As I wrote a few weeks ago, quality control analytics can save serious costs. I listed 5 examples of such cost savings in that article. Now, the question is, what can manufacturing and purchasing managers do to utilize data for quality management? How to start? Should you look at the data they have already collected, and look for hidden insights? In that case, they have a 'mystery' on hand. Or should you gather more data, and the right conclusions will become obvious once you have the … [Read more...]
From Data Science To Machine Learning in Manufacturing, for Smarter Quality Control
I have long been put off by all the hype around artificial intelligence (AI). AI has become the modern 'magic wand': nobody knows how it works, but the results are assuredly amazing. AI has limitations for manufacturers, but both data science and machine learning in manufacturing can help businesses make better decisions and improve quality control results, and it's these that we'll explore in this article... … [Read more...]
A Good Way To Analyze Data to Drive Process Improvements
I just read the book Measures of Success by Mark Graban, and I found it does a great job of covering the basics of how managers should work with data. His whole approach is largely based on concepts from Don Wheeler's books. If you are not familiar with Don Wheeler, he is the most respected manufacturing-focused statistician of the past 30 years. Graban covers what to do in two cases managers don't like to see. Case 1: an unstable process leading to a widely fluctuating … [Read more...]