ENBIS: European Network for Business and Industrial Statistics

Methods of variability management

23 September 2008, 16:50 – 17:10

Abstract

Submitted by

Jan Myszewski

Authors

Jan M. Myszewski

Affiliation

WSPiZ Warsaw

Abstract

The text deals with basic methods used in variability management.
We show that
• Effectiveness of variability management depends on results achieved when performing steps of the Shewhart-Deming PDCA Cycle.
• There is a finite set of methods that support effective operation of PDCA Cycle and enable use of potential of knowledge of organisation .
These methods are:
• Variability Analysis, which is to give information on measures and structure of variability in the system;
• Problem Solving scheme, which is to give information on causes of variability and on possible ways to eliminate or reduce influence of main (root) causes
• Quality Function Deployment, which is to transform an idea of method of modifying variability causes into details of standards to be used in the system
• Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, which is to assess risk of failure when defining and implementing a standard in the system
• Value Analysis, which is to assess costs of implementation and use of standard
Common important features of them are following:
• They can be used to control effectiveness of establishing or modifying standards and therefore show that there may be no essential conflict between using standards and working creatively
• They provide system with some measures that may be used to assess results achieved in each step of the PDCA Cycle
• They process information on a set of causes of variability that are potentially familiar to people who are in the system
• Result of their application can be verified by observation of overall results of use of standards.
• Their effectiveness depends on effectiveness of use of the knowledge shared by people using them.
The QM Principles formulated in the ISO 9000 Standard are defining a management system environment ready for effective use of the above methods.

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