Scrap and Defects and Rework – Oh, My!

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When we talk to our manufacturing clients about their biggest issues, nearly all of them mention one or more of the big three: scrap, defects, and rework (oh, my!). The crew of the Wizard of Oz (remember the “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” song from the movie?) were afraid because they didn’t know … Continued

Are Cpk and Ppk Passé?

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I’m not a statistician, but I happen to know a few (and I play one on TV). I have heard rumors—from non-statisticians, I must say—that Cpk and Ppk, as useful tools for statistical process control (SPC), are dead. I’m here to tell you that is absolutely false. Cpk and Ppk are alive and well…but (big … Continued

11 Essential Skills Your Quality Management Team Needs

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All departments within a company are interrelated. In many cases, the quality management team plays a central role that affects all other departments’ metrics and impacts a business’ bottom line. For example, if a product does not meet the standard quality levels, then sales are impacted and customer satisfaction goes down. Any rework, recalls, and returns can cause changes in … Continued

Do Operators Need to Keep an Eye on Control Charts All the Time?

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Control charts are useful tools. There’s no doubt about it. They’ve been used for decades by operators and engineers to better understand their processes and know when it is time to adjust them. But as long as appropriate statistical rules are in place and those rules are being monitored by an ever-watching computer, do operators … Continued

Statistical Process Control (SPC): Three Types of Control Charts

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If you have already made the decision to embrace a statistical process control (SPC) method—such as a control chart, which can visually track processes and abnormalities—you are already well on your way to bringing manufacturing quality control to your operations. So, what’s the next step?  Determining which type of control chart to use. “That decision is based … Continued