Yield risk cards at D2

Uncommon events or out of the ordinary situations often trigger line yield losses such as misprocesses, miscommunications, or missed opportunities. D2 distributed bright red "Yield Risk" cards to the factory technicians to visually highlight material requiring special handling and tangibly draw attention to the unusual situation. The simplicity of the red cards coupled with the method used to proliferate the idea makes this system especially unique and transferable to other factories or situations where technician involvement is essential. This article documents and discusses results from the development and implementation of a visual tool, the Yield Risk card, used to enhance TMT yield effectiveness. The project was begun April 1, 1995, and continues today at D2 in response to high operations related line yield losses. The purpose of the project was to develop a tool that addressed line yield losses and received high levels of technician buy-in and, subsequently, high usage.