Content by Douglas C. Fair
3 “Nevers” of Control Limits, Part 2<i>Never</i> allow control limits to be automatically recalculated
Mon, 02/25/2008 - 22:00
I was hiking in the Smoky Mountains National Park with a colleague, and we happened upon fellow hikers. Being the friendly sorts that we are, we stopped to take a breather and chat with our new female friends. We enjoyed resting and speaking with… 3 “Nevers” of Control Limits, Part 1<i>Never</i> type in control limits
Mon, 12/17/2007 - 22:00
I don’t believe in ghosts. Yet quality professionals chase them every day. Why? Because erroneous control limits tell them to. Control limits should be statistically based, 100-percent reliable, and reveal natural process variability. Hence, they… Taming the Control FreakThe <em>quality</em>-control freak, that is
Mon, 10/29/2007 - 22:00
I’ve been privileged to work in the statistical-software industry for the last 10 years, and frequently I receive phone calls from professionals who need information or guidance on statistical methods. Overwhelmingly, they call with excellent… A Dose of RealityUsing the right statistical tool
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 22:00
Just weeks after earning my industrial statistics degree, I hired on with a major aerospace company. My first “real” job entailed working with engineers and operators to deploy statistical process control (SPC) in a large machine shop. I quickly… Process CapabilityThree questions you must ask
Mon, 06/25/2007 - 22:00
I frequently hear discussions among engineers, managers, and higher-ups concerning process capability, an alphabet soup of indexes and three-letter designations. The indexes are bandied about as though a single number communicates knowledge,… Beware the Check-Box MentalityThink outside
Mon, 12/18/2006 - 22:00
If you read my previous two columns, you’re well educated on the top 10 mistakes that manufacturers make when implementing statistical process control (SPC). Several of these mistakes are indicative of what I call the “check-box… The Top 10 SPC MistakesMistakes 5 through 1
Mon, 10/30/2006 - 22:00
Last month’s column, “The Top 10 SPC Mistakes,” outlined five mistakes to avoid when building a successful statistical process control (SPC) system. Here they are:
10. Training everyone 9. Charting everything 8. Segregating control charts from… The Top 10 SPC MistakesMistakes 10 through 6
Mon, 08/28/2006 - 22:00
The last 20 years of my professional career have consisted of helping manufacturing organizations understand and deploy statistical methods. I’ve worked with operators on the shop floor, consulted with Six Sigma specialists, cajoled managers and… Total RecallWhat is quality worth to you?
Mon, 06/26/2006 - 22:00
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. There are severe costs to the business involved in the recall, in…
