Two tools used in the Control phase of the DMAIC cycle are the Control Chart, often called Statistical Process Control (SPC) Chart, and the Process Audit. You will use both tools to complete this assignment.
The Control Chart shows how a variable changes over time. Data are plotted in time order. A Control Chart always has a central line for the average. The chart also shows an upper line for the upper control limit (UCL) and a lower line for the lower control limit (LCL). This data helps to control processes, to predict outcomes, and to monitor the process. You will analyze a Control Chart provided in the assignment template.
You are analyzing the Control Chart as part of a Process Audit. You will be looking for “out of control” conditions and where the process is not working. You want to make sure the process is stable and meets requirements, so you will do some problem solving to figure out where and how to make changes in the process.
Before you begin, be sure to review the following resources:
What is SPC (Statistical Process Control)?Links to an external site.
Process Audit (and Control Chart): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPTdz8mkxi8
Download the Process Audit template here. (WILL ATTACTH FILE)
Use one of the opportunities for improvement (OFIs) that you discovered during your Benchmarking Report assignment or Eight Wastes assignment as a project. You are working on the Control phase of this project, trying to make sure that the process improvements you made during the Improve phase are working and stay working. Use the template provided to perform a Process Audit, including analysis of the Control Chart and solving problems with out-of-control conditions. Follow the question prompts in the template to work through the problem and bring the process back under control. Fill out the yellow areas to complete the assignment.
Your Process Audit report must include:
Organization Name
Process Title
Variable Being Tracked
Out-of-Control Conditions
Five-Why Root Cause Analysis
Containment Actions (to “rope off” or secure the situation)
Corrections (to get the situation back under control)
Corrective Actions (to prevent recurrence of out-of-control conditions)
