G'day Scott and Douglas,

Yes indeed, they ares still used. But as mentioned in Part 1 graphic / image used, the Shewhart Control Chart and at Tokai Rikka have the U/LCL in dotted lines, never full lines as the lines show very well and your process behavior exapmples, it varies.

Secondly and kind of worse is placing the U/LSL lines (Full of course) on the Control Chart. As Shewhart, Deming, Ishikawa, Juran, Wheeler, AIAG "SPC" text told and tell us, Control Charts Economic CL - dotted; Histogram U/LSL - Full.

How the process behavs then and subsequent capabilities can be so determined meaning Stability before Capability.

My joy was seeing little Ishikawa Basic C&E Diagrams on the Clayton Melbourne Australia, Opama Japan and Smyna Tenn USA NIssan Plants and vehicle Control Chart "Outliers" and then again in the Toyota Hi-Ace plants, using CC and HIstograms as I stated.

When the process was really unstable they showed me very well, Dr IShikawa's 3rd Type of Cause Analysis (Introduction to QC ~1962) the Process Classification Cause & Effect Diagram. As all work happens through a process, it is very useful.

Another joy is seeing CC used in banks, insurance companies and in defense procurements / supply charts. As Mr Toyoda and his engineers told the Cadilac VP after they toured the robot Cadliac line and she presented and told us the story at the Quality Conference in Canada. He queried her on solving problems and so few people to solve them, plus so many robotocs etc. He said that if you do not control your processes, with your people, 'I fear you will only make what you do, badly, quicker'. GM had to write-off so much of their then Captial Investment. 

Shewhart charts have been around for 100 years. Why aren't they used everywhere? Based on my analysis of 1,000s and of improvement posters over the last eight years, it's because Excel line and bar charts are too available. They still represent 75-85% of improvement poster charts.

But control charts are so useful, everywhere. Ryan on my staff uses them to track email delivery rates and PPC (Pay Per Click) performance to save money and increase conversions and open rates. Nurses use them to track patient falls and medication errors. They're not just for manufacturing (a common misconception/excuse).

As you point out, Shewhart called them "Control" Charts. And no one likes to be controlled. Dr. Wheeler calls them process behaviour charts. 

I know it's almost impossible to change jargon, but I got to thinking: Everyone wants to improve their performance--golf scores, walking/running steps, etc. What if we called them "performance" charts?

And since they went to college and took statistics, why not "Smart Performance Charts" or SPC?

When I learned SPC 30 years ago, we did charts by hand. Frankly, I knew it would be next to impossible to get people in the phone company to use them. Now it can be done easily and accurately with affordable SPC software. Automation to the rescue.

We have to stop admiring the problem, buy some software and start improving performance across every industry. Let's create hassle-free healthcare, a hassle-free world.

Great article! Thank you,

PB