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Week6_NatashaCarvalho

The process exhibits a left-skewed normal distribution, indicating significant variation that extends beyond the specification limits, with a high defect rate of 18.4%. Capability metrics such as Cp (0.63) and Cpk (0.34) confirm that the process is not capable, as both values are below 1, indicating excessive spread and off-centering. The project should focus on reducing variation and improving process capability through the Analyze phase of the DMAIC cycle.

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2 views

Week6_NatashaCarvalho

The process exhibits a left-skewed normal distribution, indicating significant variation that extends beyond the specification limits, with a high defect rate of 18.4%. Capability metrics such as Cp (0.63) and Cpk (0.34) confirm that the process is not capable, as both values are below 1, indicating excessive spread and off-centering. The project should focus on reducing variation and improving process capability through the Analyze phase of the DMAIC cycle.

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natasha carvalho
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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a) Describe the shape of the distribution against the specification limits.

Does the variation of the process extend beyond the specification limits?
(Note: If yes, there is too much variation, and the project should focus on
reducing variation.) The primary metric is the standard deviation (note:
standard deviation = the square root of the variance)

The available data is described as normally distributed but exhibits a negative (left)
skew. While a normal distribution implies a relatively symmetrical bell-shaped curve with
most values clustered around the mean, the negative skew indicates a longer tail on the
left side, meaning there's a higher concentration of data points below the mean.
This lack of centering is evident in the substantial difference between Cp (0.63) and Cpk
(0.34). Cp measures potential capability assuming perfect centering, while Cpk accounts
for the actual process centering. The lower Cpk value demonstrates that the process is
off-center. This is further supported by a higher frequency of data points concentrated on
the left side of the mean, specifically between the lower specification limit (LSL) of 1.68
and approximately 1.6850. The fact that the mean is lower than the median also
confirms this leftward skew.
The process performance is poor, with numerous data points falling outside the
specification limits of 1.68 and 1.69. The high defect rate (18.4%) and the low capability
indices clearly demonstrate that process variation extends significantly beyond these
limits. This reinforces the project's focus on variation reduction. The standard deviation
(σ) of 0.0028 quantifies this variability; a larger standard deviation indicates greater
dispersion of the data.

b) Is this a capable process? Why/why not? Please use some of the capability metrics to
explain your rationale.

The process is not capable, as evidenced by several key metrics:

 Cp (0.63): Cp represents the potential capability, assuming the process is perfectly


centered between the specification limits. A Cp of 1 signifies that the process spread (6
standard deviations) precisely fits within the specification limits. Since Cp is less than 1
(0.63), the process spread is wider than the specifications, even under ideal centering
conditions.

 Cpk (0.34): Cpk measures the actual capability, considering the process centering. A
Cpk value below 1 confirms that the process is not capable. The low Cpk of 0.34
indicates that the process is both widely dispersed and significantly off-center.

 Cpu (0.93) and Cpl (0.34): These indices assess capability relative to the upper
specification limit (USL) and lower specification limit (LSL), respectively. The
considerably lower Cpl value demonstrates that the process mean is closer to the LSL,
resulting in a higher likelihood of defects below the LSL. This off-centering is the primary
reason for the low Cpk.

 Sigma Level (2.40): A sigma level of 2.4 signifies a high defect rate. A Six Sigma
process targets 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO), which corresponds to a 6-
sigma level. The current process performs significantly below this target.

The baseline capability, as measured by Cpk, is 0.34. This low value confirms a highly incapable
process with a substantial number of defects. With this baseline established, the project team
should proceed to the Analyze phase of the DMAIC cycle. This phase will focus on identifying
the root causes of the excessive variation and off-centering, enabling the development of
targeted solutions to improve process capability. This analysis provides a robust, data-driven
foundation for these subsequent improvement efforts.

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