Control Charts, not hard and fast rules to which one must adhere.

Even experts in the quality area may disagree on final

Selection of
Introduction
Control chart selection is the process of matching an
appropriate control chart with a given application.
Successful process monitoring requires several key
decisions. Some of these decisions are driven by
strategic plans for quality improvement. Examples
include the choice of improvement projects, key
processes relevant to the project, and data collection
strategies, such as when and where samples are
obtained. Quality leaders must decide on proper
actions in response to control chart signals. In this
article we only consider the problem of selecting
an appropriate type of control chart for a given
application. The guidelines provided in subsequent
sections are intended to be guiding principles and
choices of monitoring schemes. There are common
themes upon which most experts will agree and these
are the focus in the following sections.
Consider the Data
The logic for selecting control charts is similar to gen-
eral guidelines used in selecting statistical techniques.
An appropriate choice among statistical tools depends
on the question one needs to answer and the data
available to the decision maker. For quality control
applications, the typical questions of interest concern
changes in the mean and/or variance of key process
characteristics. For example, we may wish to ensure
that produced items are of the correct length on aver-
age, and are consistently near target values.
One must investigate several questions concerning
the data prior to selecting the type of control chart.
These questions include:

Do process data consist Yes Go to Figure 2.

of multiple related Monitoring tools for
variables? multivariable environments

No
Are data from batch / short
runs or autocorrelated?
Go to Figure 3.
Yes Monitoring schemes for
autocorrelated data, short
production runs, batch processes

No

Yes Go to Figure 4.
Attribute data? Control charts for
attribute data

No

Yes Go to Figure 5.
Normal distribution or
Control charts for
large sample?
variables data (univariate)

No

Go to Figure 6.
Use specialized or robust
Control charts for
tools
special circumstances

Figure 1 Guidelines for control chart selection

2 Control Charts, Selection of
Do data consist of measures of Yes
quality characteristics as well
as input/predictor values?
No
Do data consist of Yes
several correlated
quality variables?
No
Option:
Seek advice of
statistician
Figure 2 Monitoring tools for multivariable environments (a) See Regression Control Charts (b) See Profile Monitoring
(c)
See Neural Networks: Construction and Evaluation (d) See Change-Point Methods (e) See Hotelling’s T 2 Chart;
Multivariate Charts for Variability; Multivariate Control Charts, Interpretation of (f) See Multivariate Exponentially
Weighted Moving Average (MEWMA) Control Chart (g) See Multivariate Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) Chart
1. What type of data is available?
2. How much data is available?
3. Are data associated with long production runs or
some other process environment such as batch
processes or short production runs?
4. Is a single-quality characteristic (univariate pro-
cess control) or multiple quality characteristics
(multivariate process control) being considered?
5. If multiple quality characteristics are important,
are data values for the various key quality
characteristics correlated with one another?
6. Are data values for a given quality characteristic
correlated over time (autocorrelated)?
7. What are the distributional properties of the
population as reflected by the data? Are com-
mon probability distributions, such as the normal,
binomial or Poisson distributions useful approx-
imations?
8. Are key output quality characteristics driven by
key process input variables? If so, do we have
data on both inputs and outputs?
Options:
Regression-based charts(a)
Profile monitoring(b)
Neural network methods(c)
Change-point methods(d)
Options:
Hoteling’s T2 chart(e)
Multivariate EWMA chart(f)
Multivariate CUSUM chart(g)
Neural network methods(h)
Change-point methods(d)
Important questions concerning the process and
goals of the monitoring scheme too exist. Depending
on the capability of a process, one must determine
the size of a shift deemed important enough to detect
quickly. Tools for short production runs or batch
processes will differ from tools appropriate for long
production runs. Unusual or extreme economic con-
sequences associated with process shifts should be
noted.
Types of Data
Variables for which data are collected should reflect
the current state of a given process quality char-
acteristic. Variables can typically be classified as
either quantitative (continuous) or attribute (quali-
tative, categorical) variables. Quantitative measure-
ments, sometimes referred to as variables data,
assume values over some continuum, such as length,
width, weight, or time. Hence, quantitative vari-
ables are associated with continuous probability
distributions such as the normal distribution or
 Control Charts, Selection of 3

Options:
Are data associated with Yes Control charts for
short production runs or short production runs(a)
batch processes? Control charts for batch
processes(b)

