Content by William A. Levinson
Confidence Intervals for Proportions and Poisson MeansAttribute data are better than no data, but that’s about the best you can say of them
Tue, 04/05/2016 - 00:00
Experiments that might require a handful of real-number measurements (variables data) could need hundreds or more attribute data for comparable power, i.e., the ability to determine whether an experiment improves performance over that of a control… Risk = np, Not pThe more exposures, the closer to near certainty
Mon, 02/29/2016 - 14:26
ISO 9001:2015 has created a new focus on risk with regard to context of the organization and the needs and expectations of interested parties.
The Army Techniques Publication ATP 5-19 Risk Management, by the United States Government, U.S. Army (… Minor Changes, Major ConsequencesEven small differences in components or materials can result in unforeseen problems
Mon, 01/11/2016 - 16:46
My article, “Change and Risk-Based Thinking” describes management of change (MOC) as a safety-related phrase from the chemical process industry. MOC says that anything new, different, or nonroutine (such as repairs, equipment replacement, and… Know Your DistributionDon’t search for a cause when none is present
Mon, 11/30/2015 - 13:33
The Shewhart control chart is relatively insensitive to non-normal distributions, and the worst foreseeable consequences of a wrong decision involve searching for an assignable or special cause when none is present. The economic consequences depend… Don’t Assume a Bell CurveWhat to do when an optimized transformation won’t work
Mon, 10/12/2015 - 13:12
We all know what happens when we assume. For example, traditional designed experiments assume that residuals, the differences between the actual and modeled data, follow the normal distribution (as seen in figure 1). These experiments include t… How Exposure Affects RiskEmbracing ‘can’t rather than don’t’
Mon, 08/24/2015 - 11:26
The requirement for risk-based thinking is among the most significant changes in ISO 9001:2015. Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 5-19, Risk Management is a public domain reference that supports this requirement.
ATP 5-19 includes a risk… The Risk of OmissionRecognizing opportunity cost separates good organizations from great ones
Mon, 08/10/2015 - 12:34
Risk-based thinking, or “actions to address risks and opportunities,” is among the most significant additions to ISO 9001:2015. This provision encompasses what we currently call preventive action, or proactive actions that prevent poor quality… Gideon vs. Disney: Who Would Win?Two perspectives on engagement
Mon, 06/22/2015 - 15:53
Engagement, according to the Mercer report “Engaging Employees to Drive Global Business Success,” is a decisive competitive advantage, “a psychological state in which employees feel a vested interest in the company’s success and are both willing… Change and Risk-Based ThinkingIn product design as well as manufacturing, any form of change invites risk
Wed, 05/20/2015 - 17:06
Management of change is a safety-related phrase from the chemical process industry that is adaptable to risk-based thinking. The basic premise is that anything new, different, or nonroutine (such as repairs or replacement of equipment, and process… GM and ISO/TS 16949: ‘Do As We Say, Not As We Do’The basics of FMEA seem lost on the automaker
Tue, 04/07/2015 - 12:12
Two recent “Consumer Watchdog” articles in the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Times Leader, as well as reports of General Motors’ ignition switch problem, give the perception that GM’s position on ISO/TS 16949 is “Do as we say, not as we do.” If a…