Process Capability Essay Example for Free

Process Capability Essay Process capability studies determine whether a process is unstable, investigate any sources of instability, determine their causes, and take action to resolve such sources of instability. After all sources of instability have been resolved in a process, the natural behavior of the process is called its process capability. Process capability compares the output of a process (called â€Å"Voice of the Process†) with the customer’s specification limits for the outputs (called â€Å"Voice of the Customer†). A process must be stable (have an established process capability) before it can be improved. Consequently, a process capability study must be successfully completed before a process improvement study can have any chance for success. Process improvement studies follow the Deming cycle of Plan, Do, Study, Act. First, managers construct a plan to decrease the difference between customer needs (Voice of the Customer) and process performance (Voice of the Process). Recall, that a plan is an intention to move from an existing method or flowchart to a revised method or flowchart by incorporating one or more change concepts. Second, they test the revised flowchart’s (Plan) viability using a planned experiment (Do). Third, they collect data and study the results of the planned experiment to determine if the plan (revised flowchart) will decrease the difference between customer needs and process performance (Study). Fourth, if the data collected about the revised flowchart show if the plan will achieve its objective(s). Finally, the revised flowchart is standardized through best practices and training (Act); and the managers responsible for the plan return to the Plan phase of the Deming cycle to find further revisions to the flowchart that will further reduce the difference between customer needs and process performance. If the data collected about the plan show that the plan will not achieve its objective(s), the managers responsible for the plan return to the Plan phase of the Deming cycle to find a different revision to the flowchart that will reduce the difference between customer needs and process performance. Hence, the Deming cycle follows a never-ending path of process and quality improvement. This chapter is divided into four sections: specifications, process capability studies, process improvement studies, and quality improvement stories. The quality improvement story is an effective format for quality management practitioners to present process capability and process improvement studies to management. 11.2 Specifications (Voice of the Customer) and Created Dimensions Specifications fall into two broad categories: performance specifications and technical specifications. 11.2.1 Performance Specifications Performance specifications address a customer’s needs or wants. An example of a performance specification can be seen in restaurants rated by the Red Michelin Guide. The customers of these restaurants set their performance specifications as â€Å"a perfect dining experience.† Perfection is measured in terms of the synergistic experience created by the interaction of food, service, ambience and price. The Red Michelin Guide rates restaurants on a one to three star scale. Only the best restaurants in the world receive Michelin stars. A restaurant receives one Michelin star for consistently serving very good food in a good setting, but it is not considered worthy of a special traveling effort. A restaurant receives two Michelin stars for consistently serving excellent food, including specialties and wines of choice in a great setting. The restaurant is worth a detour from one’s existing travel itinerary. A restaurant receives three Michelin stars for serving excellent food and great wine, with impeccable and elegant service and ambience. The restaurant is one of the best restaurants in the world and is worth a special trip. All starred restaurants have a high average level of quality with very little variation around the average. A three star Michelin chef is an artist; it is as if Picasso was painting for your pleasure. Three star Michelin restaurants provide performance specifications. They guarantee satisfaction at the point of delivery. Nothing short of perfection is acceptable. 11.2.2 Technical Specifications Technical specifications describe the desired values of quality characteristics at delivery. There are three types of technical specifications: individual unit specifications; acceptable quality level (AQL) specifications; and distribution specifications. Individual Unit Specifications. Individual unit specifications state a boundary (upper or lower specification limit), or boundaries (both upper and lower specification limits), that apply to individual units of a product or service. An individual unit of product or service is considered to conform to a specification if it is on or inside the boundary or boundaries; this is the goal post view of quality. Individual unit specifications are made up of two parts, which together form a third part. The first part of an individual unit specification is the nominal value. This is the desired value for process performance mandated by the customers needs. Ideally, if all quality characteristics were at nominal, products and services would perform as expected over their life cycle. The second part of an individual unit specification is a tolerance. A tolerance is an allowable departure from a nominal value established by design engineers that is deemed non-harmful to the functioning of the product or service over its life cycle. Tolerances are added and/or subtracted from nominal values. The third part of an individual unit specification is a specification limit, or the boundaries created by adding and/or subtracting tolerances from a nominal value. It is possible to have two-sided specification limits: USL = Nominal + Tolerance LSL = Nominal Tolerance where USL is the upper specification limit and LSL is the lower specification limit; or one-sided specification limits (i.e., either USL or LSL only). A nominal value and specification limits form the Voice of the Customer. An example of an individual unit specification and its three parts can be seen in the specification for the case hardness depth of a camshaft. A camshaft is considered to be conforming with respect to case hardness depth if each individual unit is between 7.0 mm  ± 3.5 mm (or LSL = 3.5 to USL = 10.5 mm). The nominal value in that specification is 7.0 mm; the two-sided tolerance is 3.5 mm; the lower specification limit is 3.5 mm (7.0 mm 3.5 mm); and the upper specification limit is 10.5 mm (7.0 mm + 3.5 mm). From our earlier discussion of the philosophy of continuous reduction of variation (i.e., the Taguchi Loss Function), we saw that the goal of modern management should not be 100 percent conformance to specifications (Zero Defects), but the never-ending reduction of process variation within specification limits so that all products/services are as close to nominal as possible, absent capital investment. Specified tolerances become increasingly irrelevant as process variation is reduced so that the processs output is well within specification limits. Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) Specifications. Acceptable quality level (AQL) specifications state a requirement that must be met by most individual units of product or service, but allow a certain proportion of the units to exceed the requirements. For example, cam shafts shall be acceptable if no more than 3 percent of the units exceed the specification limits of 3.5 and 10.5 mm. This type of specification limit is frequently referred to as an Acceptable Quality Level. AQL specifications are much like individual unit specifications, except they have a unique negative feature: they formally support the production of a certain percentage of defective product or service. Distribution Specifications. Distribution specifications define an acceptable distribution for each product or service quality characteristic. In an analytic study, a distribution is defined in terms of its mean, standard deviation, and shape. However, from the Empirical Rule discussed in Chapter 5, it is not necessary to make any assumptions about the shape of the distribution. That is, virtually all data from a stable process will fall between the mean plus or minus three standard deviations. As an example of a distribution specification, the case hardness depth of a camshaft shall be stable with an average depth of 7.0 mm and a standard deviation not to exceed 1.167 mm. In other words, individual units shall be distributed around the average with a dispersion not to exceed 3.50 mm on either side of the average since for a stable process, virtually all of the output will be within three standard deviations on either side of the mean [7.0 mm  ± 3(1.167 mm) = 7.0 mm  ± 3.50 mm = 3.50 to 10.50 mm]. The mean and standard deviation are simply directional goals for management when using distribution specifications. Management must use statistical methods to move the process average toward the nominal value of 7.0 mm and to decrease the process standard deviation as far below 1.167 mm as possible. Distribution requirements are stated in the language of the process and promote the never-ending improvement of a process. Distinguishing between Performance Specifications and Technical Specifications. Performance specifications are not commonly used in business; instead, technical specifications are used. Unfortunately, this can cause major problems because technical specifications may not produce the performance desired by a customer. As an example, consider a hospital that serves medium (versus rare or well-done) steak to patients who select steak for dinner [see Camp, 1986]. The performance desired is patient satisfaction within nutritional guidelines. But performance specifications are not used. Instead, a technical specification of five ounces of steak is substituted; it is assumed they are equivalent.