No

Is automatic Options:
Yes
adjustment possible Engineering process
for process shifts? control(c)

No

Options:
Use ARIMA modeling(d)
and/or
Control charts for
autocorrelated
data(e)

Figure 3 Monitoring schemes for autocorrelated data, short production runs, or batch data (a) See Control Charts for
Short Production Runs (b) See Control Charts for Batch Processes (c) See Engineering Process Control; Feedback
Control (d) See Large Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Modeling (e) See Autocorrelated Data

exponential distribution when appropriate. Attribute
data reflect more general properties of process
output (e.g., number of surface defects or the
classification of items as conforming versus non-
conforming items). Proportions of nonconforming
items found in a sample or counts of defects
observed over a given time or space are associ-
ated with discrete probability distributions, such as
the binomial or Poisson distribution, when appropri-
ate. The distinction between variables with contin-
uous or discrete distributions can become blurred.
Time is generally associated with a continuous
distribution; however, we report our ages as val-
ues truncated to integer values giving discrete data
values.
Control charts are often designed for a specific
type of data and an associated probability distribu-
tion. When these distributions are reasonable, con-
trol chart performance is predictable. Control charts
associated with specific distributional assumptions
can provide quite unexpected performances when
these assumptions are violated. In such cases, one
might choose monitoring schemes that are robust
to the given assumptions such as nonparametric
methods.
Amount of Data
The size of samples as well as the sampling frequency
influences the amount of data that one encounters.
Additionally, the number of variables required to
characterize a process impacts the amount of data
one must process. Tools associated with relatively
large but infrequent samples for monitoring a single
process variable may be inappropriate for small
samples or infeasible for automated data collection
environments with near continuous data collection on
several variables.
Univariate versus Multivariate Environments
One might argue that we always collect data over
time, so we always have at least two variables of
4 Control Charts, Selection of
Do data consist of counts or
proportion of nonconforming
items in a sample?
No
Do data consist of counts
of defects over a given
time period or area?
No
Options:
Nonparametric charts(d)
Seek the advice of
statistician
Figure 4 Control charts for attribute data (a) See Control Charts for Attributes (b) See Exponentially Weighted Moving
Average (EWMA) Control Chart (c) See Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) Chart (d) See Control Charts, Nonparametric
interest (the quality characteristic and time). Univari-
ate methods are designed to monitor a single-quality
characteristic over time. One must address the issue
of autocorrelation when using univariate monitoring
schemes. If values of a variable are correlated over
time, special tools are available for exploiting or at
least accounting for this source of variation in the
process. If the values are not correlated over time,
then the added effort and complexity are not worth
the gain in information. Simpler tools will be just as
informative.
In other cases, one must process data on multiple
related variables in a process. Multivariate methods
are designed to monitor multiple variables associated
with process output characteristics. If these variables
are correlated in a quantifiable manner, specialized
tools that exploit the correlation are appropriate.
If the variables are statistically unrelated, multiple
univariate methods may be simpler and efficient to
use.
Finally, one can encounter situations involving
multiple variables, some of which are process out-
put variables and some are process input (driver,
explanatory) variables. Understanding the types of
data and relationship among the variables allows the
Options:
p charts(a)
Yes
np charts(a)
EWMA on p values(b)
CUSUM on p values(c)
Options:
Yes
c chart(a)
u chart(a)
EWMA on counts(b)
use of specialized tools such as profile monitoring
or regression-based monitoring schemes.
Guidelines for Control Chart Selection
This section contains several figures helpful in nar-
rowing the appropriate choices of process monitoring
schemes. Figure 1 provides our starting point and
guidance to subsequent figures and data considera-
tions. For many situations the practitioner has multi-
ple options that are reasonable monitoring schemes.
Other articles within this encyclopedia provide spe-
cific strengths and weaknesses of each approach and
allow the reader to make final selections of tools.
Figure 2 contains the options available to practi-
tioners who must monitor multivariable data. Multi-
variable data include the case of multiple correlated
quality characteristics (multivariate data) and the case
of quality characteristics and their associated explana-
tory variables.
Figure 3 contains the options appropriate for auto-
correlated data, short production runs, and batch pro-
cesses. For autocorrelated data from long production
runs, one must determine if automatic process adjust-
ment is a possibility. If so, the techniques associated

