Processes occurring over time are subject to changes in environment, materials, methods, equipment, and other circumstances. It is the study of process behavior and how it is affected by these changing circumstances that is addressed by analytical studies. The demands for increased statistical skills for process investigation in the industrial world has had an effect on the content of statistical courses in universities and colleges and on professional education. There are a growing number of competent statistical books that present the basic formulas of statistical process control. This book is intended not only to teach statistical techniques useful in such analytical studies, but also to illustrate how these techniques can be used in practice to understand the causal mechanisms that determine the output characteristics of processes and provide insights into the improvement of these processes.
Some statistical theory is covered in an appendix.
When used as a course text, the instructor can increase the value of the book by demonstrating the utility of theory in approaching a new situation, in searching for the correct technique, and by demonstrating and discussing the constraints often found in unspoken mathematical and process-based assumptions. The examples and ideas in this textbook are primarily the result of the authors' association with the University of Tennessee's Management Development Center. Although too numerous to name, managers and engineers from industry who have attended U.T.'s executive education courses have provided numerous ideas, insights, and critiques of the thoughts in this book. The authors would like to express their appreciation to John Riblett, the center's director, for his considerable efforts in supporting the growth of faculty and ideas through his management of the center. Also, without the advice, support, and insights from our faculty colleagues at the center this book would not have been possible.