Davis Balestracci recently wrote, “When I look at training materials or books (on statistical process control), their tendency is to bog down heavily in the mechanics of construction without offering a clue about interpretation.”1 If you have been frustrated by very technical statistical process control (SPC) training materials, then this is the book for you. This book focuses on how SPC works and why managers should consider using it in their operations rather than on how to calculate limits for control charts. It provides the reader with a conceptual understanding of SPC so that appropriate decisions can be made about the benefits of incorporating SPC into the process management and quality improvement processes. An extensive list of references is provided for those readers who wish to dig deeper into the technical details of SPC. SPC is designed to facilitate making better, more informed decisions about processes. SPC can indicate whether a process should be adjusted or left alone. It can also indicate when a process needs improvement to meet requirements, often can indicate a starting point for improvement projects, and can also provide documentation of the results of process improvement activities. SPC as we know it was developed by Walter Shewhart in the 1920s and 1930s. Properly employed, SPC can be a significant factor in the control and minimization of variation in the manufacture of products and the delivery of services. It can greatly reduce the time it takes to recognize problems and provide information useful in the identification of root causes of those problems. SPC is also useful in demonstrating that a process is capable of consistently delivering what the customer wants. For this reason, some organizations require their suppliers to use SPC in order to become preferred suppliers. SPC also can provide conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of continuous process improvement programs...
Keywords
control chart, out of control, process capability, SPC, SPC implementation, SPC use, statistical process control, variation