An Efficient Empirical Approach to Process Improvement

The last, and often most difficult increment in product quality level or process productivity, cannot be realised via the usual techniques of statistical quality control, such as process capability analysis or control chart procedures. Through a non‐mathematical presentation, the article sets out to provide an understanding of an empirical approach to process improvement, based on the systematic and integrated application of techniques of experiment design, mathematical modelling and common concepts of optimisation. An understanding of this important part of statistical quality control is vital in the search for possible breakthroughs in process performance.