Statistics
In the 1980s, demand for SPC classes outstripped the supply of competent instructors. Novices were teaching neophytes, and misinformation could be found everywhere. Out of this chaos, many incorrect ideas about process behavior charts became widely circulated. These ideas continue to be spread…
The way we think about our process will shape the way we collect, analyze, and interpret our data when things go wrong. This in turn will shape the actions taken and the results obtained. In this column, we look at an example of the difference between the traditional approach and an alternate…
Manufacturers can’t control tariffs, supply chain volatility, labor shortages, or geopolitical instability. But they can manage operational efficiency.
Operational excellence is one of the few factors that organizations can fully control. In challenging economic times, quality is…
Many practitioners have been taught to describe a process using sigma levels. Yet these levels are commonly misinterpreted. This article will help you to understand the problem and learn more appropriate ways of describing your process.
In the days before handheld calculators and…
Most data in business and industry belong to the category known as observational data. These data are the voice of your processes because they are the result of ordinary operations rather than an experiment.
Because the purpose of analysis is insight, the question is how to…
Performance indexes use the global standard deviation statistic to describe the past. Capability indexes use a within-subgroup measure of dispersion to characterize the process potential. However, some within-subgroup measures are better than others. This article will explain why you should not…