Steven Cox
Concise process improvement definition with case studies
Cox, Steven; Garside, John; Vitanov, Valentin; Kotsialos, Apostolos
Authors
John Garside
Valentin Vitanov
Apostolos Kotsialos
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficiency and objectivity of current Six Sigma practices when at the measure/analyse phase of the DMAIC quality improvement cycle. Design/methodology/approach – A new method, named process variation diagnostic tool (PROVADT), demonstrates how tools from other quality disciplines can be used within the Six Sigma framework to strengthen the overall approach by means of improved objectivity and efficient selection of samples. Findings – From a structured sample of 20 products, PROVADT was able to apply a Gage R&R and provisional process capability study fulfilling the pre-requisites of the measure and early analyse phases of the DMAIC quality improvement cycle. From the same sample, Shainin multi-vari and isoplot studies were conducted in order to further the analysis without the need of additional samples. Practical implications – The method was tested in three different industrial situations. In all cases PROVADT’s effectiveness was shown at driving forward a quality initiative with a relatively small number of samples. Particularly in the third case, it lead to the resolution of a long standing complex quality problem without the need for active experimentation on the process. Originality/value – This work demonstrates the need to provide industry with new statistical tools which are practical and give users efficient insight into potential causes of a process problem. PROVADT makes use of data needed by quality standards and Six Sigma initiatives to fulfil their requirements but structures data collection in a novel way to gain more information.
Citation
Cox, S., Garside, J., Vitanov, V., & Kotsialos, A. (2013). Concise process improvement definition with case studies. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 30(9), 970-990. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijqrm-03-2012-0029
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | May 27, 2013 |
Publication Date | Oct 7, 2013 |
Deposit Date | Jul 10, 2013 |
Publicly Available Date | Dec 14, 2015 |
Journal | International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management |
Print ISSN | 0265-671X |
Publisher | Emerald |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 30 |
Issue | 9 |
Pages | 970-990 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ijqrm-03-2012-0029 |
Keywords | Design of experiments, Process capability, Quality measurement, Sampling plan, Six Sigma. |
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Copyright Statement
This article is © Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here http://dro.dur.ac.uk/17091/. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
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