The Mystery Measurement TheatreDetermining sources of variations
Thu, 01/14/2010 - 07:40
If you can’t trust your measurement system, you can’t do anything with the data it generates. Last month, in “ Letting You In On a Little Secret,” we talked about the purpose of measurement system analysis (MSA) and I gave you a neat spreadsheet… Letting You In On a Little SecretCause I’m a nice guy, I’m going to give you articles that explain the basics of MSA.
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 05:00
You know how sometimes you think everyone knows a secret that they haven’t let you in on? Well, I had the opposite happen to me the other day. I assumed everyone knew the purpose for measurement system analysis (MSA), a.k.a. gauge repeatability and… You Might be a Black Belt if…Oh, the perils of mastering Six Sigma
Mon, 10/19/2009 - 05:00
I'm not saying that the following apply to you... really. But, you might be a Black Belt if...
You test your co-workers for normality – and find some of them to be non-normal and a little skewed…
…and you know you can handle non-normal co-… Why Doesn’t SPC Work, Part 4Does this data make my shape look funny?
Mon, 09/21/2009 - 05:00
If you have been following my articles over the last few months, you have seen that even though statistical process control (SPC) charts are very powerful tools for examining a process, it turns out that there are a lot of ways to mess up SPC. This… Why Doesn’t SPC Work? Part 3 The chart isn't strange, it's just misunderstood.
Wed, 08/19/2009 - 05:00
Over the past couple of articles, we have explored how an incomplete understanding of how SPC limits are calculated can lead to constructing control charts that look strange. But using some of the things I mentioned, hopefully you can see that… Why Doesn’t SPC Work? Part 2To err is human, but to really mess things up you need a statistician.
Tue, 07/21/2009 - 03:00
Have you ever met people who “do” statistical process control (SPC) only to get some screwy-looking control chart, and then text: OMG I H8 SPC! (If you don’t understand that, ask your nine-year-old child or grandchild.)
Last month we saw how it… Why Doesn’t SPC Work? Part 1To err is human, but to really mess things up you need a statistician…
Mon, 06/22/2009 - 04:00
One of the most useful diagnostic tools for understanding what is going on in a process is the statistical process control chart (SPC). This is also a frequently misunderstood tool, and these misunderstandings lead to misdirected effort during a… Last Things FirstStatistics from end to beginning
Fri, 05/15/2009 - 14:32
A colleague of mine made an interesting point about how we teach and learn experimental design techniques, and I thought I'd explore the subject further. He observed that the order that we teach statistics is almost exactly opposite of how one… Project Selection for DMAICGuidelines to help your project succeed
Mon, 04/20/2009 - 09:08
One of the most frequent questions I get from Black Belts and Green Belts I train is about the characteristics of a good Six Sigma project, particularly a first project. Define, measure, analyze, improve, control (DMAIC) is a procedure that is… The Truth About Control ChartsDon't believe what you see; at least at first.
Thu, 03/12/2009 - 08:15
Many people go through a point in their lives where they question the beliefs they hold most dear. Then there are those who question the entire basis for statistical process control (SPC) once they have learned the statistical basis for them. I can…
