The essence of any root cause analysis in our modern quality thinking is to go beyond the actual problem. This means not only do we have to fix the problem at hand but we also have to identify why the failure occurred and what was the opportunity to apply the appropriate knowledge to avoid the problem in the future. Essential Statistical Concepts for the Quality Professional offers a new non-technical statistical approach to quality for effective improvement and productivity by focusing on very specific and fundamental methodologies and tools for the future. Written by an expert with more than 30 years of experience in management, quality training, and consulting, the book examines the fundamentals of statistical understanding, and by doing so demonstrates the importance of using statistics in the decision making process. The author points out pitfalls to keep in mind when undertaking an experiment for improvement and explains how to use statistics in improvement endeavors. He discusses data interpretation, common tests and confidence intervals, and how to plan experiments for improvement. The book expands the notion of experimentation by dealing with mathematical models such as regression to optimize the improvement and understand the relationship between several factors. It emphasizes the need for sampling and introduces specific techniques to make sure accuracy and precision of the data is appropriate and applicable for the study at hand. The author’s approach is somewhat new and unique; however, he details tools and methodologies that can be used to evaluate the system for prevention. These tools and methodologies focus on structured, repeatable processes that can be instrumental in finding real, fixable causes of the human errors and equipment failures that lead to quality issues.

Achieve Technological Advancements in Applied Science and Engineering Using Efficient Experiments That Consume the Least Amount of ResourcesWritten by longtime experimental design guru Thomas B. Barker and experimental development/Six Sigma expert Andrew Milivojevich, Quality by Experimental Design, Fourth Edition shows how to design and analyze ex

Continuing a best-selling tradition, the third edition of Quality by Experimental Design uses the same easy-to-read and understand format that made the previous two editions so popular with newcomers and experienced readers alike. Completely revised and revamped, the third edition has lost none of the features that made each of the previous editions bestsellers in their own right. Written in Thomas Barker's trademark, conversational style, the third edition includes new topics on inference, more realistic practice problems, examples using Minitab®, and a large dose of Robust Design philosophy and methods. Barker integrates the Robust Design, sometimes known as the Taguchi approach, as a natural part of the design effort and establishes a criterion for measurement variables. He provides step-by-step guides to the Minitab software that give you the ability to apply the concepts in practical applications and includes easy to use experimental design templates. The author presents the mathematical aspects of statistical experimental design in an intuitive rather than a theoretical manner. Emphasizing both the philosophy and the techniques for setting up experiments, the book shows you how to achieve increased efficiency, timely accomplishment of goals, visualization through graphical and numerical representation, and control of the experiment through careful planning. Those new to QED will find some of the most powerful ideas in scientific investigation and engineering understanding in this book. Seasoned QED'ers will appreciate the new insight it offers and timely reviews of subjects in which they may have become a bit rusty.