Statistical process control (SPC) charts are crucial for process stability, especially with improved data collection. Introduced by Walter Shewhart in the 1920s, SPC uses random samples to estimate statistics and assess variation. With better data availability, techniques like the Rbar method, which estimates standard deviation using subgroup ranges, need reevaluation.
This article shows how to make leadership aware of all costs and not just the tangible ones. It helps quality professionals to quantify the Total Cost of Quality and derive a compelling business case from that quantification.
By integrating extensive data and employing advanced analytics, digital twins help predict potential issues, optimize processes, and ensure consistent product quality.
The automotive industry is innovating to produce safer and more efficient vehicles. Quality standards are vital, as small defects can lead to serious safety issues. Digital twins and augmented reality (AR) are transforming quality management. This article explores their impact and associated challenges.
Calibration is essential for maintaining quality and safety in industries like pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and chemicals. The future looks to digital certificates and AI technology to make calibration processes faster and more efficient. This article discusses how AI is set to transform calibration.
Regulatory bodies like the FDA and MHRA are adapting guidelines to accommodate the evolving AI landscape, stressing the importance of innovative compliance approaches alongside traditional software regulations, including audit trails, electronic records, and signatures.
A good QMS will control nonconformities by acting as a defense line, catching discrepancies and abnormalities in products before they ever reach the customer.
Manufacturers thrive in a competitive market by prioritizing customer needs: price, quality, and delivery. However, long-term success hinges on quality, which ensures products perform as expected from manufacturing through to post-sale. While price is influenced by costs and market dynamics, and delivery by productivity, quality is key to building trust and customer loyalty.
The hype around "big data" has mainly aimed at niche market sales without delivering expected benefits. Similarly, the business world's obsession with Lean Six Sigma has shown minimal returns on investment. In contrast, over the last 25 years, I've leveraged small Excel files to significantly cut costs and increase profits, often by millions of dollars, through a reliable sequence I discovered.
Statistical Process Control (SPC) is evolving to not just detect defects, but also to predict and prevent issues. Modern factories use more sensors and collect more data, allowing SPC to analyze real-time patterns and forecast potential issues.
In today's tech-driven world, companies use software to collect data, but the analysis can be flawed. Charts with only specification limits, arbitrarily chosen warning and action limits, and misused Process Behavior Charts contribute to misinterpretation.