ABM-908

Quality Management in Agribusiness

Statistics relevant to quality control

Statistics relevant to quality control, quality control charts used in
the food industry, process control to assure food quality

Dr. Muhilan Mahendhiran, Ph.D., PDF

Associate Professor
Faculty of Agriculture
Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur
Statistics relevant to quality control
 Statistics relevant to quality control

The Eight Dimensions of Quality

• Performance • Aesthetics
• Reliability • Features
• Durability • Perceived Quality
• Serviceability • Conformance to standards
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Dimensions of Quality
Quality means fitness for use
- quality of design
- quality of conformance

Quality is inversely proportional to variability.

 Statistics relevant to quality control

Dimensions of Quality

• Quality Improvement
Quality improvement is the reduction of variability in processes and products.

Alternatively, quality improvement is also seen as “waste reduction”.

 Statistics relevant to quality control

• Dimensions of Quality – Transmission Example

LSL: Lower Specification Limit

USL: Upper Specification Limit
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Quality Engineering Terminology

Quality Characteristics
• Physical - length, weight, voltage, viscosity
• Sensory - taste, appearance, color
• Time Orientation - reliability, durability, serviceability

Quality engineering is the set of operational, managerial, and engineering activities that
a company uses to ensure that the quality characteristics of a product are at the nominal
or required levels.
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Quality Engineering Terminology

Two types of data

• Attributes Data - discrete data, often in the form of counts.

• Variables Data - continuous measurements such as length, weight.

 Statistics relevant to quality control

Specifications
Quality characteristics being measured are often compared to standards or
specifications.
• Nominal or target value
• Upper Specification Limit (USL)
• Lower Specification Limit (LSL)

• When a component or product does not meet specifications, they are considered to
be nonconforming.
• A nonconforming product is considered defective if it has one or more defects.
• Defects are nonconformities that may seriously affect the safe or effective use of the
product.
 Statistics relevant to quality control

A Brief History of Quality Control and Improvement

• Walter Shewhart (1924) introduced statistical control chart concepts.

• The American Society for Quality Control formed in 1946 (now known as the
American Society for Quality (ASQ)).
• 1950s and 1960s saw an increase in reliability engineering, experimental design,
and statistical quality control
 Statistics relevant to quality control

A Brief History of Quality Control and Improvement

• Competition from foreign industries (Japan) increases during the 1970s and
1980s.
• Statistical methods for quality improvement use increases in the United States
during the 1980s
• Total Quality Management (TQM) emerges during 1970s and into the 1980s as an
important management tool to implement statistical methods.
 Statistics relevant to quality control

A Brief History of Quality Control and Improvement

• Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award is established in 1988.
• ISO 9000 certification activities increase in U.S. industry in the 1990s.
• Motorola’s Six-Sigma initiative begins in the 1990s.
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Statistical Methods for Quality Control and Improvement

 Statistics relevant to quality control

Basic Statistics

Descriptive Statistics
• A straightforward presentation of facts. A survey or summary of a population
in which all data are known.

Inferential Statistics
• Drawing conclusions about a population from a random sample
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Traditional Statistical Tools

• Descriptive Statistics include

• The Mean- measure of central tendency

• The Range- difference between largest/smallest observations in a set of data

• Standard Deviation measures the amount of data dispersion around mean

• Distribution of Data shape

• Normal or bell shaped or
• Skewed
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Distribution of Data

• Normal distributions • Skewed distribution

 Statistics relevant to quality control

Statistical Methods for Quality Control and Improvement

Three major areas:

• Statistical process control (SPC)

• Design of experiments (DOX)
• Acceptance sampling
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Statistical Methods for Quality Control and Improvement

Statistical Process Control (SPC)

• Control charts are used for process
monitoring and variability reduction.

• SPC is an on-line quality control tool.

 Statistics relevant to quality control

SPC Methods-Control Charts

• Control Charts show sample data plotted on a graph with CL, UCL, and LCL
• Control chart for variables are used to monitor characteristics that can be measured, e.g. length,
weight, diameter, time
• Control charts for attributes are used to monitor characteristics that have discrete values and can
be counted, e.g. % defective, number of flaws in a shirt, number of broken eggs in a box
 Statistics relevant to quality control

• Analysis of Patterns on Control Charts

• When do you have a problem with your process?

