Quality Tools and Techniques

Quality Tools and Techniques

Practicing quality techniques

Author:
Dr Rhys Rowland-Jones

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Session plan
– Demonstrate the differing types of quality tools/techniques
attributed to the Japanese.
– Illustrate the applicability of tools and techniques of quality
improvement.
– Describe individual applications of appropriate quality tools.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Continual improvement
• Continual improvement is a type of change that is focused on
increasing the effectiveness and/or efficiency of an organization to
fulfil its policy and objectives.
• It is not limited to quality initiatives.
• Improvement in business strategy, business results, customer,
employee and supplier relationships can be subject to continual
improvement.
Source: IQA. 2007

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Basic steps in problem solving

1. Define the problem and establish an improvement goal.
2. Collect data.
3. Analyze the problem.
4. Generate potential solutions.
5. Choose a solution.
6. Implement the solution.
7. Monitor the solution to see if it accomplishes the goal.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Traditionally, a Japanese Samurai carried seven

tools into battle.
• After World War II the Japanese adopted 'quality' as a philosophy for
economic recovery and, in line with this traditional approach, sought seven
tools to accomplish the economic rejuvenation. The seven tools chosen
were:
– Histograms
– Cause and Effect Diagrams
– Check Sheets
– Pareto Diagrams
– Graphs
– Control Charts
– Scatter Diagrams

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Quality Tools and Techniques

The seven tools

Control Chart
Pareto
Chart

*
* *
* *
* **
*
Scatter Plot Data Collecting Ishikawa Chart

Stratification
Histogram
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Quality Tools and Techniques Techniques For Improvement.

Scatter Diagrams
Inputs Outputs

x x x
x x
Input-Output analysis x x
Flow Charts
x

Cause-Effect Diagrams
Pareto Analysis Why - why analysis

Why?
Why?
Why?

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Cause-and-Effect Diagram
Methods Materials
Cause
Cause
Cause
Cause
Cause Cause
Environment Effect
Cause Cause

Cause Cause
Cause Cause

People Equipment

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Check Sheet
Billing Errors Monday
Wrong Account

Wrong Amount

A/R Errors

Wrong Account

Wrong Amount

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Quality Tools and Techniques
Pareto Analysis

80%
80% ofof the
the
problems
problems
may
may be

Number of defects
be
attributed
attributed toto
20%
20% ofof the
the
causes.
causes.

Off Smeared Missing Loose Other

centre print label
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Quality Tools and Techniques

Statistical Process Control (SPC)

• A process by which a product/service is checked during its creation using
certain set parameters and statistical techniques to measure and analyze
the variation within the process.

• WHAT IS IT USED FOR:

• To monitor the consistency of product/service quality and maintain

processes to a fixed target as designed.
• To drive improvement actions within an organization.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Control Chart

1020
UCL
1010
1000
990
980
LCL

970
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

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 Quality Tools and Techniques

Run Chart
0.58
0.56
Diameter

0.54
0.52
0.5
0.48
0.46
0.44
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Time (Ho urs )
Time (Hours)
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Tracking Improvements

UCL UCL
UCL

LCL
LCL
Additional improvements
LCL Process centred made to the process
Process not centred and stable
and not stable

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Quality Tools and Techniques Process Variation
Process Variability
Variations due to:

Natural Causes: Special Causes:

• Temperature variation • Machine is breaking
• Material variation • Untrained operative
• Customer differences • Machine movement
• Operator performance • Process has changed

Must be monitored Early and visible

warning required

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Quality Tools and Techniques

What can be controlled using SPC?

• VARIABLES. • ATTRIBUTES.

• Variable Measures are those • Attributes are characteristics

that can be measured on a that are assessed by judgment
continuous scale, for example and are dichotomous, i.e. have
length, time, weight.... two states such as right or
wrong, looks OK or not OK.

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Quality Tools and Techniques
Quality at the source

The philosophy of making each

worker responsible for the quality
of his or her work.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Genichi Taguchi’s theory of Quality loss

– Quality is a predictable degree of uniformity and dependability,
at low cost and suited to the market.
– Losses begin to accrue as soon as a quality characteristic of a
product or service deviates from the nominal value.
– Once the specification limits are reached the loss suddenly
becomes positive and constant, regardless of the deviation from
the nominal value beyond the specification limits.

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Taguchi Loss Function

Traditional
cost function
Cost

Taguchi
cost function

Lower Target Upper

spec spec
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Quality Tools and Techniques Quality Function Deployment

The House of Quality

KEY
weak (1) Design Characteristics Customer
strong (3) Perceptions
very strong (9) 1 2 3 4 5
Customer
Attributes

attribute weights x
Absolute Weight relationship strength
Sales Points 1= weak; 10 = strong
Feasibility 1=easy, 10=difficult
Evaluation (AW x SP) / Feasibility

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 Quality Tools and Techniques

QFD The House Of Quality.

Engineering
Characteristics
Requirements

Parts
Customer

Characteristics
Characteristics
Engineering

Key Process
Operations

Characteristics
Production

Parts
Requirements

Key Process
Operations
The QFD methodology has been developed into a
continuous process, and it can be applied equally well to
service or manufacturing environments

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Summary
• We have looked at a range of quality tools/techniques for
improvement.
• Statistical process control.
• Taguchi’s theory of quality loss.
• Quality Function deployment.

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