There are 2 basic approaches to quality from the system perspective:

    • Qualitative approach: following procedures in case of a quality problem
    • Quantitative approach: performing Statistical Process Control (SPC).

For the qualitative approach, edinn® M2 offers this procedure:

    1. A quality issue can be detected by a quantitative analysis (SPC) or by the introduction of a user of a bad result in the form Results.
    2. The user can inform to another user by using the "Comments" functionality, double clicking on any data grid. The user can select the type of user defined event that will allow further analysis.
    3. The destination user can control what quality issues he has attended, by using the "View" functionality available at the Registry. He can also filter the search by selecting the user defined event.
    4. The destination user can respond to the quality issue using the Registry form.
    5. The quality supervisor can check, in the Events report, by selecting the type of the user defined event corresponding to the quality issue, if all quality issues have been addressed.

For the quantitative approach, SPC is edinn® M2´s tool to help to improve Quality.

SPC stands for Statistical Process Control which is a method to improve quality within a production process. Quality losses in a production process have a very high cost, because these products need to be reworked, discarded; or in the worst case, they reach the client damaging the organization's image and profits.

In order to become a defectuous product, it needs to not fulfil a quality variable. SPC is based on the measurement of these variables that indicate a product's quality, not only at the end, when it is too late, but periodically, during the production process, in order to know if the process is controlled within control limits and within limits specified by the client (in edinn® M2 the information is presented in green and red colour).

CPK is a ratio that indicates if the process is centred related to control limits and client specifications. Mathematically, SPC methodology is very complex. You need to consult bibliography (see below) if you want to know the exact formulas associated to SPC. edinn® M2 contains all SPC formulas and makes all calculations so the user does not have to do this. In one of the SPC reports it is possible to obtain automatically and in real time the main ratios (like CPK). Following edinn® M2´s philosophy, making SPC calculations with the system is very easy. Periodically, edinn® M2 will measure quality variables or will ask the user to do so by making blink the SPC button. If it does not receive SPC data, a justification is asked for why they are not taking data. Based on SPC data, automatically and in real time, a control graphic and histogram are generated.

For those values out of control limits, the user is asked to justify the steps he followed to "retake" the process. The SPC graphic is interactive, in order to let the user click on each point and see when measurements were taken, what justification was given, etc.

SPC Context

SPC context data refers to data that, although is not directly taken as SPC measures, it is useful to understand them. Examples of SPC context data are: temperature, pressure, etc. Data that the organization does not measure for SPC purposes, but that the organization needs to have registered in order to perform analysis to understand the behaviour of the SPC data.

For more information on SPC, please follow the external links: