STATISTICAL

PROCESS CONTROL
What is SPC?

Statistical Collection, analyzing and interpreting data

Process An activity which transforms input into output by

utilizing resources

Control Measuring and monitoring performance

Statistical Process Control

SPC is a methodology for charting the process and

quickly determining when a process is "out of
control“.(e.g., a special cause variation is present
because something unusual is occurring in the
process).

The process is then investigated to determine the

root cause of the "out of control" condition.

When the root cause of the problem is determined,

a strategy is identified to correct it.
Statistical Process Control

The management responsible to reduce common

cause or system variation as well as special cause
variation.
Thisis done through process improvement
techniques, investing in new technology, or
reengineering the process to have fewer steps and
therefore less variation.
Reduced variation makes the process more
predictable with process output closer to the
desired or nominal value.
Rationale for SPC

• Therationale for SPC is to improve product quality and

simultaneously reduce costs, and to improve product
image in order to successfully compete in world markets.
DATA and its Types

ATTRIBUTE DATA
Counted data or attribute data answers to the questions
of “how many” or “how often.”

VARIABLE DATA
Measured data (variable data) answers to the questions
like “how long,” “what volume,” “how much time” and
“how far.” This data is generally measured with some
instrument or device.
The SPC steps

Basic approach:
• Awareness that a problem exists.
• Determine the specific problem to be solved.
• Diagnose the causes of the problem.
• Determine and implement remedies.
• Implementcontrols to hold the gains achieved by solving
the problem.
SPC requires the use of statistics

• Qualityimprovement efforts have their

foundation in statistics.
• SPC involves the
collection
tabulation
analysis
interpretation
presentation of numerical data.
The SPC steps

Graphs Scatter Diagram

What are 7-QC Tools

Pareto diagram
Cause & Effect
Diagram

Histograms Control Chart

Check Sheets
SPC is comprised of 7 tools:

•Pareto diagram
•Histogram
•Cause and Effect Diagram
•Check sheet
•Process flow diagram
•Scatter diagram
•Control chart
10
Pareto Diagram 70
(64)
60

Percent from each cause

A Pareto diagram is a 50
graph that ranks data
classifications in 40
descending order
from left to right. 30

20
(13)
(10)
10 (6)
(3) (2) (2)
0

Causes of poor quality

Pareto diagram

•Sometimes a Pareto diagram has a

cumulative line.
•This line represents the sum of the
data as they are added together
from left to right.
Histogram

The histogram, graphically shows the process capability and, if desired, the
relationship to the specifications and the nominal.
It also suggests the shape of the population and indicates if there are any
gaps in the data.
Histogram
The SPC steps

Histogram
Data Range Frequency

0-10 1

10-20 3

20-30 6

30-40 4

40-50 2
Cause & Effect Diagram

•Show the relationships between a problem and its

possible causes.
•Developed by Kaoru Ishikawa (1953)
•Also known as …
•Fishbone diagrams
•Ishikawa diagrams
Cause & Effect Diagram
•Show the relationships between a problem and its possible
causes.
•Developed by Kaoru Ishikawa (1953)
•Also known as …
•Fishbone diagrams
•Ishikawa diagrams

Materials Procedures

Quality
Problem

People Equipment
Cause & Effect Diagram

Measurement Human Machines

Faulty testing equipment Poor supervision Out of adjustment

Incorrect specifications Lack of concentration Tooling problems

Improper methods Inadequate training Old / worn

Quality
Inaccurate Problem
temperature Poor process
control Defective from vendor
design
Ineffective quality
Not to specifications management
Dust and
Dirt Material- Deficiencies
handling problems in product design

Environment Materials Process

Cause & Effect Diagram
• Advantages
• making the diagram is educational in itself
• diagram demonstrates knowledge of problem
solving team
• diagram results in active searches for causes
• diagram is a guide for data collection

To construct the skeleton, remember:

• For manufacturing - the 4 M’s
man, method, machine, material
• For service applications
equipment, policies, procedures, people
Check Sheets
Check sheets explore what and where
an event of interest is occurring.
Attribute Check Sheet
Order Types 7am-9am 9am-11am 11am-1pm 1pm-3pm 3pm-5-pm

Emergency

Nonemergency

Rework

Safety Stock

Prototype Order

Other

27 15 19 20 2820
Flowchart

• Graphicaldescription of
how work is done. Activity

• Usedto describe
processes that are to be Yes
improved. Decision

No
Flowchart
Flow Diagrams

23
Process Chart Symbols

Operations
Inspection

Transportation

Delay

Storage
Scatter Diagram

(a) Positive (b) No (c) Curvilinear

correlation correlation relationship

The patterns described in (a) and (b) are easy

to understand; however, those described in
(c) are more difficult.
Process Control Charts

Statistical technique for tracking a process and

determining if it is going “out to control”

• Establish capability of process under normal

conditions
• Use normal process as benchmark to statistically
identify abnormal process behavior
• Correct process when signs of abnormal
performance first begin to appear
• Control the process rather than inspect the
product!
Process Control Charts

Upper Spec Limit

Upper Control Limit

6
Target Spec

Lower Control Limit

Lower Spec Limit

Process Control Charts
Look for
special
In control Out of control ! cause !
Back in
UCL
control!

