→ 7 QC tools for process improvement are systematic and scientific methods for Problem Solving

and they are used for Product and Process Improvement.

→ 7 QC tools is a systematic and scientific method for the Problem Solving Technique.
→ It is used to solve 90% of shop floor problems very easily and it improves our workplace.

From Where did the 7 QC Tools come?

→ Primarily Kaoru Ishikawa introduced the 7 QC Tools.

→ Ishikawa has known for the “Democratizing (Visual Aids/Symbols) Statistics”.
→ Good visual aids make statistical and quality control more comprehensive.
→ Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa was a professor at the engineering college at Tokyo University.

Why we use The 7 QC Tools for Process Improvement?

→ The 7 QC tools for Process Improvement is a set of graphical techniques identified as being
most helpful in troubleshooting issues related to quality.
→ It is a fundamental concept to improve the process and product quality.
→ It is used to examine the production sequence, identify the key issues, control fluctuations of
product quality, and give solutions to avoid future defects.
→ This facilitates the organization to resolve the basic problems.
→ These 7 QC tools are easy to understand and implement and they do not need complex
analytical/ statistical competence, hence it is simple yet powerful.

What is the use of 7 QC Tools?

➝ It encourages the way of problem-solving and improvement.

➝ They are very simple to use but it is very powerful.
➝ It is a scientific approach for problem-solving.
➝ We can get an 80% result by applying 20% of the effort.
➝ Each tool has its own specialty for problem solving and analysis.
➝ It is very easy to understand, communicate, and use by the shop floor operator.

The 7 QC Tools:

1. Flow Charts
2. Cause and Effect Diagram (Fishbone or Ishikawa)
3. Checksheet
4. Histogram
5. Pareto Chart
6. Scatter Diagram
7. Control Chart

Note: We are considering here the Flow chart in this article as a part of 7 Basic QC Tools. Also,
you can consider stratification as a part of this tool.

[1] Flow Charts:

→“It is a diagrammatic representation that illustrates the sequence of operation to be performed to

get the desired result.”
→ It is a visual representation tool for a sequence of operation, therefore, we can easily illustrate
the Internal and external operational boundaries.
👉 Read: Different Types of Flow Chart Explained with Example
[2] Cause and Effect Diagram:

→ “It is a meaningful relationship between an effect and its causes."

→ It guides concrete action and tracks the potential causes during an investigation of the effort to
determine whether the item significantly contributes to the problem or not.
→ The cause and effect tool is a very popular root cause analysis tool.
→ Fishbone diagram can identify all possible cause(s) for the problem.
→ In this tool, we can find possible causes with the help of 6M concepts such as man, machine,
material, method, measurement, and mother nature.
👉 Read: Cause and Effect Diagram Explained with Case Study
[3] Check Sheet:

→ "Check Sheet is a structured, prepared form for collecting and analyzing data."
→ Data collected by the check sheet is used as an input of the other tool and data can be collected
based on asking question by what, when, where, how.
→ The purpose of a checklist is to summarize the data and a tally count of event occurrences.
→ A check sheet counts the number of occurrences of an event, such as defects or non-
conformance.
→ Hence the Check Sheet is also called a "tally sheet ".
→ In many cases, a checklist will summarize countable data related to certain types of defects and
will provide a rough graphical representation of wherein a part of the process, defects occurred.
👉 Read: Various Types of Check Sheets Explained with Example

[4] Histogram:

→ “Histogram is a type of bar graph representing the frequency distribution of the data from a
process.”
→ Karl Pearson introduced Histogram and it is a bar graph representing the frequency distribution
on its every bar.
→ Histograms are used to show the output of our process matches the customer's requirements or
not?
→ Also, we can take the decision based on the data patterns plotted on the graph either the process
is centric or it is widespread.
→ "Is the process capable of meeting customer requirements?“
→ The histogram is the best Frequency distribution tool.
→ A histogram is a pictorial representation of a set of data.

👉 Read: Various Types of Histograms Explained with Case Study

➨ Types of Histogram:
→ Normal Distribution
→ Skewed Distribution
→ Double-Peaked or Bimodal
→ Multipeaked or Multimodal
→ Edge Peaked Histogram
→ Truncated or Heart cut Histogram

[5] Pareto Chart:

→ "It is a bar graph arranged in descending order of height from left to right”
→ It is a graph that shows the order of the largest number of occurrences by item or by classes and
the cumulative sum total.
→ The Pareto analysis helps us to prioritize where we can get more benefits by applying fewer
efforts.
→ It is also very popular as a prioritization tool.
→ It communicates the principle of 80:20.
→ The Pareto Principle gives us information about Vital few from Trivial many, Hence, It is
"Vital few from Trivial many".
→ It states that 80% of an effect comes from 20% of the causes.
👉 Read: Pareto Chart Explained with Case Study

[6] Scatter Diagram:

→ “Scatter Diagram is used to study and identify the possible relationship between two variables”.
→ It is the best validation tool.
👉 Read: Scatter Diagram Explained with Example

➨ Different names of the Scatter Diagram:

→ Scatter Plot
→ Scatter Graph
→ Correlation Graph
→ Scatter Gram

➨ Different correlation between two variables in the Scatter Plot:

→ Strong Positive
→ Moderate Positive correlation
→ Weak Positive correlation
→ Strong Negative correlation
→ Moderate Negative correlation
→ Weak Negative correlation
→ Random Pattern (No correlation)

[7] Control Chart:

→ “It is used for studying the process variation over time."

→ It is a plot of a process characteristic, usually through time with statistically determined limits.
→ When used for monitoring, it helps the user to determine the appropriate type of action to take
on the process depending on a degree of variation.
👉 Also Read: Control Chart Explained with Case Study
👉 Also Read:
1. Flow Chart | Process Flow Diagram | Types & Examples
2. Cause & Effect Diagram (Fishbone or Ishikawa)
3. Check Sheet | Different Types & Examples
4. Histogram | Different Types of Patterns & Examples
5. Pareto Chart | Example & Principles
6. Scatter Diagram | Types & Examples
7. Control Chart | Types & Examples

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👉 See Also:
➨ All Topics
➨ Lean Manufacturing
➨ ISO 9001:2015 & IATF 16949:2016
➨ 7 QC Tools
➨ MSA, FMEA, PPAP, APQP, SPC
➨ Six Sigma & Lean Six Sigma
➨ QA & QC Topics