Performance metrics as drivers of quality: getting to second gear

Quality control is one of the three cyclical quality assurance activities that help keep a system under statistical control. Typical quality control activities include creating quality control charts, conducting proficiency testing, and documenting and archiving results.
Quality control helps track data, visualize trends, and identify variations, making it easier to detect deviations that may affect the accuracy of an analysis. One way to do this is by generating a quality control chart, which...

Quality assurance is the overarching term used to describe the activities employed to ensure the proper performance of a system. These activities can be classified into three categories: quality control, quality assessment, and internal corrective measures. Typically, these activities work cyclically: quality control is performed before and during the analysis, while quality assessment occurs during and after the investigation. Internal corrective measures are implemented based on the findings...

Statgraphics is a comprehensive statistical software suite designed for both basic and advanced data analysis. Originating in 1980 at Princeton University under Dr. Neil W. Polhemus, it was one of the pioneering tools for statistical computing on personal computers, with its public release in 1982 marking an early milestone in data science software. Over the years, it has evolved into a robust platform for data science, offering tools for regression analysis, ANOVA, multivariate statistics,...

Statistical Process Control (SPC) is a method used to monitor and control quality within processes, particularly in manufacturing and service delivery, by employing statistical methods. SPC aims to distinguish between natural (common cause) variation and variation due to specific changes or events (special cause), allowing for timely improvements and sustained quality. The control chart, a pivotal tool in SPC, visually displays data over time alongside a central line of upper and lower control...

Run charts serve as an essential instrument for visualizing the performance of various processes over time, enabling the identification of trends and patterns crucial for quality improvement. These charts map out a series of data points chronologically, offering insights into the stability and efficiency of a process. A run chart's creation involves plotting data points on a graph, with the time intervals on the horizontal axis and the specific measurements on the vertical axis. For...

Net production efficiency (NPE) is the efficiency at which organisms assimilate energy into biomass for the next trophic level. Due to low metabolic rates and less energy spent on thermoregulatory processes, the NPE of ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) is 10 times higher than endotherms (warm-blooded animals).