What metrics does Trane use to assess the success of your work? Is it about resolving issues with suppliers, or are there specific metrics they judge you on?

We use supplier PPMs, which stands for parts per million. It measures how many defects per million parts there are. Depending on the product type and the supplier's industry, there are different goals. Another metric is the number of corrective actions—how many are open and how effectively they are being resolved. As a Supplier Quality Engineer, the focus is on ensuring problems do not repeat.

What is that? Is it like a Kaizen?

Yes, it's similar to a Kaizen. A rapid improvement event is a week-long event involving people from the production floor and engineering, depending on the focus. Key people who can help and those who do the work are involved to provide their input. During the week, they identify the biggest problem for that area, decide what to work on, and conduct experiments to test solutions. If an idea doesn't work, they try different iterations and then implement the solution. It's essentially a different name for a Kaizen.