindset shift begins: from KPI to KQI.

Turn your quality KPIs into effective KQIs

KQIs (Key Quality Indicators) aren’t just another acronym — they’re an evolution.
While traditional KPIs show the what, KQIs are designed to show where to act and who should act.
 
Example:

▪️ KPI: Monthly scrap by supplier
▪️KQI: Weekly critical failures, cross-referenced with reaction time, number of affected lots, and accumulated rework costs
 
That metric doesn’t just inform — it triggers questions:

▪️Why are we still releasing without solving?
▪️Who didn’t respond in time?
▪️What part of production is releasing without detection?

How to build a dashboard that drives decisions

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From KPI to KQI: Designing Metrics That Trigger Action 

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A dashboard isn’t about displaying more — it’s about displaying what drives someone to move.
 
Every indicator should have three things:

▪️A responsible owner
▪️A defined tolerance
▪️An immediate action when it’s exceeded

Measuring without acting is just reporting. And reporting without impact is just filling out forms.

What if your dashboard could actually change results?
 
Plants that master their KQIs don’t just report lower PPM. They also:

▪️Correct before the customer detects
▪️Adjust processes in real time
▪️Justify improvement projects with hard data
▪️Reduce recurring failures and waste
▪️Respond more effectively to demanding OEMs

What can PTI QCS do for you? 

At PTI QCS, we work with Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to make their metrics speak on the shop floor and trigger real decisions.
 
From identifying critical points to building visual dashboards that link quality services with your production, we help turn data into action — not just compliance.
 
Contact us at janava@ptiqcs.com for Mexico and at sales@ptiqcs.com for the U.S. or Canada. 

• Start with the problem, not the spreadsheet 
  Don’t just “fill in the table.” First ask:
   
  ▪️What deviation am I trying to prevent?
  ▪️What role needs to react if this data spikes?
  ▪️What decision do I want this number to provoke? 
  
  
• Make it visual and to the point
  A good dashboard answers three things in 3 seconds:
  
   🔴 What’s out of control?
   🟡 What’s in the risk zone?
   🟢 What’s on target?
   
  Heatmaps, traffic lights, trend lines, and process-specific alerts help more than 25 stacked Excel tables.
  
  
• Connect data sources, not isolated departments
  You can’t understand quality without production, purchasing, or engineering. Useful KQIs often cross-reference:
  
  ▪️SAP/ERP with actual scrap
  ▪️Rework data with design issues 
  ▪️Response times with 8D reports and containment logs
  
  
• Use compound metrics with operational logic
  Don’t just measure FTQ. Combine it with % of lots requiring rework and supplier reaction time.
  
  That way, you’ll know whether your high FTQ is due to real performance… or problems being fixed on the line without addressing root causes. 

Metrics that drive action

Here are some examples of indicators that trigger real decisions: