Problem Solving and

Quality Control Tools

Meaning of Problem
Steps of Problem Solving Process
Seven Basic Quality Control (QC)
Tools

Problem Solving Process

A
Problem
Solving
approach
focuses
employees attention on three activities
Enabling individual and work group to
conduct careful analysis based on numerical
and other data to explore potential
solutions.
Planning for the implementation of optimal
solution.
Monitoring the result of their corrective
actions.

Steps of Problem
Solving Process
1. Identifying and Selecting the Problem.
2. Analyzing the Problem.
3. Generating Potential Solutions.
4. Selecting and Planning the Solution.
5. Implementing the Recommended
Solution.
6. Evaluating and Selecting the Solution.

Seven Basic Quality

Control (QC) Tools
1. Check Sheet.
2. Histogram.
3. Pareto Chart.
4. Cause and Effect Diagram.
5. Scatter Diagram.
6. Stratification.
7. Control Charts.

Check Sheets
Simple organized way to collect data
as per the frequency.
Important when frequent failures at
work.
Data collection based on sample
observations in order to identify
patterns.
Used for accountability purpose.

Check Sheets
The main use of Check Sheets are:
It provides clear picture about how
often and what type of problems
occur.
It distinguishes between fact and
opinion.

Histogram
A diagram showing the frequency of
occurrence of a given number or a given
range of number is known as frequency
distribution diagram or histogram.
Histogram is a bar chart showing the
distribution pattern of observations
grouped in convenient class interval and
arranged in order of magnitude.
Histogram is visual representation of
spread of distribution of data.

Histogram
The various types of distributions are:
1.

Bell shaped distribution.

2.

Double peaked distribution.

3.

Plateau distribution.

4.

Comb distribution.

5.

Skewed distribution.

Histogram
1.

Bell shaped distribution.

Histogram
2. Double peaked distribution.

Histogram
2. Double peaked distribution.

Histogram
3. Plateau distribution.

Histogram
4. Comb distribution.

Histogram
5. Skewed distribution.

Histogram
Guidelines for Histogram Categories:
Easy to construct but more difficult to
interpret.
To get meaningful data, select the
category size carefully.
Number of data
Number of
points in the sample
categories
Less than 50

5-7

50-100

6-10

100-250

7-12

Over 250

10-12

Pareto Charts (diagrams)

Pareto Charts (diagrams)

Pareto principle was invented by Italian
Economist Alfred Pareto (1848-1923).
He studied the distribution of wealth in
different countries.
He concluded that fairly consistent
minority about 20 percent of people
controlled the large majority, about 80
percent of societys wealth.
This is called the 80-20 rule and is
called Pareto principle.

Pareto Charts (diagrams)

Pareto diagram is a bar chart that
illustrates the frequency of
reoccurrence or the cost of a set of
items.
The items are shown in the descending
order of importance from left to right.

Pareto Charts
(diagrams)

Pareto Charts
(diagrams)

Pareto Charts (diagrams)

Pareto analysis can be used by system
analyst to concentrate on selected
activities/ areas for the purpose of
exercising control to improve system
performance thus reducing wasteful
effort in controlling all the activities.
Thus Pareto analysis is applicable to
different fields to reduce the number of
defects and to improve the overall
quality of the product and system.

Cause and Effect

Diagram

The costs resulting from products

or services not conforming to
requirements or customer/user
needs.
Failure costs are divided into
internal
and
external
failure
categories.
A- Internal Failure Costs
B- External Failure Costs

Cause and Effect

Diagram

Cause and Effect

Diagram

Cause and Effect

Diagram
Steps for constructing C & E diagram:
1. Decide on quality characteristics (Effect)
2. Draw the back bone from left to right, terminating
at the head and write the quality characteristics
(Effect)
3. Draw the big bone and write the primary cause.
4. Draw the medium sized bone and write the
secondary cause (sub-cause).
5. Draw the small bone and write the tertiary cause
(cause which is secondary to sub-cause)
6. Ensure that all causes (factors) which influence the
effect (quality characteristics) are displayed in the
diagram.

Cause and Effect

Diagram
Advantages:
1. The potential cause of a problem becomes readily apparent
by constructing cause and effect diagram. Each effect is
evaluated one by one in order to find the true cause of the
problem.
2. A task group is constituted for the cause and effect
diagram. Thus people work in group for a common
objective.
3. Cause and effect diagram reduces defects and thus
improves quality.
4. It is constructed by the use of brain storming that enables
to develop a wide variety of possible causes for a problem.
5. A clear picture of the process is seen visually. It educates
people to improve their skills and helps in understanding
the process better.

Scatter Diagram
Scatter diagram or scatter plots are used to
determine whether relationship really exists
between two process characteristics and the
direction of the relationship.
A scatter diagram graphically illustrates the
relationship between the variables, typically
based on quantitative data.
They reveal bi-variable relationships, that is
relationship between pair of variables, such as
number of defects per batch against changes
in the speed of production line or production
time per unit against hours of training.

Scatter Diagram
1. Collect at least 30 sets of paired samples of related
data (50 to 100 sets are more appropriate) and
construct a data sheet.
2. Find the lowest and the highest values of X-axis and
Y-axis.
3. Draw the horizontal and vertical axis and plot the
readings. If the relationship between the two data is
of cause and effect, the causes values are usually
marked as X and the effect values on Y-axis. X value
is an independent variable and the Y a dependent
value (variable).
4. Plot the data on the chart. There could be positive
correlation, negative correlation or no correlation
between variables.

Scatter Diagram

Scatter Diagram

Stratification
Segregating a group of measurements,
observations or any other data into
several sub-groups on the basis of certain
characteristics is called stratification.
It is an important tool for quality
improvement.
Stratification is nothing but segregation
or reporting the data machine-wise,
operator-wise,
shift-wise
etc.
for
identifying the influencing factors.

Stratification
Example: Breakdown of machines in a
plant.
The plant has 110 breakdowns in a year.
If this information is properly segregated or
stratified, it would enable the management to
plan action for systematic plant maintenance.
50 breakdowns in Machine I
20 breakdowns in Machine II
25 breakdowns in Machine III
15 breakdowns in Machine IV

Control Charts
Originally developed by Walter Shewhart (1920).
Perfected and used by Edward Deming in 1950.
85 percent of improvement opportunities come
from changes in the system which are
managements responsibility, while 15 percent are
within an individual employees control.
A control chart can be used to discover how much
variability in a process is due to random variations
and how much is due to unique events, in order to
determine if a process is under statistical control.

Control Charts
A control chart is simply a run chart to which
two horizontal lines called control limits are
added, the Upper Control Limit (UCL) and
Lower Control Limit (LCL) on either side of the
process average.

Control Charts
There are two types of control charts:
Variable Control Charts. Samples are
expressed in quantitative characteristics
units of measurement such as length,
weight and time.
Attributes Control Charts. Sample reflect
qualitative characteristics such as is
defective/ is not defective or go/ no go.

Control Charts

Control Charts

Control Charts

Seven QC
Tools

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