SPC – Is Everything You Thought About Quality Wrong?
“Without data you’re just another person with an opinion.” – W. Eward Deming
Statistical Process Control (SPC) is a term that describes a process for statistically predicting failures, and methodically determining the underlying cause(s) before the predicted failures can manifest into real failures. SPC represents a progressive set of behavioral and predictive technical tools, that any individual can use to diagnose probable causes of predicted process failures, and then systematically determine alternative solutions.
Most manufacturing company executives, managers and front-line supervisors have, somewhere in their careers, been to an education event, or read a book on the virtues and uses of SPC. Yet most cannot articulate the fundamental reasons for routine use of SPC, and the benefits that their companies can derive from this progressive quality tool. Worse, for those who cannot easily articulate the fundamentals of SPC to their colleagues, there is little hope for a successful implementation of these real profit-enhancing tools.
Quality Assurance (QA) Managers mistakenly believe SPC can help them do their jobs better. We often hear these same managers discussing THEIR SPC charts, THEIR SPC graphs and THEIR SPC data. When I hear this, I am usually certain that SPC is not being applied properly in those organizations. This is because SPC was never designed to be a tool for the Quality Assurance Department! It was designed to be used by the operators performing the processes that require measurement. SPC is a tool for the “process operators,” not the Managers. It is a tool that yields the best results when applied by the people doing the work… not by the people responsible for inspecting the work!
For engineers and scientists, the approach this presentation takes will seem familiar. SPC is rooted in adherence to the scientific methodology of discovery, hypothesis, experimentation, data integrity, and conclusions. It is through rigid application of these principles, that a true discovery of the causes of process variation can be discovered, and meaningful corrective actions deployed.
Learn how you can apply SPC to most process and product quality problems in your company.
