We opened last week with Process Capability and before we go full-fledged into that area, I want to pause and put some focus on capability studies.

What is a Capability Study?

To review from last week, a capability study is a way to ensure that your process is consistent over an extended period of time. For example if step 3 in your process produces 3 errors per cycle for 3 years, your process in consistent.

How Do You Find Stability?

There are a ton of tools you can use to test the stability of your process, but some of the most common tools are Time Series Plots and Control Charts. In addition to these tools there is a step by step process (of course!) to test the capability of your process, here they are.

capability pic

What should know about capability studies?

As with all 6Sigma tools, the effectiveness of this tools lies more in how you understand and how you apply it. The most important things to remember are:

Capability Studies can give you a great deal of insight on how your organization is running and what is making it difficult.  This is one way to get a sense of the information flow and the quality of the information you can get your hands on. So let’s start off the new year with a look at what your data is telling you. Happy Hunting!