2.
Checksheet
Problem
Customer Type
Noisy
Failed
Odor
Warm
Totals
Residential
10
7
5
3
25
Commercial
3
2
7
4
16
Totals
13
9
12
7
41
Residential customers Commercial customers
3.
The run charts seems to show a pattern of errors possibly linked to break times or the end of the shift. Perhaps workers are becoming fatigued. If so, perhaps two 10 minute breaks in the morning and again in the afternoon instead of one 20 minute break could reduce some errors. Also, errors are occurring during the last few minutes before noon and the end of the shift, and those periods should also be given management’s attention.
10.
Case: Chick-N-Gravy Dinner Line
This case provides the opportunity for students to acquire some insight into analyzing quality problems. You may prefer to give them some initial guidance, or you may want to let them grapple with it on their own.
On their own, they may attempt to set up control charts. However, the essence of the case is to examine the data and draw conclusions about where problems may be.
Data can be organized in a number of ways. One useful way is the following:
Defect
Underfilled
Missing Item
Spilled/Mixed
Unacc. taste
Improper seal
#1
#2
#1
#2
#1
#2
#1
#2
#1
#2
Morning
0
1
1
11
0
11
2
2
4
14
7
21
0
5
5
Afternoon
3
1
4
0
7
7
4
6
10
0
1
1
1
5
6
3
2
5
11
7
18
6
8
14
14
8
22
1
10
11
This gives a breakdown by morning/afternoon as well as Line #1/Line #2. Histograms (totals, morning/afternoon, and Line #1/Line #2) could be constructed to highlight problem areas.
Overall, 70 defects were found, 22 of which were classified as unacceptable taste, making this the most frequent problem. The next most frequent was missing item with 18 occurrences, and then spill/mixed, with 14 occurrences.
Looking more closely at these three categories, we can see that 14 of the 22 unacceptable taste were accounted for by Line