WHAT are CONTROL

CHARTS?
Control chart (statistical process control)
 first developed by Walter A. Shewhart during his time at
Bell Labs as a graphical method to measure, communicate
& control process variation.
 A statistical tool to study the variation in the process over
time
 is a graph used to study how a process changes over time.
 is a graphical tool for monitoring a process.
 is used to routinely monitor quality.

A control chart always has

 a central line for the average,
 an upper line for the upper control limit
 a lower line for the lower control limit.
 These lines are determined from historical data
KEY ELEMENTS of CONTROL
CHARTS
 KEY ELEMENTS of CONTROL
CHARTS
Mean(Central Line) - This is the average expected value for a process output.
- added as a visual reference for detecting shifts or trends
Referred as Process Location

Control Limits(Upper and lower control limits (UCL and LCL) used to determine
if a process is in-control or out-of control. computed from
available data and placed equidistant from the central line.
referred as Process Dispersion
Axes.
X-Axis- displays the chronological order
Y-Axis-the magnitude of data collected
CONTROL LIMITS ARE CALCULATED
BY UCL = x + 3σ
Y-axis

CL = Mean x

LCL = x - 3σ

X-axis
 Identifying Variation

common cause special cause variation OR

variation assignable causes
Or natural causes
inherent to the process non-random variation from
external factors.
 Samples

(d) If only natural causes of

variation are present, the
output of a process forms
a distribution that is stable
over time and is
predictable Prediction
Frequency

Weight
 Samples

?
?? ??
(e) If assignable causes are ? ?
present, the process output is ? ?
? ?
? ?
not stable over time and is ??
? ??
?
not predicable
Prediction
Frequency

Weight
Figure S6.1
Identifying Variation
Controlled variation is characterized by a stable and consistent pattern
of variation over time, and is associated with common causes. A
process operating with controlled variation has an outcome that is
predictable within the bounds of the control limits.
Example of Controlled Variation
Identifying Variation
Uncontrolled variation is characterized by variation that changes over
time and is associated with special causes. The outcomes of this
process are unpredictable; a customer may be satisfied or unsatisfied
given this unpredictability.
Example of Uncontrolled Variation
 When to Use a Control Chart
1. When controlling ongoing processes by finding and correcting
problems as they occur.

2. When predicting the expected range of outcomes from a process.

3. When determining whether a process is stable (in statistical control)

4.When analyzing patterns of process variation from special causes

(non-routine events) or common causes (built into the process)

5.When determining whether your quality improvement project should

aim to prevent specific problems or to make fundamental changes to
the process.
 Application of Control Charts
• developed for quality control in
manufacturing
• used for services as well as products, for
people, machines, cost, and so on.
• Sometimes, the quality control engineer has
a choice between variable control charts
and attribute control charts.
 Types of control charts
Variable control
charts
– X-bar chart
– R chart
Advantages of attribute control charts
quick summaries, that is, the engineer
may simply classify products
as acceptable or unacceptable, based on
various quality criteria.
sometimes bypass the need for
expensive, precise devices and time
consuming measurement procedures.
More easily understood by managers
unfamiliar with quality control
procedures.
Attribute control
charts
– p chart
– c chart
Advantages of variable control charts
More sensitive than attribute control charts.
Therefore, variable control charts may alert
us to quality problems before any actual
“unacceptables” (as detected by the attribute
chart) will occur.
Montgomery (1985) calls the variable
control charts leading indicators of trouble
that will sound an alarm before the number
of rejects (scrap) increases in the production
process.
The Four Process States
IDEAL STATE, that process is in statistical control and produces 100
percent conformance. This process has proven stability and target
performance over time. This process is predictable and its output
meets customer expectations.

THRESHOLD state is characterized by being in statistical control but

still producing the occasional nonconformance.
This type of process will produce a constant level of nonconformances
and exhibits low capability.

BRINK OF CHAOS state reflects a process that is not in statistical

control, but also is not producing defects.

STATE OF CHAOS
the process is not in statistical control and produces unpredictable
levels of nonconformance.
 WHAT IS PROCESS
CAPABILITY?
Process Capability
is a measure of the ability of the process to
meet specifications.
It refers to the performance of the process
when it is operating in statistical control.
– By Definition, "It is performance under
chronic conditions in which sporadic
variation do not exist".
Stable and capable process
Stable process
– is whose output is influenced
only by chance causes and not
by special causes
– This does not imply that the
output will be as per
specifications
Capable process
– is one that is expected to
produce output conforming to
the specifications when the
process is in control
• Control charts helps us distinguish special
from common causes of variation to guide
management action. It can be used by
operators for on-line control of a process. It
provides predictability for quality and cost.
It allow the process to achieve Higher
quality, Lower unit cost and Higher effective
capacity.
A Guide to Control Charts by Carl Berardinelli (NO DATE) Retrieved
from https://www.isixsigma.com/tools-templates/control-charts/a-
guide-to-control-charts/
Quality Council of Indiana. The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
Primer, Second Edition, Quality Council of Indiana, West Terre
Haute, Ind., 2012.
Tubiak, T.M. and Benbow, Donald W. The Certified Six Sigma Black
Belt Handbook, Second Edition, ASQ Quality Press, Milwaukee,
Wisc., 2009.
Wheeler, Donald J. and Chambers, David S. Understanding
Statistical Process Control. SPC Press, Knoxville, Tenn., 1992.

Control Chart Rules and Interpretation March 2016 BY Dr. Bill

McNeese OF BPI Consulting, LLC Retrieved from
https://www.spcforexcel.com/knowledge/control-chart-
basics/control-chart-rules-interpretation

The Purpose of Control Charts BY Dr. Bill McNeese OF BPI Consulting,

LLC Retrieved from https://www.spcforexcel.com/knowledge/control-
chart-basics/purpose-control-charts
Capability vs. control Retrieved from
http://www.pqsystems.com/qualityadvisor/DataAnalysisTools/control_vs_capabili
ty.php

What is the relationship between process stability and process capability? by

Steven Wachs Retrieved From http://www.winspc.com/what-is-spc/ask-the-
expert/285-what-is-the-relationship-between-process-stability-and-process-
capability

CONTROL CHART Retrieved From http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/data-

collection-analysis-tools/overview/control-chart.html

Process Capability And Control Charts Retrieved From

http://a4academics.com/be-seminar-topics/59-mba/735-process-capability-and-
control-charts

Statistical Process Control (SPC) Retrieved From

https://www.moresteam.com/toolbox/statistical-process-control-spc.cfm

Elements and Applications of a Control Chart Retrieved From

https://somemmec.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/elements-and-applications-of-a-
control-chart/