Home Cases Goudsmit: reducing scrap rate from 40% to 5% with DMAIC
Challenge

Challenge

Scrap rate increased to 40% for a critical product group

Approach

Approach

DMAIC method and data analysis with dashboard

Result

Result

Scrap rate decreased from 40% to between 5% and 10%

About Goudsmit Magnetics

Goudsmit Magnetics is an international industrial company from the Brainport region, founded in 1959 and since then specialised in the design and production of magnets and magnet systems. Their solutions are used worldwide for metal separation, recycling, transport, lifting and holding applications, and demagnetisation. Customers are active in the food, pharmaceutical, chemical, automotive, and aerospace industries. Goudsmit is certified according to ISO 9001, IATF 16949, and AS9100D, which sets a high bar for quality and process control. As a family business with millions of magnet systems produced across all continents, bespoke quality is not a marketing term but a daily operational requirement. This is precisely why a rising rejection rate was an unacceptable situation.

The problem

The rejection rate for a critical product group of twelve products rose to 40%. For some products, 40% no longer passed the leak tightness test. Goudsmit tried to find the cause internally but was unsuccessful. Production costs rose and confidence in the process declined.
Why did the problem persist? Varying base materials without systematic registration. Quality issues at suppliers were not visible and there was
no database or dashboard to monitor trends.

Symbol’s approach

Symbol opted for the Six Sigma DMAIC approach, a proven method for quality improvement in production processes. The approach was structured and data-driven, not based on assumptions.

Specifically, what was done:

  • Problem defined per product. Not one single cause for all twelve products, but an analysis per product.
  • Database established with all production and quality data. Relationships established between materials, processes, and outcomes.
  • Supplier discussions held based on concrete data insights regarding material deviations.
  • Improvements implemented per product group based on identified root causes.
  • Dashboard built so that Goudsmit can monitor trends and deviations themselves from now on.
    Knowledge transferred to a new internal colleague so that the improvement remains secured.

“Symbol brought knowledge and expertise to multiple areas within the organisation. In doing so, he truly embodies the Symbol concept: Inspire | Improve | Impact.”

Results

Metric Before After Improvement
Product group scrap rate 40% 5% to 10% 8x less waste
First Time Right 60% 90% to 95% Significantly improved
Production process data insight No database Dashboard active Secured
Organisational knowledge safeguarding Dependent on consultant Internally secured Independent

Scrap rate decreased from 40% to between 5% and 10% for the critical product group
The cost savings are immediate: less rejection means less waste of material, time, and capacity.

Lessons learned

A rising scrap rate rarely has a single cause. At Goudsmit, it turned out that every product had its own issue. The lesson: do not tackle quality problems based on assumptions, but based on data. Without a database and structured analysis, Goudsmit could have spent months searching without finding the actual root causes.

The second insight: knowledge safeguarding is not a by-product but a conscious choice. The consultant actively transferred his knowledge to a new internal colleague. As a result, the improvement is not dependent on an external consultant but is anchored within the organisation itself.

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Do you recognise this in your production environment?

A rising rejection rate with an unclear cause. Recurring quality problems. No data to steer by.

Symbol helps find the root cause and secure the improvement within your own organisation. Contact us for a non-binding consultation.

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