QUALITY TOOLS
WHAT ARE THEY???
By Doug Stohr
QCIS Training & Consulting Div.
Quality tools are improvement enablers and aids that can be used
to improve
and monitor any aspect of a business be it service or
manufacturing. These tools
are not just for quality professionals. Any leader or employee
may learn and use
these tools applying them to their functional areas. Today’s
quality tool box is
very large yet much underutilized. I’m going to cover some of
the basic quality
tools with some of the newer quality tools explaining how and
where they apply. I
strongly recommend that companies who are serious about business
improvement and survival get their staff and organization tuned
into the use of
quality tools.
The seven basic Quality Tools – (one version)
1. Cause and Effect Diagram
2. Check Sheet
3. Schwhart Control Charts
4. Histogram
5. Pareto Chart
6. Scatter Diagram
7. Flow Chart
Do you know where they apply? (See Below)
Tool # 1. Problem solving - Helps capture and visually display
multiple potential
causes of a problem.
Tool # 2. Supports data collection and analyses allowing a quick
visual tally.
Tool # 3. Supports process monitoring, control, and analyses of
process
stability. Also alarms to occurrence of a special cause effect
within a
stable process.
Tool # 4. Supports process data analyses showing pictorial
distribution of data
variation.
Tool # 5. Supports data analyses allowing improvement ranking
and comparison
Tool # 6. Supports data analyses. Is a visual representation of
a two variable
relationship or non-relationship.
Tool # 7. Supports process analyses with visual process mapping.
Captures all
process steps and activities in an organized fashion.
The following are some of my favorite more advanced quality
tools. I’ve used
many of these quality tools throughout my career in engineering
and quality. I
continue to learn and use new ones as well as some of the old. I
hope this fuels
your desire to learn the use of quality tools.
Advanced Quality Tools
|
1. |
Design of Experiments - Identifies main effects and potential
effects
interaction in complex processes. Helps find optimum path for a
process. |
|
2. |
Normal Probability Plot - Checks data for type of
distribution. |
|
3. |
Failure Modes Effects Analyses - Helps determine risk levels
in a
process or design. |
|
4. |
Correlation Analyses - Checks for a linear relationship
between two
variables. |
|
5. |
Is / Is Not Matrix - Helps focus on a true problem
description used in
problem solving. |
|
6. |
Paynter Chart - Tracks defects over time relative to
corrective action. |
|
7. |
SIPOC Diagram - Clearly identifies an entire process –
Supplier to Input
to Process to Output to Customer. |
|
8. |
5 Why’s – Root cause analyses tool. Helps lead to root causes
if taken
out far enough. |
|
9. |
3 Why’s – Why did the problem occur? Why wasn’t the problem
detected
at point of manufacturing? Why did the problem reach the
customer? |
|
10. |
Spider Chart - Visual chart showing comparison of variables
to the same
scale. Great baselining tool. |
|
11. |
Team Orientated Problem Solving – This uses the automotive 7
step
problem solving process using a cross-functional group, multiple
inputs,
and a rational step by step input-output approach. |
These are just a few quality tool teasers to get you interested
in researching new tools. You will expand your organizations
ability to improve by learning and using these tools. ASQ has
many books on these tools and one of the more inclusive books is
written by author Nancy R. Tague called The Quality Toolbox
Second Addition. If there is anything we can help you with at QC
Inspection Services, Inc. please feel free to contact me anytime
regarding quality tools.
About the Author
 Doug has been Quality Manager at the
following companies: Bergquist Company, Taber Bushnell, Sheldahl and most recently Director of
Total Quality with Clore Automotive. Some of Doug's background and qualifications include
Master Black Belt in Six Sigma and Six Sigma Trainer, Implementation of TQM Programs, QS9000
Registration, Measurement Systems Analysis Trainer, Advanced Quality Planning, Continuous
Improvement, Design Of Experiments, Calibration, SPC Trainer and Mechanical Inspector.
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