Douglas C. Fair

Chief operating officer

InfinityQS International

A quality professional with more than 35 years of experience in manufacturing, analytics, and statistical applications, Douglas C. Fair is the former chief operating officer at InfinityQS International, an SPC software company. At InfinityQS, he spent 25 years helping manufacturers around the world deploy SPC and benefit from its use. 

Fair holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial statistics from the University of Tennessee, and a Six Sigma Black Belt from the University of Wisconsin. He’s a regular contributor to various quality magazines and has co-authored two books on industrial statistics: Innovative Control Charting (ASQ Quality Press, 1998) and Quality Management in Health Care (Jones and Bartlett Publishing, 2004).

Mon, 06/26/2006 - 22:00
Is Statistical Process Control Still Relevant?Part 8: A summary of our series
Mon, 04/08/2024 - 12:03
In less than two months we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the invention of the control chart, a tool most often associated with statistical process control (SPC). Considering SPC from our modern perspective made us ask, “Is SPC still…
SPC Outside of Manufacturing Part 7 of our series on statistical process control in the digital era
Wed, 01/24/2024 - 12:03
So far in this series our focus has remained on statistical process control (SPC) in manufacturing. We’ve alternated between more traditional uses of SPC that remain relevant in this digital era and discussing uses of SPC and its related techniques…
What Can Your Process Achieve? Part 6 of our series on SPC in a digital era
Wed, 01/03/2024 - 12:03
You are assigned a new task to demonstrate that an existing process will have the capability to meet newer and tighter specifications. The change in specifications for critical-to-quality characteristic P is due to new regulatory requirements; hence…
Modernizing Your SPC System Can Drive Huge Improvements in Quality and CostPart 5 of our series on statistical process control in the digital era
Wed, 12/20/2023 - 12:03
Just a few decades ago, today’s personal technology was a science fiction pipe dream. Powerful computers (smart phones) that fit in our pockets; global positioning satellites for our traveling convenience; and homes where lights, security systems,…
Measurement Data and Getting the Basics RightPart 4 of our series on SPC in the digital era
Wed, 12/06/2023 - 12:03
Parts 1, 2, and 3 of our series on statistical process control (SPC) have shown how data can be thoughtfully used to enable learning and improvement—and consequently, better product quality and lower production costs. Another area of SPC to tap into…
Strategies for Using SPC With High-Speed Data Collection Systems Part 3 of our series on SPC in a digital era
Wed, 11/22/2023 - 12:03
Data overload has become a common malady. Modern data collection technologies and low-cost database storage have motivated companies to collect data on almost everything. The result? Data overload. Unfortunately, few companies leverage the…
Control Charts in Manufacturing: Are They Still Relevant?Part 2 of our series on SPC in a digital era
Wed, 11/08/2023 - 11:03
We are one year away from the 100th anniversary of the creation of the control chart: Walter Shewhart created the control chart in 1924 as an aid to Western Electric’s manufacturing operations. Since it’s almost prehistoric, is it now time to leave…
Is Statistical Process Control Still Relevant?Introducing our series on SPC in a digital era
Wed, 10/25/2023 - 12:03
Today’s manufacturing systems have become more automated, data-driven, and sophisticated than ever before. Visit any modern shop floor and you’ll find a plethora of IT systems, HMIs, PLC data streams, machine controllers, engineering support, and…
Time to Ditch the Paper and the SpreadsheetsYou can’t concentrate on what your data is saying if you’re too busy wrestling with it
Thu, 07/12/2018 - 12:02
A few months back, I was reading a really good article from The Wall Street Journal, titled “Stop Using Excel, Finance Chiefs Tell Staffs.” Even though it was geared toward accounting and corporate operations, the message of the article struck home…
Top 10 SPC Mistakes, Part 2Including the big enchilada, managerial indifference
Tue, 04/17/2018 - 12:02
Here’s a quick rundown of what we covered in part one of our list of top 10 mistakes to avoid when using statistical process control (SPC): training everyone, charting everything, segregating control charts from manufacturing, “pinching” the SPC…