Abstract This article provides an argument against the use of three sigma limits for control charts. An alternative proposal to use control limits narrower than three sigma control limits is made. The main reason for narrowing the control limits is to achieve a smaller variability in the...

Abstract Using a counter example, we show that the formula for computing the Average Run Lengths (ARL) of a moving average control chart (MA) in Wetherill and Brown (1991) is incorrect. However, we conjecture that the formula may provide an upper bound for the ARL of a moving average control chart.

Abstract Average run length is the most popular measure to assess the statistical performance of a control chart procedure. This paper discusses the limitations of the traditional average run length measure and introduces the concept of ‘unity’ average run length which is the ratio of the...

Abstract The reduction of run length variability has received little attention in the statistical process control literature. This note proposes a modification of the signal rule for the EWMA control chart resulting in a reasonable reduction of run length variability.

Purpose – Quality function deployment (QFD) is a planning methodology to improve products, services and their associated processes by ensuring that the voice of the customer has been effectively deployed through specified and prioritised technical attributes (TAs). The purpose of this paper is...