A production hold ticket is a tool used in manufacturing and production environments to temporarily stop or pause production on a particular item, batch, or order. Hold tickets enable producers to quickly halt production when issues arise that need to be addressed before proceeding further. Using hold tickets helps ensure quality, accuracy, and efficiency in manufacturing operations.
When are production hold tickets used?
Production hold tickets are typically used when:
- There is an equipment malfunction or breakdown that requires maintenance or repair before production can safely and effectively resume.
- Inspection and testing reveals defects or problems with in-process items that need correction.
- Materials, parts, or components used on the production line are damaged, deficient, or scarce and more need to be obtained before proceeding.
- Final quality checks identify issues that require rework or adjustment before items are approved.
- Regulatory or compliance problems arise, necessitating a work stoppage until they can be addressed.
- Changes in specifications, designs, or production sequencing are needed, halting output until updates are made.
- Worker shortages, absenteeism, or inadequate training prevent production from continuing at the required pace or quality level.
In essence, hold tickets are used whenever an unexpected issue prevents production from continuing as planned. The tickets provide a simple, fast way to officially pause operations so problems can be resolved.
What information is included on a production hold ticket?
Production hold tickets typically contain the following information:
- Ticket number or ID code for tracking purposes
- Date and time the hold was initiated
- Department, production line, process, or equipment that is on hold
- Part numbers, item codes, or batch numbers affected
- Reason the hold was issued, with a brief description of the problem
- Name of the manager, supervisor, or inspector who authorized the hold
- Space for sign-offs when the issue has been addressed and hold can be removed
This data provides everything needed to clearly identify where and why a hold was placed, as well as to track the hold status through final resolution.
What are the steps in the production hold ticket process?
A typical production hold ticket process would include these steps:
- Problem or issue arises on production floor that requires line to be stopped.
- Manager, supervisor, or quality inspector assesses situation and makes decision to place line/process on hold pending corrective action.
- Hold ticket is filled out with necessary information and hold is imposed.
- Ticket details are communicated to appropriate personnel (e.g. production workers, maintenance team, supervisors, etc.).
- Root cause analysis is performed to determine why issue occurred.
- Corrective actions are identified and implemented to address cause and resolve problem.
- Affected inventory is quarantined or contained during hold period if necessary.
- Inspections, rework, maintenance, etc. are conducted as needed.
- Effects of hold on production schedule are assessed and plans adjusted accordingly.
- Once issue fully resolved, manager/supervisor signs off to remove hold and resume operations.
- Completed ticket serves as documentation of hold event for quality records.
This provides a general overview of the standardized processes involved in initiating, managing, and closing out a production hold ticket for problem resolution.
What are the benefits of using production hold tickets?
There are several important benefits that production hold tickets offer:
- Quality control – Holding faulty or defective output until problems are fixed prevents substandard items from proceeding through production.
- Accuracy – Halting operations when errors occur minimizes scrap and need for rework down the line.
- Compliance – Documented holds demonstrate due diligence in addressing regulatory or compliance issues.
- Traceability – Detailed hold records provide accountability for identifying and containing problems.
- Efficiency – Temporary focused holds avoid more extensive downtime if flaws persist and spread.
- Safety – Preventing operation of faulty equipment reduces risks of worker injuries or accidents.
- Communication – Hold tickets keep all affected teams informed of issues impacting production.
In short, using hold tickets makes it easier to spot and quickly resolve problems, avoid major disruptions, maintain quality standards, provide traceability, comply with rules and policies, communicate issues, and keep operations safe and efficient.
What are some best practices for production hold tickets?
Some best practices for effectively utilizing production hold tickets include:
- Make hold ticket completion mandatory when stopping any line or process.
- Ensure tickets have clear, standardized formats to facilitate correct use.
- Identify authorized managers who can initiate holds for each production area.
- Log holds immediately as they occur to accurately capture event details.
- Distribute copies of tickets to all relevant departments, teams, or individuals.
- Perform thorough root cause analysis of problems to prevent recurrence.
- Retain records of all hold tickets for quality data and traceability.
- Monitor hold trends to identify recurring issues needing attention.
- Train employees on hold ticket procedures and importance.
Adhering to defined protocols and best practices increases the effectiveness of production holds and helps organizations gain maximum benefit.
What are some challenges with production hold tickets?
There are a few potential challenges that may arise with the use of production hold tickets:
- Overuse of holds for minor issues resulting in excessive downtime.
- Incomplete information on tickets delaying response times.
- Lack of adherence to hold procedures, leading to informal unauthorized holds.