Art and Literature in MacLachlan’s Arthur For the Very First Time and Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad Together :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Art and Literature in MacLachlan’s Arthur For the Very First Time and Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad Together When it comes to an artist, the perspective of the environment will be very different from individual to individual. This leads to the difference in technique and style When art and literature are put together the picture adds to the words and shows what the literature is describing, rather than just something to look at. Although Lloyd Bloom’s illustrations of MacLachlan’s, Arthur For the Very First Time and Arnold Lobel’s, Frog and Toad Together can not compare to the famous Leonardo, the art in each is very unique. Bloom gives very sharp, detailed drawings, almost like a photo, where as Lobel gives loose, cartoon like drawings. These two books are very different in terms of reading level, which allows Bloom to create more detailed and real life drawing, where as Lobel can get away with a less life orientating, rounded picture, almost like a cartoon. Bloom’s illustrations stay consistent throughout the book with vibrant, life oriented drawings. The black and white, pencil drawn pictures, create almost an exact replica, like a photo, for an older audience which leaves little to the imagination. In the book there is a picture of two children sitting by a pond. There is so much detail in the picture that you can see underneath the water if you look hard enough, along with both children’s reflection in the water. There is an incredible amount of detail which is put together by small amounts of shaded sections and very fine touches of the pencil. This all brings the realism of the picture in order. Realism shows through when the text is read. This book is fiction but very well could be non fiction. It isn’t a pretend book, there aren‘t people with blue hair or even frogs that talk. The amount of detail in the book’s words go along well with the amount of detail in the pictures. The pictures bring and add to the real life situations of the story, and complement the realism of the words. Lobel’s pictures in comparison, are poor drawings and weak in technique. They lack specific detail , like small markings and create an overall round picture. This book was intended for an audience of grades 1-3, much different from the upper level MacLachlan book. Its use of colors and earth tones are dull.

