| The best companies use Statistical Process Control | | | | of companies dramatically improve quality and |
| to provide real-time visibility into their manufacturing | | | | efficiency in their manufacturing operations. In the |
| operations, a practice essential to controlling costs, | | | | process, WinSPC gave these companies an important |
| improving quality, and increasing customer satisfaction | | | | bonus: a competitive edge.” |
| according to an influential research group. | | | | A competitive advantage is all the more important, |
| Manufacturers wanting to achieve excellence in | | | | the Aberdeen report says, because |
| efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction are | | | | “manufacturing companies are aware that if they |
| recommended to leverage Statistical Process Control | | | | cannot match prices of global competitors or do not |
| to provide real-time visibility into their manufacturing | | | | have sufficient differentiation in other capacities they |
| operations. That’s one of the key findings of a | | | | can quickly lose market share.” |
| comprehensive study by Boston-based Aberdeen | | | | According to the report, the top four market |
| Group, a research organization that benchmarks the | | | | pressures facing manufacturers are: |
| best practices of leading manufacturers. | | | | * Reducing operating costs (76%) |
| According to the report, “Operational Excellence | | | | * Reducing process operations variability (41%) |
| in the Process Industries: Driving Performance | | | | * Competing with low-cost global competition (29%) |
| through Real-Time Visibility,” SPC is an essential | | | | * Meeting regulatory compliance, such as FDA, EPA, |
| tool for providing real-time information to help | | | | OSHA, PHMSA, and EU (19%) |
| management monitor and improve critical | | | | Not surprisingly, the four key performance metrics |
| manufacturing operations, a key benchmark of | | | | that characterized best-in-class manufacturers |
| best-in-class companies. | | | | averaged: 99% manufacturing schedule compliance, |
| The finding of the study does not surprise Stephen | | | | 99% perfect orders, 97% overall yield, and 94% |
| A. Arnett, CEO of DataNet Quality Systems. | | | | Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE). |
| “With companies facing increasing pressure to | | | | None of the four performance metrics shared by |
| manufacture high-quality products and meet complex | | | | best-in class companies could be possible without |
| customer and regulatory requirements, there is no | | | | deploying SPC, the study notes. |
| room for error,” Arnett says. “That’s | | | | “SPC is used especially in batch operations to |
| why SPC is used by the most competitive | | | | monitor and control the physical property values and |
| companies.” | | | | characteristics of the material produced,” the |
| That’s also why real-time SPC software like | | | | report notes, “but can also be used as a quality |
| DataNet’s WinSPC is an increasingly important | | | | measure to ensure that samples measured |
| solution for manufacturers. | | | | throughout a product stream stay on target to the |
| “The preventative quality control and real-time | | | | intended design specification. |
| SPC system built into WinSPC have helped hundreds | | | | |