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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Define the problem and establish an improvement goal.

Collect data.
Analyze the problem.
Generate potential solutions.
Choose a solution.
Implement the solution.
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

*
* *
*
*
* **
*
Scatter Plot

Histogram
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Pareto
Chart

Data Collecting

Ishikawa Chart

Stratification

Quality Tools and Techniques

Inputs

Techniques For Improvement.

Scatter Diagrams

Outputs

Input-Output analysis
Flow Charts
Cause-Effect Diagrams

Pareto Analysis

x x
x
x
x
x x
x

Why - why analysis

Why?
Why?
Why?

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Quality Tools and Techniques

Cause-and-Effect Diagram
Methods

Cause

Cause

Environment

Materials
Cause

Cause

Cause

Cause
Cause

People

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Cause

Cause

Cause
Cause

Cause

Equipment

Effect

Quality Tools and Techniques

Check Sheet
Billing Errors
Wrong Account
Wrong Amount

A/R Errors
Wrong Account
Wrong Amount

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Monday

80%
80%of
of the
the
problems
problems
may
may be
be
attributed
attributed to
to
20%
20%of
of the
the
causes.
causes.

Pareto Analysis

Number of defects

Quality Tools and Techniques

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

LCL

980
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

Diameter

Run0.58
Chart
0.56
0.54
0.52
0.5
0.48
0.46
0.44
1

Time (Ho urs )

Time (Hours)
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10 11 12

Quality Tools and Techniques

Tracking Improvements
UCL

UCL

LCL
LCL
Process not centred
and not stable
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Process centred
and stable

UCL

LCL
Additional improvements
made to the process

Quality Tools and Techniques

Process Variation

Process Variability
Variations due to:

Natural Causes:
Temperature variation
Material variation
Customer differences
Operator performance

Must be monitored
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Special Causes:
Machine is breaking
Untrained operative
Machine movement
Process has changed

Early and visible

warning required

Quality Tools and Techniques

What can be controlled using SPC?

VARIABLES.

Variable Measures are those

that can be measured on a
continuous scale, for example
length, time, weight....

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ATTRIBUTES.

Attributes are characteristics

that are assessed by judgment
and are dichotomous, i.e. have
two states such as right or
wrong, looks OK or not OK.

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 Taguchis 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
spec
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Target

Upper
spec

Quality Tools and Techniques

Quality Function Deployment

The House of Quality

KEY
Design Characteristics

Customer
Perceptions

1 2 3 4 5

Customer
Attributes

weak (1)
strong (3)
very strong (9)

Absolute Weight

Sales Points
Feasibility
Evaluation
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attribute weights x
relationship strength

1= weak; 10 = strong
1=easy, 10=difficult
(AW x SP) / Feasibility

Quality Tools and Techniques

QFD The House Of Quality.

Parts
Characteristics
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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Production
Requirements
Key Process
Operations

Parts
Characteristics

Engineering
Characteristics

Customer
Requirements

Engineering
Characteristics

Quality Tools and Techniques

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

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