A Black Family: Before and After Emancipation of the Slaves Essay

Before the emancipation of the slaves, the African-American family was hard pressed to stay together. Slave marriages were not recognized by any of the southern states in a court of law. However many of the slaves masters recognized and encouraged marriage. But is was this was only for economical purposes, not because they cared about the happiness of their slaves. When the slaves were married they would then have children, who would then in turn become slaves the their parents’ master. But even though the slave masters wanted marriages, and consequently more slaves, if the opportunity presented itself, then they would sell the slaves, and split families. Separation of family members was a constant fear for the slaves. This is why the slaves started calling themselves â€Å"aunt† and â€Å"uncle†, so that no matter where they were they would always have a family feeling around them. Emancipation allowed families to become stronger and sturdier for the African-Americans. The African-Americans who had married themselves, sought for legal marriage. Many African-Americans searched high and low for their family that they had been separated from. This happened all the way up to the 1960’s. Another key change in the African-American family after emancipation was that the roles of the husband and the wife started to differ. The African-American males insisted that their wives stay home, while they would go and work. After emancipation the African-American family chose when and where to work, instead of being told by the old white masters. See more: Analysis of Starbucks coffee company employees essay Citations: 1. Wikipedia: Thomas Sowell, Affirmative Action around the World, 2004. Basic Books. pp. 115-156 Wilder-Hamilton, Elonda R. (2002). â€Å"Uncovering the Truth: Understanding the Impact of American Culture on the Black Male Black Female Relationship†. The Black Agenda. Archived from the original on 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2007-06-03. Martin, Elmer P. (1980). The Black Extended Family. University of Chicago Press.ISBN 0226507971. 2. Faragher, John M., et al. Out of Many. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2004.

Essay on Edna’s Suicide in The Awakening - 1239 Words

The Awakening by Kate Chopin ends with the death of the main character, Edna Pontellier. Stripping off her clothes, she swims out to sea until her arms can no longer support her, and she drowns. It was not necessarily a suicide, neither was it necessarily the best option for escaping her problems. We are told that she walks down to the beach â€Å"rather mechanically,† (Chopin 108) and that she doesn’t think about much, other than the heat of the sun. This doesn’t seem terribly interesting until we read that the reason she isn’t thinking is because she had, â€Å"done all the thinking which was necessary after Robert went away, when she lay awake upon the sofa till morning.† (Chopin 108) This means that she has already planned exactly what she†¦show more content†¦Clearly, she feels that drowning herself in the sea is the best way that she can elude her children. After walking into the sea, she begins to swim. There are several instances wh ere we are told that she grows progressively more tired. Since she has thought so much about this swim, she should have known to turn back at the first sign of exhaustion. But she doesn’t. She continues on to her ultimate death, apparently understanding and willing. Comparatively, there seems very little evidence to say that it was not suicide. A large part of any argument for â€Å"just death† stems from her impulsiveness, and that she could’ve been struck with the urge to swim very far out without thinking of the consequences. This argument is not terribly valid since we are told that she has, in fact, thought about her trip to the beach quite a lot. She also â€Å"goes on and on†¦thinking it [the sea] had no beginning and no end,† (Chopin 109) and yet still decides to continue swimming. Her thoughts right before her death offer a plausible, non-suicidal ending. She seems to understand that her life didn’t have to end now, that â€Å"perhap s Dr. Mandelet would have understood† (Chopin 109) if only she had the strength to swim back. But she didn’t have the strength, so she died. Even though sheShow MoreRelatedThe Awakening Ednas Suicide1304 Words   |  6 Pages Edna’s Victorious Suicide In the iconic debated novel â€Å"The Awakening†, Kate Chopin’s novel takes place in the Victorian Era, which is in the 19th- century, similarly the novel was published in 1899. Edna is depicted as a woman longing for more, a woman who was looking for more than just a life of complacency and living in the eyes of society. The story uses Edna to exemplify the expectations of women during this era. For example, a woman’s expression of independenceRead MoreEdnas Suicide in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay968 Words   |  4 PagesEdnas Suicide in Kate Chopins The Awakening At the end of Kate Chopins novel „The Awakening the protagonist Edna commits suicide. 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