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by Robert Malone, Contributing Editor   | Abstract: | Recent infrastructure failures and product recalls demonstrate — yet again — the importance of quality control procedures in manufacturing. |
In this day of failing bridges, contaminated food, lead-bearing toys, and recalled cars, quality control must become a greater focus in our manufacturing and supply processes. The history of quality control bears re-examination. Key individuals working in the last century gave us the basis for statistical quality control and, thus, the means for modern manufacturing. The chain of reason flowed from Sir Ronald Fisher and Walter Shewhart, to W. Edwards Deming, to Japanese manufacturers, which put theory into practice to great advantage. Fisher (1890-1962), the English mathematician, is often credited with founding the modern study of statistics. His seminal work on process variance set the stage for later industrial quality control. Fisher's analysis of variance (ANOVA) is designed for small samples. Today, this method is used to pinpoint the causes of variation in manufacturing processes. [Click to continue] |