Statistical Process Analysis

This comprehensive treatment of statistical process control methods applies techniques to real-world examples. It reviews basic statistics and the quality movement, and provides coverage of control charts and other data analytic techniques for controlling and analyzing processes.

A major tool for quality control and management, statistical process control (SPC) monitors sequential processes, such as production lines and Internet traffic, to ensure that they work stably and satisfactorily. Along with covering traditional methods, Introduction to Statistical Process Control describes many recent SPC methods that improve upon

The business, commercial and public-sector world has changed dramatically since John Oakland wrote the first edition of Statistical Process Control – a practical guide in the mid-eighties. Then people were rediscovering statistical methods of ‘quality control’ and the book responded to an often desperate need to find out about the techniques and use them on data. Pressure over time from organizations supplying directly to the consumer, typically in the automotive and high technology sectors, forced those in charge of the supplying production and service operations to think more about preventing problems than how to find and fix them. Subsequent editions retained the ‘took kit’ approach of the first but included some of the ‘philosophy’ behind the techniques and their use. The theme which runs throughout the 7th edition is still processes - that require understanding, have variation, must be properly controlled, have a capability, and need improvement - the five sections of this new edition. SPC never has been and never will be simply a ‘took kit’ and in this book the authors provide, not only the instructional guide for the tools, but communicate the management practices which have become so vital to success in organizations throughout the world. The book is supported by the authors' extensive and latest consulting work within thousands of organisations worldwide. Fully updated to include real-life case studies, new research based on client work from an array of industries, and integration with the latest computer methods and Minitab software, the book also retains its valued textbook quality through clear learning objectives and end of chapter discussion questions. It can still serve as a textbook for both student and practicing engineers, scientists, technologists, managers and for anyone wishing to understand or implement modern statistical process control techniques.

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. It provides you 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. Today, there is little need to make the necessary calculations by hand, so the author utilizes Minitab and NWA Quality Analyst—two of the most popular statistical analysis software packages on the market. Links are provided to the home pages of these software packages where trial versions may be downloaded for evaluation and trial use. The book also addresses the question of why SPC should be considered for use, the process of implementing SPC, how to incorporate SPC into problem identification, problem solving, and the management and improvement of processes, products, and services.

A unique approach to understanding the foundations of statistical quality control with a focus on the latest developments in nonparametric control charting methodologies Statistical Process Control (SPC) methods have a long and successful history and have revolutionized many facets of industrial production around the world. This book addresses recent developments in statistical process control bringing the modern use of computers and simulations along with theory within the reach of both the researchers and practitioners. The emphasis is on the burgeoning field of nonparametric SPC (NSPC) and the many new methodologies developed by researchers worldwide that are revolutionizing SPC. Over the last several years research in SPC, particularly on control charts, has seen phenomenal growth. Control charts are no longer confined to manufacturing and are now applied for process control and monitoring in a wide array of applications, from education, to environmental monitoring, to disease mapping, to crime prevention. This book addresses quality control methodology, especially control charts, from a statistician’s viewpoint, striking a careful balance between theory and practice. Although the focus is on the newer nonparametric control charts, the reader is first introduced to the main classes of the parametric control charts and the associated theory, so that the proper foundational background can be laid. Reviews basic SPC theory and terminology, the different types of control charts, control chart design, sample size, sampling frequency, control limits, and more Focuses on the distribution-free (nonparametric) charts for the cases in which the underlying process distribution is unknown Provides guidance on control chart selection, choosing control limits and other quality related matters, along with all relevant formulas and tables Uses computer simulations and graphics to illustrate concepts and explore the latest research in SPC Offering a uniquely balanced presentation of both theory and practice, Nonparametric Methods for Statistical Quality Control is a vital resource for students, interested practitioners, researchers, and anyone with an appropriate background in statistics interested in learning about the foundations of SPC and latest developments in NSPC.

Revised and expanded, this Second Edition continues to explore the modern practice of statistical quality control, providing comprehensive coverage of the subject from basic principles to state-of-the-art concepts and applications. The objective is to give the reader a thorough grounding in the principles of statistical quality control and a basis for applying those principles in a wide variety of both product and nonproduct situations. Divided into four parts, it contains numerous changes, including a more detailed discussion of the basic SPC problem-solving tools and two new case studies, expanded treatment on variable control charts with new examples, a chapter devoted entirely to cumulative-sum control charts and exponentially-weighted, moving-average control charts, and a new section on process improvement with designed experiments.

The normal or bell curve distribution is far more common in statistics textbooks than it is in real factories, where processes follow non-normal and often highly skewed distributions. Statistical Process Control for Real-World Applications shows how to handle non-normal applications scientifically and explain the methodology to suppliers and custom