• One or more points outside of the control limits
• A run of at least seven points (up, down or above or below center line)
• Two or three consecutive points outside the 2-sigma warning limits, but still inside the
control limits
• Four or five consecutive points beyond the 1-sigma limits
• An unusual or nonrandom pattern in the data

From Douglas C. Montgomery “Introduction to Statistical Quality Control”

 Statistics relevant to quality control

Dotplot of Tensile Test Data

Dotplot of CONTROL

50 55 60 65 70 75 80
CONTROL
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Time Series Plot

Time Series Plot of CONTROL

80

75

70
CONTROL

65

60

55

50

1 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 70
Index
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Individuals (I) Chart

I Chart of CONTROL
85
UCL=82.74
80

75
_
Individual Value

X=71.72
70

65

60 LCL=60.69
1 1

55
1
1 1
50 1
1
1 8 15 22 29 36 43 50 57 64 71
Observation
 Statistics relevant to quality control
Normal Probability Plot
Probability Plot of CONTROL
Normal
99.9
Mean 71.72
StDev 6.485
99 N 73
AD 7.366
95 P-Value <0.005
90
80
70
Percent

60
50
40
30
20
10
5

0.1
50 60 70 80 90
CONTROL
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Statistical Methods for Quality Control and Improvement

Design of Experiments (DOX)

• Experimental design is an approach to systematically varying the controllable
input factors in the process and determine the effect these factors have on the
output responses.
• Experimental designs are off-line quality tools.
• Crucial for variability reduction.
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Statistical Methods for Quality Control and Improvement

Acceptance Sampling
• Acceptance sampling is the inspection and classification of a sample of the
product selected at random from a larger batch or lot and the ultimate decision
about disposition of the lot.
• Two types:
1. Outgoing inspection - follows production
2. Incoming inspection - before use in production
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Statistical Methods for Quality Control and Improvement

Acceptance Sampling
 Statistics relevant to quality control

Other Aspects of Quality Control and Improvement

Total Quality Management (TQM)

• TQM is a managerial framework to accomplish quality improvement.

• Other names and related approaches:

• Company-Wide Quality Control (CWQC)
• Total Quality Assurance (TQA)
• Six-Sigma
 Process control to assure food quality

Introduction

• Food is basic for life. Quality or excellence in our food supply should be an
important concern to all food processors.

• Safety and wholesomeness are the most important attributes of food quality.The
lack of quality as it relates to safey and wholesomeness can result in personal
injury, sickness or death.

• Foodborne illness is an example of sickness or even death when unsafe foods are
produced and eaten.
 Process control to assure food quality

Why in process control ?

• help to minimize costly errors, and reduce the risk of food safety and
wholesomeness defects.

• What is needed for a quality control program? The first step is a strong
commitment from management.
 Process control to assure food quality
Why in process control ?
• It is important to know what is happening with the product and process during
manufacturing. In-process control is a way of obtaining the information.

• Both quality control and production personnel should participate in maintaining a

daily manufacturing log.

• The specific product weight, temperature, size and shape, ingredient usage,
product yield, scrap or waste, material balance and rework are examples of
measurements made during the manufacturing process.

• Base the kinds of in-process measurements used in each operation upon what is
called Cricital Control Points.
 Process control to assure food quality

Critical control point

• A critical control point is a step in the process or in product formulation where small
differences, changes or mistakes can cause the finished product to be a health
hazard, illegal or costly to the business.

• Critical control points are identifiable. Some critical control points are defined by
regulation when public health or product identity are of concern.

• Cooking temperatures, pasteurization time and temperature or allowable levels of

ingredients are processing variables of ten times defined by regulation.
 Process control to assure food quality

Critical control point

• Critical control points may be self-imposed because of desired label statements on the
part of the processor.

• Net weight is one example while nutritional labelling is another.

• The cost of a product can be increased by simple employee mistakes.

• In this case, critical control points in processing simple related to those processing
steps that influence yield or inferior product.
Process control to assure food quality
Process control to assure food quality
 Process control to assure food quality

Steps in the control process

• Turn in all in-process records to supervisory management for review at the end of
a shift or working day.

• The supervisory review allows an opportunity to identify problem areas and to

make changes to prevent reoccurrence.
Process control to assure food quality
Thank you