Impact Assessment of SPC Tools on Quality Improvement in Pakistani Industrial Environment: A Dynamic Case Study

Abstract

Whether one belongs to service or production industry, Quality is always a big issue for business persons and the customers. If we do not have any means of measuring the performance of manufacturing Unit in trouble, how can we improve it? As W. Edwards Deming said “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it”. Everybody in the field of TQM is familiar with control charts and statistical process improvement for Quality. A number of tools, including the Six Sigma tool box, are made up of seven simple tools: flow chart, check list, histogram, Pareto chart, cause and effect diagram, scatter diagram, control chart. The Japanese call them "seven QC (quality control) tools, which have been used for decades to support quality improvement efforts to solve the problem.

Usually variation is the only main reason for varying or low quality of their product/service, increasing dissatisfaction among customers and decreasing business credibility as a result. For that purpose, we chosen a business organization “Silver Lake Foods Pvt. Ltd.” as a study object, as management of SLFL was highly willing to cooperate. SLFL is a Food Manufacturing organization which produces food items like Biscuits, toffees, candies and chocolates, drinks etc. Management of SLFL has found that the process average for critical characteristics i.e. weight, taste etc. were out of control and causing big losses. In some cases, they have some ideas about possible causes. However, in most cases, they do not want or lack of knowledge and resources restrict them to carry out experimental design to find out the reasons for the change or decline quality.We have decided to use statistical process control (SPC) procedures for quality control, quality improvement and then ultimately towards total quality management.There were some ideas about possible causes but, as in most cases, they were reluctant or lacking the knowledge and resources to perform experimental design to find out the causes of variation or the causes of decreased (/ing) quality. We decided to use statistical process control (SPC) program to make the steps towards quality control and from quality control to quality improvement and then ultimately towards TQM. The Proposed study intends to find out impact of SPC tools in Quality improvement in Pakistani Industrial environment by studying Silver Lake Foods Pvt. Ltd. This  research also identify the main  sources of variations and bottlenecks  through dynamic use of SPC tools and  suggest recommendations regarding higher quality improvement and customer satisfaction levels in future.

Keywords: Six Sigma tool box, TQM, Customer satisfaction, SPC tools, SLFP (Silver Lake Foods Pvt. Limited), Food industry, Quality improvement