PROBLEM: 8 - 17

Every employee in a check-processing department goes through a four-month training

period, after which the employee is responsible for their operation. The work of one
employee who has been on the job for eight months is being studied. Table shows the
number of errors and the number of items sampled over a period of two months. The
first 16 samples were each chosen from 400 items, and the remaining 9 samples were
each chosen from 300 items. Determine whether the employee's performance can be
judged stable. Comment on the capability of the employee.
PROBLEM: 8-18

The number of customers who are not satisfied with the service provided in a retail
store is found for 20 samples of size 100 and is shown in Table. Construct a control chart
for the proportion of dissatisfied customers. Revise the control limits, assuming special
causes for points outside the control limits.
PROBLEM: 8-19

Management believes that the dissatisfaction rate is 3%, so establish control limits
based on this value. Comment on the ability of the store to meet this standard. If
management were to set the standard at 2%, can the store meet this goal? What
actions would you recommend?
PROBLEM: 8-20

Health care facilities must conform to certain standards in submitting bills to

Medicare/Medicaid for processing. The number of bills with errors and the number
sampled are shown in Table 8-17. Construct an appropriate control chart and comment
on the performance of the billing department. Revise the control limits, if necessary,
assuming special causes for out-of-control points. Comment on the capability of the
department.
PROBLEM: 8-21

Observations are taken from the output of a company making semiconductors. Table
shows the sample size and the number of nonconforming semiconductors for each
sample. Construct ap-chart by setting up the exact control limits for each sample. Are
any samples out of control? If so, assuming special causes, revise the centerline and
control limits.
PROBLEM: 8-22

Observations are taken from the output of a company making semiconductors. Table
shows the sample size and the number of nonconforming semiconductors for each
sample. Construct ap-chart by setting up the exact control limits for each sample. Are
any samples out of control? If so, assuming special causes, revise the centerline and
control limits. Construct a standardized P -chart and discuss your conclusions.
PROBLEM: 8-23

The quality of service in a hospital is tracked by determining the proportion of

medication errors; this is done by dividing the number of medication errors by 1000
patient-days for each observation. The results of 25 such samples (in percentage of
medication errors) are shown in Table. Construct an appropriate control chart, and
comment on the quality level. Is a goal of error-free performance reasonable to expect
from this system?
PROBLEM: 8-24

A health care facility is interested in monitoring the primary C-section rate. Monthly
data on the number of primary C-sections collected over the last two and a half years is
shown in Table.

(a) Is the process in control?

(b) There is pressure to make these data public. Can we conclude that the C-section
rates had shifted to a higher level in the last six months relative to the previous six
months?
(c) What is your prediction on the C-section rate if no changes are made in current
obstetrics practices?
(d) Based on benchmarking with comparable facilities in similar metropolitan areas, is it
feasible currently to achieve a C-section rate of 10%?
SOLUTION:

a) p-chart is constructed for the proportion of C-sections and is shown in Figure.

The process is in control.

b) While the average C-section rate is higher for the last 6 months relative to the
previous 6 months, it is not statistically significant.
c) If no changes are made in current obstetrics practices, the C-section rate is
predicted to be about 15.31%.
d) The difference between 15.31% and the benchmark value of 10% is
approximately 3.01 in standard deviation units. This is found as follows:
Problem: 8-25:

The number of customers who are not satisfied with the service provided in a retail
store is found for 20 samples of size 100 and is shown in Table. Construct a control chart
for the proportion of dissatisfied customers. Revise the control limits, assuming special
causes for points outside the control limits.
Construct a control chart for the number of dissatisfied customers. Revise the chart,
assuming special causes for points outside the control limits.
PROBLEM: 8–26

The number of processing errors per 100 purchase orders is monitored by a company
with the objective of eliminating such errors totally. Table 8-21 shows samples that
were selected randomly from all purchase orders. The company is in the process of
testing the effects of a new purchase order form that it has designed. The last five
samples were made using the new form. Construct a control chart that the company
can use for monitoring the quality characteristic selected. What is the effect of the
newly designed purchase order form? Is the company capable of achieving the desired
goal?
PROBLEM: 8-27

The number of dietary errors is found from a random sample of 100 trays chosen on a
daily basis in a health care facility. The data for 25 such samples are shown in Table.
(a) Construct an appropriate control chart and comment on the process. (b) How
many dietary errors do you predict if no changes are made in the process? (c) Is the
system capable of reducing dietary errors to 2, on average, per 100 trays, if no changes
are made in the process?
PROBLEM: 8-28

A building contractor subcontracts to a local merchant a job involving hanging

wallpaper. To have an idea of the quality level of the merchant's work, the contractor
randomly selects 300 m2 and counts the number of blemishes. The total number of
blemishes for 30 samples is 80. Construct the centerline and control limits for an
appropriate chart. Is it reasonable for the contractor to set a goal of an average of 0.5
blemish per 100 m2?

PROBLEM: 8-29
The number of imperfections in bond paper produced by a paper mill is observed over a
period of several days. Table shows the area inspected and the number of imperfections
for 25 samples. Construct a control chart for the number of imperfections per square
meter. Revise the limits if necessary, assuming special causes for the out-of-control
points.
PROBLEM: 8-30
The number of imperfections in bond paper produced by a paper mill is observed over a
period of several days. Table shows the area inspected and the number of imperfections
for 25 samples.
If we want to control the number of imperfections per 100 m 2, how would this affect
the control chart? What would the control limits be?
PROBLEM: 8-31

The director of the pharmacy department is interested in benchmarking the level of

operations in the unit. The director has defined medication errors as being any one of
the following: wrong medication; wrong dose; administered to the wrong patient;
administered at the wrong time; incorrectly repeating the medication; or omitting the
medication. The number of orders filled per day by the pharmacy varies. Table shows
the number of orders filled and the number of medication errors for 25 days. Construct
an appropriate control chart and comment on the stability of the process.
PROBLEM: 8-32

Nonconformities in automobiles fall into three categories: serious, major, and minor.
Twenty-five samples of five automobiles are chosen, and the total number of
nonconformities in each category is reported. Table shows the results. Assuming a
weighing system of 50,10, and 1 for serious, major, and minor nonconformities,
respectively, construct a demerits per unit control chart. Revise the control limits if
necessary, assuming special causes for points that are out of control.
PROBLEM: 8-34

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requires an

accounting of significant medication errors. Data collected over the last 25 months,
shown in Table 8-26, indicate the number of orders filled and the number of significant
medication errors. Each order is classified either as having or as not having significant
medication errors.
(a) Construct an appropriate control chart and comment on the process.
(b) If the process is not in control, assuming special causes and appropriate remedial
actions, revise the centerline and control limits.
(c) What is your level of expectation from this process?
(d) What would you do if the goal is to reduce the proportion of significant medication
errors to 1%. Is this currently achievable?