Latest Articles
How Much Can a Mismanaged Recall Cost Your Business?
When it comes to recalls, manufacturers stand to lose a lot more than just money. If it seems like recalls…
Wanted: Actionable Information to Make Meaningful Improvements
I’d like to talk about information. It’s everywhere. The facts you need to make better decisions. The data you need…
Assuring Measurement Accuracy with Gage R&R
Variation is inherent in any system, however excessive variation in the measurement process can provide misleading analysis. This excessive variation…
Can control charts detect small process shifts?
EWMA or Cusum charts are the best charts for detecting process shifts less than 1σ. Typical control charts, such as…
How to Reduce Warranty Costs Using Tools That Predict Product and Process Performance
Looking just at the auto industry, GM has recalled roughly 3 million vehicles this year in the U.S. alone. In…
Misapplications of SPC…and the Consequences
Many manufacturing leaders believe that their production personnel use SPC properly, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Statistical Process Control (SPC)…
SPC 101: Differentiating Between Cpk and Ppk Values
Let’s take the confusion out of Cpk and Ppk. Just like control charts tell us about the stability of the…
How do I know what process characteristics to control?
While the construction of control charts is relatively straightforward, often a more difficult question is: how do I know what…
What is the philosophy of Process Control (rather than Product Control)?
Process Control is proactive rather than reactive. The key elements of process control are outlined in this article. What is Quality? Ask…
Why is Cpk data important, and how can my company benefit from tracking it?
To answer that, we need to start off with what these capability indices represent. Capability indices characterize a process as…