Which comes first?

Which comes first when you are implementing Process Control (SPC) - DOE or Control Charting?

Simple question, right?!?!

Well, I am in a repeat situation (last time this happened was nearly 20 years ago) where an organizational leader expects a timeline for implementation of SPC but cannot see that the optimizing the process must come first.

What is your opinion, what what you do?

How to define Quality

Happy New Year readers!

In my first post for 2013 I will attempt to take on the challenge from Paul Borawski in ASQ's A View from the Q to define Quality.  So here we go...

Quality is...

Am I done?  I don't think so, but it is a good start.  The reason ask if I am done is that in my opinion quality cannot have one single definition.  It is the qualifying aspects of the word Quality that make one single definition impossible.

I have always favored two definitions:

• Quality is User Defined.
• Quality is meeting the needs and expectations of the customer.

However, beyond these 2 definitions are hundreds...all resulting in the same meaning.

When attempting to define Quality we must add a qualifying word like:

• Product
• Process
• Service

Furthermore, we also must consider:

• the customer
• the consumer
• the end user
• the industry
• the use
• the purpose
• the economy

Hence, as previousely stated, it is the qualifying aspects of the word Quality that make one single definition impossible.