Variable You Are Tracking in Your Process

Assume the process control chart shown above represents a new process you and your team developed as part of an improvement project. You must audit or monitor the new process, using the control chart to make observations about how well the process is staying in control. You will determine which “time” attributes are out of control (above the upper control limit and below the lower control limit). I.e., which dots are out of control? For these fictitious out-of-control conditions, follow the question prompts below to work through the problem and bring the process back under control. Fill out the yellow areas to complete the assignment.

What is the variable that you are tracking over time?

E.g., Hole depth, number of customers waiting in line, coffee temperature, etc. It needs to be a measurable variable that has a range of acceptability.

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Which “time” attributes on the chart shown above are out of control?

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What does this out-of-control condition mean for the variable you have chosen?

E.g., If a dot is out of control for the variable of coffee temperature, that would mean that the coffee is too hot to drink.

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Perform five-why root cause analysis to determine why the variable is out of control:

Why is the variable out of control? Add text

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What containment actions will you put in place to prevent further injury, damage, or propagation of the out-of-control condition? These are actions to “rope off” or secure the situation.

E.g., Set aside coffee that is too hot to drink and do not allow it to be served to customers.

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What corrections will you make to the out-of-control condition to get it back into control? This can be rework, scrap and replace, etc.

E.g., Add an ice cube to the extra hot coffee and leave it aside until it is cool enough to drink. Adjust temperature setting on coffee pot so the next batch of coffee does not come out as hot when it is ready.

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What corrective action will you take to minimize the likelihood that the variable will go out of control again? This can be procedural change, training content change, engineering control put in place, design change, administrative control, equipment change, etc.

E.g., Tape down the temperature setting knob on the coffee pot so it does not get bumped out of position again.

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