Case Study
Variability Reduction: A Statistical Engineering Approach to Engage Operations Teams in Process Improvement
- Publication:
- Quality Engineering
- Date:
- April 2012
- Issue:
- Volume 24 Issue 2
- Pages:
- pp. 264-279
- Author(s):
- Schall, Susan O.
- Organization(s):
- SOS Consulting, LLC, Front Royal, VA
Abstract
A U.S. printing company successfully implemented a teambasedvariability reduction methodology to enable operations teams, primarilypressmen and bindery operators, to establish standard processes,identify and eliminate sources of variability, establish the daily disciplinesnecessary to sustain the productivity improvements over time, and createan environment to facilitate step-change productivity improvement throughSix Sigma projects. This article shares the methodology and how itaddressed the hallmarks of a problem requiring statistical engineering andincorporated key aspects of the theory of statistical engineering.