Walter Andrew Shewhart

By: Albertus Ch. W. / 1106067886 Ficky Augusta I. / 1106070483 Vincentius Himawan / 1106070520

Background
Walter Andrew Shewhart (pronounced like

"shoe-heart", March 18, 1891 March 11, 1967) was an American physicist, engineer and statistician, sometimes known as the father of statistical quality control and also related to the Shewhart cycle.

Contribution
On May 16, 1924 while working for Bell

Labs. schematic control chart. That diagram, and the short text which preceded and followed it, set forth all of the essential principles and considerations which are involved in what we know today as process quality control. He understood data from physical processes never produce a normal distribution curve (Gaussian distribution). Dr. Shewhart concluded that while every process displays variation, some processes display controlled variation that is natural to the process, while others display uncontrolled variation that is not present in the process causal system at all times.

Schematic Control Chart

 Each point represents a summary statistic computed

from a sample of measurements of a quality characteristic. The vertical axis of a Shewhart chart is scaled in the same units as the summary statistic. The samples from which the summary statistics are computed are referred to as rational subgroups or subgroup samples. The organization of the data into subgroups is critical to the interpretation of a Shewhart chart. This makes the chart more sensitive to shifts in the process level. The horizontal axis of a Shewhart chart identifies the subgroup samples. Frequently, the samples are indexed according to the order in which they were taken or the time at which they were taken.

 The central line on a Shewhart chart indicates the

average (expected value) of the summary statistic when the process is in statistical control.

 The upper and lower control limits (UCL and LCL),

respectively, indicate the range of variation to be expected in the summary statistic when the process is in statistical control. The control limits are commonly computed as 3 limits representing three standard errors of variation in the summary statistic above and below the central line. Limits determined by the latter

 The control limits are also determined by the

subgroup sample size because the standard error of the summary statistic is a function of sample size. If the sample size is constant across subgroups, the control limits are typically horizontal lines, as in the picture. However, if the sample size varies from subgroup to subgroup, the limits are usually adjusted to compensate for the effect of sample size, resulting in step-like boundaries. Control limits can be estimated from the data being analyzed, or they can be standard, previously determined values. Estimated limits are often used when statistical control is being established, and standard limits are often used when statistical control is being maintained.

 A point outside the control limits signals the presence

of a special cause of variation. Additionally, tests for special causes (also referred to as Western Electric rules and runs tests) can signal an out-of-control condition if a statistically unusual pattern of points is observed in the control chart. For example, one pattern used to diagnose the existence of a trend is seven consecutive steadily increasing points. When the process is in statistical control, a point may fall outside the control limits purely by chance, resulting in a false out-of-control signal. However, when the Shewhart chart correctly signals the presence of a special cause, additional action is needed to determine the nature of the problem and eliminate it.

Example

Shewhart Control Charts

Run charts use the middle value (median) and so the

rules rely on addressing whether points are above or below that middle value. No account is taken of the relative distances from the median, only whether a value is above or below. Shewhart control charts use the arithmetic mean as the centre line. Because the relative distances from the mean are taken into consideration, Shewhart charts are a more sensitive way of detecting whether observed variation is due to common or special causes. If a process is stable (i.e. data points are randomly arranged within the control limits), Shewhart charts allow us to predict future performance. This allows us to calculate if the current process is capable of producing a desired result (i.e. achieve a numeric aim or target) or whether the process still needs to be improved or replaced.

 Types of Shewhart control charts should be

used:

In order to plot accurate control limits you need 20-

30 data points but for X-bar, P, C and U charts trial limits can be used with as few as 12 points. You should always plot a run chart first.

Standard control chart rules for detecting special causes

Special cause (non-random) variation is detected using a variation of 2 of the 4 rules used on run charts (the shifts and trends rules) with three extra ones that rely on the position of data points relative to the mean (centreline) and control limits.

 The formula to calculate the control limits differ for

each type of control chart so producing control charts requires specialist software and/or a skilled data analyst. The control limits are sometimes marked 3 sigma.

PDSA
Simply : Plan a step or process needed to achieve a goal or result. Do what you planned. Study, that is, reflect on the result. Act, based on what you learn, to improve the next similar step or process.

Shewhart Charts

Illustrate
Plan

- If a company isn't experiencing the success it would like in a given area, the company is wise to brainstrom ideas for improvement. This is the "plan" phase of the cycle. Do - Next, the company chooses a course of action to pursue, then pursues it, which logically, constitutes the "do" phase. It is important that Do step carefully follow the plan.

Illustrate
Study The "study" phase that follows consists of the

company observing the results of their actions, and subsequently, making judgments as to their efficacy. This step is crucial. It serves as the foundation for the next and final "act" phase. In study phase, we ask our self, what we learn? What went wrong? The act phase instructs the company to analyze the observed results. If the results are pleasing, change course to pursue this direction further. If they are not, this phase instructs the company to circle back to the original brainstorming pool in order to start the process over again and repeat the cycle until the company is pleased with the results.

PDCA
Shewhart and Deming ( his student ) revised the

model PDSA to PDCA ( plan, do, check, act)

PDCA

Shewhart Quote
The object of industry is to set up economic

ways of satisfying human wants and in so doing to reduce everything possible to routines requiring a minimum amount of human effort. Through the use of the scientific method, extended to take account of modern statistical concepts, it has been found possible to set up limits within which the results of routine efforts must lie if they are to be economical. Deviations in the results of a routine process outside such limits indicate that the routine has broken down and will no longer be economical until the cause of trouble is removed.

Reference
wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_A._Shewhart "Western Electric - A Brief History". The Porticus

Centre. Retrieved 2009-04-10. Neave, Henry R.; British Deming Association (1992). Why SPC?. Knoxville, Tennessee: SPC Press. ISBN 978-0-945320-17-3. skymark.com/resources/leaders/shewart.asp en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_process_control en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDCA http://www.qihub.scot.nhs.uk/knowledgecentre/quality-improvement-tools/shewhart-controlcharts.aspx http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/qcug/63 922/HTML/default/viewer.htm#qcug_shewhart_a0000 003557.htm