When it comes to statistical process control (SPC), it’s easy to get lost in the weeds and forget what you are really trying to accomplish. The whole point is to make better products for the customer. To do that, you have to perform the same exact processes over and over across every production line. Most important, it has to be done as safely and efficiently as possible so you don’t waste time or money.

When Walter A. Shewhart developed control charts, the powerful charts and plots were created with paper and pencil. Today SPC can occur in real time. It doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Watch the process, collect data, make that data useful, and then make decisions based on that useful information. It’s as simple as that. Perform these tasks, and you will be running to target while reducing variation.

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