Kick-starting Your SPC Program – Start Slowly
Summary: In today's "microwave society", it's easy to expect quick results even in incredibly complex ventures. Today, we remind ourselves to be methodical and patient.
May 26, 2015 | Articles, Resources
In today’s “microwave society”, it’s easy to expect quick results even in incredibly complex ventures. Today, we remind ourselves to be methodical and patient.
Don’t place unrealistic demands on yourself or your quality team. Start Slowly!
Perhaps the words of the Greek historian, biographer and essayist conveyed it best for us to take our time. Most companies with successful SPC programs didn’t try to convert all their processes at once, they selected one target area. What problem is the most costly? What problem seems to have a high probability of success? Pareto analysis can help you decide what to tackle first.
“Many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little.”
Plutarch
Start measuring where it will have the most impact.
Once you’ve targeted a problem, determine what key characteristics should be measured. Again you should start small. Identify a couple characteristics and save the rest until you expand your program. Then determine how data will be collected and recorded. How will you take measurements? What sample size will you use? How can Zontec SPC help you with a methodical approach to SPC? Register for a software trial here.
Gather data, create your control chart, and calculate control limits. Base your limits on at least 20 samples. Study the chart. Is data out of control or are there definite trends? Work on removing special causes of variation. Find and correct assignable causes. Gather more data, plot and analyze it. Did the changes improve your process or make it worse? React to your findings. Study the capability of the process. Is it capable of producing the output you require?
This content is from Zontec’s The Book of Statistical Process Control.
You can download a free copy here.