- Pushback from managers concerned about production impacts.
- Insufficient root cause analysis resulting in recurring problems.
- Failure to properly close holds once issues are resolved.
- Tickets getting lost, misplaced, or unaccounted for.
- Difficulty accessing past hold records to identify trends.
These challenges can be mitigated through training, auditing, standardized procedures, IT systems to maintain records, and a supportive culture that values quality and compliance. Ongoing monitoring and process improvements are key.
What are some alternatives to production hold tickets?
Some other tools that can serve a similar purpose to hold tickets include:
- Nonconformance reports – Documents when outputs don’t meet specifications but may not always require stopping production.
- Corrective action requests – Forms to record problems and initiate solutions but may or may not involve holds.
- Quality alerts – Notices of quality issues that could trigger holds but allow flexibility in response.
- Process failure notices – Track failures in operations versus physical assets.
- Inspection checklists – Help identify issues to spur holds but don’t formally document them.
- Maintenance work orders – Could generate holds but focus more on equipment issues.
- Audit reports – May uncover need for holds and corrective actions.
However, these tools have limitations in visibility, formality, and consistency. Production hold tickets remain the most standardized way to impose and track holds.
What types of data and metrics are gathered from production hold tickets?
Production hold tickets generate important data that can reveal insights through metrics and analysis such as:
- Number of holds by area/line
- Duration of holds
- Frequency of holds by reason/cause
- Hold trends by shift/team
- Scrap and rework costs from problems caught
- Costs of downtime from holds
- Responsiveness in resolving holds
- Effectiveness of corrective actions
- Quality performance before and after holds
This data helps identify where holds occur most, their operational impact, common root causes, quality issue detection rates, and opportunities to improve hold management. Metrics derived from hold tickets provide valuable visibility into production problems.
How are production hold tickets used in document control?
Within document control and quality management, hold tickets play an important role in:
- Providing documentation of quality issues and actions taken.
- Initiating changes to documentation like procedures, instructions, specifications, etc.
- Demonstrating compliance with regulations and standards.
- Enabling traceability back to specific lots, batches, or items affected.
- Recording process deviations that require correction.
- Flagging when document revisions are needed.
- Identifying training issues around following documents.
- Tracking document access issues and deficiencies.
- Triggering document reviews after quality events or changes.
- Linking related documentation like CAPAs and change orders.
Document control relies on hold tickets as a central component of change control and nonconformance management to maintain proper documentation.
What role do hold tickets play in root cause analysis and corrective actions?
Hold tickets are critical for guiding effective root cause analysis and corrective actions by:
- Capturing key details immediately at time of problem occurrence.
- Freezing the scene and halting activity so facts can be gathered.
- Providing a record of initial condition and chronology of events.
- Notifying all involved parties of issue for input and insights.
- Allowing analysis without pressure to resume operations.
- Tracing back through document history for contributing factors.
- Identifying process weaknesses, training gaps, communication breakdowns.
- Documenting the failures or human errors responsible.
- Recording corrective actions and verifying effectiveness.
The information in hold tickets fuels fact-finding, analysis, remediation, and prevention of recurrences critical to performance improvement.
How can production hold ticket processes be improved?
There are several ways production hold ticket procedures can be enhanced:
- Implementing standardized computerized ticketing systems for consistency.
- Integrating hold data with quality management software and analytics.
- Establishing approval workflows and systems integration for efficiency.
- Incorporating hold metrics into employee scorecards and evaluations.
- Automating notifications when holds are issued and cleared.
- Adding QR codes to tickets for mobile scanning and tracking.
- Training internal auditors to review hold processes and compliance.
- Performing periodic reviews of hold trends and costs.
- Soliciting employee feedback on hold system experiences and pain points.
- Updating procedures based on lessons learned and best practices.
Leveraging technology, automation, analytics, training, and continuous improvement programs can optimize production hold ticketing for even greater impact.
Conclusion
Production hold tickets play a vital role in regulated manufacturing environments to pause production when critical issues arise that impede quality, compliance, safety, accuracy, and efficiency. Implemented effectively with strong procedures, hold ticketing provides standardized documentation of problems, containment actions taken, resolutions achieved, and lessons learned for ongoing improvement. While production pauses impact schedules, they ultimately help prevent greater disruption, waste, and risks downstream. Robust hold ticket systems generate invaluable data for root cause analysis, corrective actions, auditing, performance analysis, and more. As a simple but essential production tool, the hold ticket safeguards product quality as well as organizational performance.