Target

LCL

Time
Samples Natural variation
When to Take Action

•A single point goes beyond control limits

(above or below)
• Two consecutive points are near the same
limit (above or below)
• A run of 5 points above or below the
process mean
• Five or more points trending toward either
limit
• A sharp change in level
• Other erratic behavior
Types of Control Charts

• Attribute control charts

•Monitors frequency (proportion) of defectives
• p - charts

• Defects control charts

•Monitors number (count) of defects per unit
• c – charts

• Variable control charts

•Monitors continuous variables
• x-bar and R charts
1. Attribute Control Charts

•p - charts
• Estimate
and control the frequency of defects in a
population
• Examples
• Invoices with error s (accounting)
• Incorrect account numbers (banking)
• Mal-shaped pretzels (food processing)
• Defective components (electronics)
• Any product with “good/not good” distinctions
Using p-charts

• Find
long-run proportion defective (p-bar) when the
process is in control.
• Select a standard sample size n
• Determine control limits

UCL  p  z p p(1  p)
p 
LCL  p  z p n
32
2. Defect Control Charts
• c-charts
• Estimate & control the number of defects per
unit
• Examples
• Defects per square yard of fabric
• Crimes in a neighborhood
• Potholes per mile of road
• Bad bytes per packet
• Most often used with continuous process (vs. batch)
Using c-charts
• Find
long-run proportion defective (c-bar) when the
process is in control.
• Determine control limits

UCL  c  z c
c  c
LCL  c  z c
C: count the Number of
defects
3. Control Charts for Variables

• x-bar and R charts

• Monitor the condition or state of continuously
variable processes
• Use to control continuous variables
• Length, weight, hardness, acidity, electrical resistance
• Examples
• Weight of a box of corn flakes (food processing)
• Departmental budget variances (accounting
• Length of wait for service (retailing)
• Thickness of paper leaving a paper-making machine
x-bar and R charts
• Two things can go wrong
• process mean goes out of control
• process variability goes out of control
• Two control solutions
• X-bar charts for mean
•R charts for variability
Range (R) Chart
• Choose sample size n
• Determine average in-control sample ranges
R-bar where R=max-min
• Construct R-chart with limits:

R  R/n

UCL  D4 R LCL  D3 R
Mean (x-bar) Chart
• Choose sample size n (same as for R-charts)
• Determine average of in-control sample means (x-
double-bar)
• x-bar = sample mean
• k = number of observations of n samples
• Construct x-bar-chart with limits:

x  x /k

UCL  x  A2 R LCL  x  A2 R
Benefits of SPC

Factual decision

Waste reduction
PERFORMANCE

IMPROVEMENT
Increased monitoring

Operator involvement

COPQ reduction

Customer satisfaction
39
Benefits
 Provides surveillance and feedback for keeping
processes in control
 Signals when a problem with the process has
occurred
 Detects assignable causes of variation
 Reduces need for inspection
 Monitors process quality
 Provides mechanism to make process changes and
track effects of those changes
 Once a process is stable, provides process capability
analysis with comparison to the product tolerance
SUMMARY
• SPC using statistical techniques to
measure and analyze the variation in processes
to monitor product quality and
maintain processes to fixed targets.

