Blog 1: Quality Improvement Through 7QC Tools
Introduction:
The quality of an object is defined as “fitness for purpose” or “standard of an object compared to others of similar properties”. Quality control is defined as “a set of steps that can be used to control and measure whether a manufactured product or service provided meets customer requirements.” The quality of the product or service is paramount. A single, poor-quality product or service can damage the reputation and credibility of the entire organization. Therefore, quality control is taken very seriously by all companies. But how can 7QC Tools help to improve the overall quality of the product?
Quality control is a philosophy that originated in Japan and is one of the most focused areas in every industry today and the area where you get the most work. Quality control uses quality control tools to identify manufactured products or services that do not meet quality standards and identify their root causes, and work-related issues in an effective, efficient, and results-oriented manner. Includes analysis and resolution.
The job of the quality control department is to use the appropriate QC tools to ensure that the company’s products or services meet the expected standards and specifications. Also in project management, various quality control tools ensure that the work done is in line with the projected goals of the project.
7QC Tools:
Quality experts have given many names to these seven important quality tools, first highlighted by Kaoru Ishikawa, a professor of engineering at the University of Tokyo and the father of the “QC Circle.” 7 QC tools can be applied to various industries from the product development stage to delivery. The 7QC tools are still as popular today and are widely used at various stages of Six Sigma (DMAIC or DMADV), continuous improvement processes (PDCA cycle), and lean management (removing waste from the process).
History:
The seven essential quality tools (also known as the seven QC tools) were born in Japan when Japan was undergoing a major quality revolution and became a mandatory subject of Japan’s industrial training programs. These tools consisted of simple graphical and statistical techniques that helped solve serious quality problems. These tools are called the “Seven Basic Tools of Quality” because they can be implemented by anyone with very basic training in statistics and are easy to use to solve complex quality-related problems. Often.
The seven QC tools are believed to have been introduced to postwar Japan by Kaoru Ishikawa, inspired by Benkei’s seven famous weapons. Benkei, a Japanese warrior monk armed with seven weapons, was on a personal quest to capture 1,000 swords from a samurai he considered arrogant and worthless.
Dr. Ishikawa was influenced by a series of lectures on statistical quality control. W. Edwards Deming was delivered to a group of Japanese scientists and engineers in 1950. Unfortunately, the complexity of the subject threatened most workers, so Ishikawa focused primarily on reducing the toolset sufficient for most quality-related issues.
List of 7QC tools:
Following are the List 7QC tools
- Cause and effect diagram
- Check sheet
- Control Chart
- Histogram
- Pareto Chart
- Scattered Diagram
- Flow Chart
Cause and effect diagram:
Cause and Effect Diagram (also known as Ishikawa or Fishbone diagram) This tool is called Ishikawa diagram because it was developed by Kaoru Ishikawa himself. These are used to identify the various factors (causes) that lead to the problem (impact). Ultimately, it helps you find the root cause of the problem and effectively find the right solution. This is basically an image representation that helps you find the root cause from multiple sources within a single page or image.
Check sheet:
A check sheet is a general-purpose tool that can be customized for various purposes. Check sheets provide a systematic way to collect, record, and present quantitative and qualitative data on quality issues. The check sheet used to collect quantitative data is called the tally sheet. It helps collect data and identify the correct material’s worst errors, deviations, and percentages—the cause of the error and whether all listed features are present in the product.
Control chart:
A chart is used to investigate changes over time in processes, products, final products, etc. Charts help you measure and visualize changes to show if changes are acceptable. Helps track indicators such as defects, cost per unit, production time, and inventory. Comparing current data to past control limits draws conclusions as to whether process deviations are consistent (controlled) or unpredictable (uncontrolled, affected). The specific cause of fluctuation.
Histogram:
This is a bar graph showing the frequency of a series of data (usually continuous data). You can use the histogram to see the center of the data, the extent of the data, and the distribution of the data. This is a very useful snapshot. The downside is that you don’t see the order or order of the data. It basically graphically represents how many of the actual values are inside the boundaries, how many are at the middle boundaries, and how many are outside the upper and lower bounds.
Pareto chart:
A bar chart showing which elements are more important. Pareto charts organize and display information in a way that makes it easier to understand the relative importance of various problems or their causes. It takes the form of a column chart, displaying the errors in order (highest to lowest), and the line chart shows the cumulative percentage of errors. It works on a principle known as the 80/20 principle. This shows that 80% of the problems are caused by 20% of the problems, and solving this 20% of the problems can reduce the error rate by 80%.
Scatter Plot:
Graph a pair of numerical data (one variable on each axis) to look for relationships. The scatter plot shows the values of the two variables plotted along the two axes of the plot. The pattern of points in the result shows the correlation. Basically, the data is scattered throughout the chart, then a line is drawn that intersects the maximum number of points. This determines the type of graph, its direction, and the number of points above or below the baseline.
Flowcharts:
A technique for separating data collected from different sources so that patterns can be identified (some lists replace hierarchies with flowcharts or historical charts). Flowcharts are probably the most popular of the seven high-quality tools. This tool is used to visualize a series of steps such as processes, events, workflows, systems, etc. In addition to showing the entire process, the flowchart also emphasizes the relationship between steps and process boundaries (start and end). Flowcharts use a standard set of symbols. It is important to standardize the use of these symbols so that everyone can easily understand and use them.
Advantages of the 7QC tool:
The 7QC tool is very useful when used correctly. Some of the key benefits of the 7QC tool are:
- Seven QC tools are easy to understand and implement. Nevertheless, it is very convenient.
- Helps identify and investigate problems during the process.
- Provides a more structured way to improve quality and solve problems.
- Improve customer experience and satisfaction.
- Improve the quality of our products and services.
- Provides a more structured path to quality improvement and problem-solving.
A 7QC tool is a graphical tool, usually a pager. With a little training, these tools can easily adapt to any situation. They have immeasurable benefits and can be used to effectively and efficiently achieve our goals and provide the highest quality products to all industries.
