Abstract

Variation is one of the prime culprits to investigate when there are quality problems. It can occur in just about any process, including wine production. In this case study, the authors used several quality tools and statistical approaches to examine a winery’s production process and developed a plan to control and minimize variation. Through design of experiments in particular, the wine maker was able to pinpoint specific problems that contributed to complaints over the wine taste and enact various quality improvements to head off future customer concerns.