• Statistical
quality control using statistical
techniques for
measuring and improving the quality of processes,
sampling plans,
experimental design,
variation reduction,
process capability analysis,
process improvement plans.
SUMMARY
•A primary tool used for SPC is
the control chart,
a graphical representation of certain descriptive statistics
for specific quantitative measurements of the process.
• These descriptive statistics are displayed in the
control chart in comparison to their "in-control"
sampling distributions.
• The comparison detects any unusual variation in
the process, which could indicate a problem with
the process.
Steps in Implementing SPC
The Preparation Phase
• The three phases in implementing SPC are preparation, planning and
execution.
• The preparation phase has 3 steps:
• 1. Commit to SPC – top management must be committed. It requires
spending money, utilizing human resources, changing the organization’s
culture, hiring employees with new skills, or retaining consultants.
• 2. Form a SPC Committee – SPC can be delegated to a cross functional
team that is tasked to oversee implementation and execution. A typical
team will be composed of representatives from manufacturing, quality
assurance, engineering, finance, and statistics. In a manufacturing plant,
the manufacturing member should be the team leader. The function of
the team will be to plan and organize the implementation for its unique
application, to provide training for the operators, and to monitor and
guide the execution phase. Forming the committee is top management’s
responsibility.
• 3. Train the SPC Committee: The training must be done by an expert. The
members will then know enough to set objectives and to determine
which process should be targeted first. Continued help from a statistics
expert remains critical.
Steps in Implementing SPC
The Planning Phase
• The planning phase includes the next 5 steps:
• 4. Set SPC Objectives: How will we measure success (balance sheet, customer
feedback, reduction in scrap, lower cost of quality). Objectives may be added,
eliminated, or changed, but they must be in place and understood by all.
• 5. Identify Target Processes: Select a few processes for pilot implementation. With
some initial successes under its belt, the organization can go with confidence to the
processes that are the most critical. Start implementation at the front of a series of
processes.
• 6. Train Appropriate Operators and Teams: The operators and teams who will be
directly involved with the collection, plotting, and interpretation of SPC data, and
those who will be involved in getting the targeted processes under control will
require training in the use of quality tools.
• 7. Ensure Repeatability and Reproducibility of Gauges and Methods: All measuring
instruments from simple calipers and micrometers to coordinate measuring
machines must be calibrated and certified for acceptable performance.
• 8. Delegate Responsibility for Operators to Play a Key Role: Operators need to be
delegated the responsibility for collecting and plotting the data, maintaining the
SPC control charts, and taking appropriate action.
Steps in Implementing SPC
The Execution Phase
• The execution phase includes 9 steps:
• 9. Flowchart the Process: Flowcharting will reveal process features or factors that
were not known to everyone. The development of the process flowcharts should
be the responsibility of special teams composed of the process operators, their
internal suppliers and consumers, and appropriate support members.
• 10. Eliminate the Causes of Special Variation: The cause and effect diagram is then
used to list all the factors (causes) that might impact the output (effect). Then by
applying other tools such as Pareto Charts, histograms, and stratification, the
special causes can be identified and eliminated. Elimination of special causes
should be a team effort.
• 11. Develop Control Charts: The statistics expert or consultant can help develop the
appropriate control charts and calculate valid upper and lower limits and process
averages.
• 12. Collect and Plot SPC Data & Monitor: The process operator takes the sample
data and plots it on the control chart at regular intervals. The operator carefully
observes the location of the plots, knowing they should be inside the control limits.
• 13. Determine Process Capability: When a process is in control and is still not
capable of meeting the customer specifications, it is up to management to
upgrade the process capability, which may require the purchase of new
equipment.
Steps in Implementing SPC
The Execution Phase
• 14. Respond to Trends and Out of Limits Data: With experience,
operators may be able to handle many of these situations on their
own, but if they cannot, it is important they summon help
immediately. The process should be stopped till the cause is
identified and removed. Prevent the production of defective
products that must be scrapped or reworked.
• 15. Track SPC Data: The SPC committee and management should
see where they should concentrate resources for improvement.
• 16. Eliminate the Root Cause of Any New Special Cause of
Variation: For example, it is possible that the material from a new
vendor for raw material may cause the process to shift the process
average one way or the other. Eliminating the root cause may
require management approved procedure mandating the use of
preferred suppliers.
• 17. Narrow the Limits for Continual Improvement: Narrowing the
limits will result in fewer parts failing to meet the specifications.
Quality will improve, and costs will decrease. The key is finding
ways to improve the process.
Inhibitors of SPC
• The most common inhibitor of SPC is lack of resources.
• Capability in Statistics: Many organizations do not have the in house expertise in
statistics that is necessary for SPC.
• Misdirected Responsibility for SPC: The process operators will require help from the
statistician and others from time to time, but they are the appropriate owners of
SPC for their processes.
• Failure to Understand the Target Process: A good SPC system cannot be designed
for a process that is not fully understood.
• Failure to Have Process Under Control: Before SPC can be effective, any special
cause of variation must be removed.
• Inadequate Training and Discipline: Everyone who will be involved in the SPC
program must be trained.
• Measurement Repeatability and Reproducibility: Before a gauge is used for SPC it
should be calibrated and its repeatability certified.
• Low Production Rates: Low rates of production offers an opportunity for taking a
100% sample.