Statistical Quality Control
The field of statistical quality control can be broadly defined as those statistical and engineering methods that are used in measuring, monitoring, controlling, and improving quality. Statistical quality control is a field that dates back to the 1920s. Dr. Walter A. Shewhart of the Bell Telephone Laboratories was one of the early pioneers of the field. In 1924 he wrote a memorandum showing a modern control chart, one of the basic tools of statistical process control. Harold F. Dodge and Harry G. Romig, two other Bell System employees, provided much of the leadership in the development of statistically based sampling and inspection methods. The work of these three men forms much of the basis of the modern field of statistical quality control. World War II saw the widespread introduction of these methods to U.S. industry. Dr. W. Edwards Deming and Dr. Joseph M. Juran have been instrumental in spreading statistical quality-control methods since World War II.
The Japanese have been particularly successful in deploying statistical quality-control methods and have used statistical methods to gain significant advantage over their competitors. In the 1970s American industry suffered extensively from Japanese (and other foreign) competition; that has led, in turn, to renewed interest in statistical quality-control methods in the United States. Much of this interest focuses on statistical process control and experimental design. Many U.S. companies have begun extensive programs to implement these methods in their manufacturing, engineering, and other business organizations.
Statistical Process Control
It is impractical to inspect quality into a product; the product must be built right the first time. The manufacturing process must therefore be stable or repeatable and capable of operating with little variability around the target or nominal dimension. Online statistical process control is a powerful tool for achieving process stability and improving capability through the reduction of variability.
It is customary to think of statistical process control (SPC) as a set of problem-solving tools that may be applied to any process. The major tools of SPC* are
1. Histogram
2. Pareto chart
3. Cause-and-effect diagram
4. Defect-concentration diagram
5. Control chart
6. Scatter diagram
7. Check sheet
Although these tools are an important part of SPC, they comprise only the technical aspect of the subject. An equally important element of SPC is attitude-a desire of all individuals in the organization for continuous improvement in quality and productivity through the systematic reduction of variability. The control chart is the most powerful of the SPC tools.