Do data follow a normal Yes
distribution?
No
Yes
Is sample size large?
No
Options:
Nonparametric charts(e)
Change-point methods(f)
Seek help of statistician
Figure 5 Control charts for variables data (univariate) (a) See Control Charts for the Mean; Moving Range and R Charts
(b)
See Control Charts for the Mean; Control Charts for the Standard Deviation (c) See Exponentially Weighted Moving
Average (EWMA) Control Chart (d) See Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) Chart (e) See Control Charts, Nonparametric
(f)
See Change-Point Methods
with engineering process control (see Engineering
Process Control) may be more appropriate than
traditional statistical process control (see Control
Charts, Overview).
Figure 4 contains options for attribute data. The
most common types of attribute data are proportions
of nonconforming items (associated with the binomial
distribution) and counts of defects (associated with
the Poisson distribution).
Figure 5 contains options for variables data. The
appropriate choice among techniques is often driven
by normality assumptions or large sample sizes. For
small samples which are not approximately normal,
robust monitoring techniques are required.
Figure 6 contains some of the options available
to practitioners in special situations. These situa-
tions include environments where none of the prior
figures is appropriate, economic considerations are
an overriding concern in control chart development,
or control schemes must be built on specification
limits.
Control Charts, Selection of 5
Options:
X and R chart(a)
X and S chart(b)
EWMA chart(c)
CUSUM chart(d)
Individuals / MR chart(a)
Options:
X chart(b)
EWMA chart(c)
CUSUM chart(d)
Nonparametric methods(e)
Change-point methods(f)
Although the figures above capture the great
majority of cases encountered in practice, they are not
all-inclusive. There are some situations which do not
fall precisely into any of the environments described
above, and similarly, there are good monitoring
schemes that are not included in any of the figures.
However, practitioners will find the foregoing guide-
lines a starting point for further investigation, and for
the study of process monitoring tools.
Conclusions
The selection of appropriate monitoring schemes
requires an understanding of process behavior and
basic concepts underlying data and statistics. Con-
trol charts range from simple yet powerful statistical
tools to quite sophisticated technical monitoring sys-
tems. Choosing an appropriate monitoring scheme
among many can seem like a complicated process. In
some circumstances, the selection process can indeed
6 Control Charts, Selection of
Are economic considerations
a primary concern?
No
Yes
Is the processes very
capable?
No
Options:
Nonparametric charts(c)
Change-point methods(d)
Seek help of statistician
Figure 6 Control charts for special circumstances (a) See Economic Design of Control Charts
Control Charts, Nonparametric (d) See Change-Point Methods
be challenging. Practitioners who find the process
difficult should know that statistical assistance is gen-
erally available through a number of sources (includ-
ing, in North America, local chapters of the American
Society for Quality (ASQ) and the American Sta-
tistical Association (ASA)). Finally, one should find
comfort in the knowledge that suboptimal (but rea-
sonable) monitoring schemes applied to good process
data is typically far, far superior to no monitoring
scheme at all.
Related Articles
Autocorrelated Data; Average Run Lengths and
Operating Characteristic Curves; Change-Point
Methods; Control Charts for Attributes; Control
Charts for Batch Processes; Control Charts for
Short Production Runs; Control Charts for the
Option:
Yes
Economic design of
control charts(a)
Option:
Precontrol methods(b)
(b)
See Precontrol (c)
See
Mean; Control Charts for the Standard Devi-
ation; Control Charts, Nonparametric; Control
Charts, Overview; Cumulative Sum (CUSUM)
Chart; Economic Design of Control Charts; Engi-
neering Process Control; Exponentially Weighted
Moving Average (EWMA) Control Chart; Feed-
back Control; Hotelling’s T 2 Chart; Large Autore-
gressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA)
Modeling; Moving Range and R Charts; Mul-
tivariate Charts for Variability; Multivariate
Control Charts Overview; Multivariate Control
Charts, Interpretation of; Multivariate Cumula-
tive Sum (CUSUM) Chart; Multivariate Expo-
nentially Weighted Moving Average (MEWMA)
Control Chart; Neural Networks: Construction
and Evaluation; Precontrol; Profile Monitoring;
Regression Control Charts; Variable Sampling
Rate Control Charts.
BENJAMIN M. ADAMS