Is

Process
The Define
Capable
?
Process
Quality
Improvement Select
Measures

Model
Collect &
Interpret
Data

Is Process Capable? Is No Investigate &

Process Fix Special
Stable Causes
?
Purpose: Determine the adequacy
of the process with Yes

respect to customer No Is
Improve
/management needs. Process
Process
Capable
Capability
?

Yes
Use SPC to
Maintain
Current
Process

8-1
 Is
Process
Capable Process Capable
?

A stable process that meets customer requirements.

Histogram
Control Chart

UCL

CL

LCL
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32
Run Order Lower Spec Upper Spec
Target

Capability assessments for unstable processes, may not be indicative of

how the process is actually performing.
8-2
 Is
Process
Capable
?

Assessing Process Capability

Counting Measures
The average percent defectives.
The average number of defects.

Instrument Measures
Comparing both the center of the process and the process
variation

8-3
Capability Assessment for Counting Measures Is
Process
Capable
Order Entry Process ?

Week # Errors
1 15
2 22 Control Chart
35
3 18
4 10 30
UCL=28.0
5 13 Number 25
6 9 of Errors
20
7 27 Avg=16.0
15
8 12
9 24 10
10 22 5 LCL=4.0
11 8
0
12 8 5 10 15 20
13 26 Week
14 16
15 20
16 10 Is this process adequate as is?
17 16
18 9 Should it be improved?
19 15
20 20
Total 320
8-4
Measures of Process Capability Is
Process
Capable
USL - LSL
Cp = Specification Range =
?
True Process Range 6sc

Cp < 1.0 Process is not capable of meeting specs

Cp = 1.0 Process is marginally capable
Cp > 1.0 Process is capable of meeting specs
Problem: We are assuming the process has a target that is
in the center of the specification range, and that
the process is in fact centered on that target.

Distance from process average

Cpk = to closest specification limit = min (USL - x , x - LSL)
1 True Process Range 3sc
2
Note: a negative result is possible if the process average is outside specifications

Cpk < 1.0 Process is not capable of meeting specs

Cpk = 1.0 Process is marginally capable
Cpk > 1.0 Process is capable of meeting specs
Benefits: Optimal values are attained by running exactly
between specs.
Can (must) be used for 1-sided specifications
Warning: Capability assessments for unstable processes, may not be
indicative of how the process is actually performing. 8-5
 Is
Process
Capable
?
Process Capability

LSL USL

How much material is out of spec?

In the short term?
In the long term?

8-6
 Is
Process
Process Capability Ratios Capable
?

LSL USL

Voice of The Process

Voice of The Customer

8-7
 Is
Process
Capable
?

8-8
 Is
Process
Capable
?
Process Capability - The Strategy
Centering The Process Is On Target

Spread Reduce The Variation

Defects Defects

LSL USL

8-9
Process Capability Ratios Is
Process
Capable
?

2 Key Metrics for Measuring Capability

USL LSL
Cp
6sc

X - LSL USL- X
Cpk Min( , )
3sc 3sc

8-10
 Is
Process

Process Capability Ratios - Concept Capable

?

USL LSL
Cp
6sc

Total Tolerance
Cp
Process Spread

8-11
CP & CPK Measure Short-term
I Chart for C1
Is
Process
Capable

Capability 39 ?

3.0SL=37.36

Individual Value 34
Is The Process
In Control ?
X=30.60
29
Is It Producing
Defects ?

24 -3.0SL=23.84

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Observation Number

A Short-term Capability study covers a relatively

short period of time (days, weeks) generally
consisting of 30 to 50 data points. The actual
number depends on the subject under study.

8-12
Long Term Performance
I Chart for C3
Is
Process
Capable
?
50
3.0SL=47.12

Individual Value 40 Short term

Is The Process Capability
In Control ?
X=33.80
30
Is It Producing
Defects ?

20 -3.0SL=20.49

0 50 100
Observation Number

A long-term capability study covers a relatively long

period of time (weeks, months) generally consisting of
100-200 data points. Again, the actual amount depends
on the subject under study.

8-13
A Further Look at Capability Is
Process
Capable
?

Compare the estimates of the process deviations

from the short-term and long-term data

Descriptive Statistics

Variable N Mean StdDev

short term 30 30.6 2.23
long term 180 33.8 4.44

What is the difference between the short-term and the

long-term data?
What implication does this have in doing capability
studies?

8-14
Measures of Process Performance Is
Process
Specification Range = USL - LSL Capable
Pp = ?
True Process Range 6ss

P p < 1.0 Process Performance is not meeting specs

P p = 1.0 Process Performance is marginally meeting specs
P p > 1.0 Process Performance is meeting specs

Problem: We are assuming the process has a target that is

in the center of the specification range, and that
the process is in fact centered on that target.

Distance from process average

to closest specification limit min (USL - x , x - LSL)
P pk = 1 =
True Process Range 3ss
2

Note: a negative result is possible if the process average is outside specifications

Ppk < 1.0 Process Performance is not meeting specs

Ppk = 1.0 Process Performance is marginally meeting specs
Ppk > 1.0 Process Performance is meeting specs

Benefits: Optimal values are attained by running exactly

between specs.
Can (must) be used for 1-sided specifications 8-15
Performance vs. Capability Is
Process
Capable
?

Days
CO2Sales Outstanding
Levels for 55 Timefor 55 Days
Points

14

13
CO2-Shrt
DSO

12

11

10

Index 10 20 30 40 50

These data show that the process, if well controlled can

perform much better than it currently is

8-16
 Is
Process
Capability vs. Performance Capable
?

Days
CO2Sales Outstanding
Levels for 55 Timefor 55 Days
Points

14

13
CO2-Shrt
DSO

12

11

10

Index 10 20 30 40 50

Capability: Only Process Performance:

random or short Total Variation including
term variability shifts and drifts
(Cp & Cpk) (Pp & Ppk)
8-17
Process Performance Ratios Is
Process
Capable
?

USL LSL
P p
6ss

X - LSL USL- X
P pk Min( , )
3ss 3ss

The P-family of indices are computationally the same as

the C-family of capability indices, but use the observed
long-term standard deviation.
8-18
 Is
WARNING!!! Process
Capable
?

Statistical Assumptions Made In Capability Studies

1. Data Comes From a Stable Process

If not, work towards getting the process in
control
Dont despair, you can still make some
assumptions about your process in the mean
time

8-19