Answers page 112-113

1.-What can control charting contribute to a process-improvement effort?

Control charts are statistical tools used to monitor and control a process over time. They can significantly
contribute to a process improvement effort in several ways. Waste Reduction, Optimization of Process Capacity,
Establishment of Realistic Objectives,Focus on Continuous Improvement, Support in Decision Making,
Improvement of Customer Confidence andCost Reduction

2.-What is the difference between “standards given” and “retrospective” control charting?

The main difference between "given standards" and "backcast" control charts lies in when the control limits are
established. "Given standards" control charts establish control limits in advance based on predefined standards,
while "backwards" control charts establish control limits after collecting historical data. Both approaches have
their applications and the choice between them depends on the specific needs of the process being monitored
and the availability of historical data.

3.- What is the difference between common cause and special cause variation?
Which type of variation are control charts designed to detect?

Common cause variation:

Common cause variation, also known as random or inherent variation, is the natural variability that exists within
a process under stable and predictable conditions.
It arises from expected everyday fluctuations that occur due to numerous factors, such as small variations in
materials, temperature, humidity, human factors or minor variations in equipment.
Special cause variation:
Special cause variation, also known as assignable or nonrandom variation, is variation that results from specific,
identifiable factors or events that are not part of the normal, continuous process.
It occurs when something unusual, unexpected or exceptional happens, which generates deviations from the
expected performance of the process. These factors may include equipment malfunctions, operator errors,
material defects, or other irregular occurrences.
5.-How do you expect the behavior of a control charting scheme to change if
a value smaller than 3 is used in limits (3.2)?

The behavior of a control chart scheme can change if a value is lower in several ways, depending on the type of
control chart and its configuration .Some possible effects include:

-Changes in control limits -Investigation of causes -Tighter process control -Adaptation of the process

7.-. If the plotted statistic Q is inside appropriately constructed control limits

(indicating that a process is stable), does that necessarily imply that the
process is producing acceptable product? Briefly explain.

A stable process, as indicated by control limits on a control chart, is a necessary condition for producing
acceptable products. However, it is not a sufficient condition. To ensure product quality, it is essential to go
beyond process stability and perform additional quality checks and inspections to confirm that the product meets
the required specifications and standards.

8.-If the plotted statistic Q is regularly outside appropriately constructed control limits (indicating that a
process is unstable), does that necessarily imply
that the process is producing unacceptable product? Briefly explain.

An unstable process, as indicated by data points that regularly fall outside the control limits, suggests that the
process is not operating in a predictable manner, but does not directly imply unacceptable product quality. To
determine product quality, a separate evaluation is needed to understand the impact of specific causes of
variation on the final product.

9.- The same item is being produced on two production lines. Every 15 min, 5 items are sampled from each line,
and a feature of interest is measured on each item. Some statistic Q is calculated for each set of 5
measurements from each line and plotted versus time. Analyst 1 puts all 10 items together into a single group
(5 from line 1 and 5 from line 2), calculates a value of the statistic Q, and plots it. (This person says, “After all, is
not a larger sample size better?”) Analyst 2 keeps the data from the two different lines separate and makes a
different control chart for each production line.
a) What subgroup size is Analyst 1 using?

Analyst 1 is using a subgroup size of 10 items (5 from line 1 and 5 from line 2).

b) What subgroup size is Analyst 2 using?

Analyst 2 is using a subgroup size of 5 items for each production line.

c) Which analyst is making the most appropriate chart? Why? (Hint:

Consider the concept of rational subgrouping. See also the discussion
of stratification on page 141.)

In this case, Analyst 2 is constructing the most appropriate chart. The main reason is that each production line
represents a different process, and treating them separately allows the specific variations of each line to be
identified and controlled. By keeping data separate, specific problems can be detected for each line and specific
corrective measures can be taken for each one. On the other hand, by grouping all the elements together as
Analyst 1 does, the differences between the two lines are diluted and the ability to detect specific problems in
each process is lost.