Tag Archives: spc

Statistical Process Control Turns Potential Problems into Valuable Opportunities

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Imagine how nice it would be if you could predict the future, if you could make decisions with the confidence that you knew exactly what their consequences would be.

Unfortunately, we can’t predict the future. But we can get greater insight into the hidden patterns in processes and information that exist right now, and that can give us a much better idea of how to respond to potential problems before they become a reality. When we put what we learn from these insights to good use with an integrated EHSQ (environment, health, safety, and quality) management system, we can also unlock the potential for incredibly valuable financial opportunities.

Statistical process control (SPC) is a method traditionally associated with manufacturing. However, it can provide deep and valuable insight into any business or production process. SPC is a mathematical technique developed in the 1920s to monitor random processes and provide alerts when … Read more...

Root Cause Analysis and the Tools You Need to Drive Continuous Improvement

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Root Cause Analysis is part of an ecosystem of tools and techniques you can implement to help your organization harness the value from their EHSQ integrated management systems. Improving your organization’s processes requires identifying a methodology and approach that can spur innovation through evidence-based analysis.  

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is one of several methodologies in your toolkit – including Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA), Control Plans and Corrective Actions (CAR or CAPA) – that can be used to uncover the reasons for safety incidents or near misses, occupational health issues, environmental issues like repeated violations and quality events like recalls and nonconformances. Implementing a framework that incorporates multiple analysis tools to achieve a desired outcome can result in measurable results.  

Top Five Tools for Continuous Improvement

These tools can be extremely valuable for performance when used proactively — and in conjunction with one another. Here’s how they might be used together:   

  1. Identify potential failure modes through a Process Failure Mode Effects
… Read more...

Quality Architecture in SPC & FMEA: Use Strategic Systems Thinking and Core Tools to Get the Outcomes You Want

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Even though most businesses have invested in quality management and performance improvement, each organization is unique. People, processes, and machines must be coordinated to achieve desired outcomes. This is not easy! Whether you’re in discrete manufacturing, a process industry, or a service environment, it’s likely that you face challenges like:

  • Variability in customer satisfaction and experience
  • Resource constraints that impact quality and performance
  • Inconsistent and/or inefficient processes
  • Availability, reliability, and timeliness of information for decision-making
  • Effectively prioritizing tasks and activities
  • Organizational silos that reduce the speed and quality of decision-making

Furthermore, you may have more visionary goals like promoting sustainability throughout your environmental, health, and safety functions (NAEM, 2016), or promoting sustainability in the supply chain. (NAEM, 2018) It’s hard to pursue these things when there are problems getting in the way of customer satisfaction, occupying the time of your managers and your staff.

Quality management is not just about … Read more...