Application of statistical process control in service industry : A case study of the restaurant sector

Purpose This study aims to apply statistical process control (SPC) techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of the processes in a restaurant. Design/methodology/approach SPC tools such as check sheet, cause-and-effect analysis, Pareto chart, control charts and SERVQUAL methodology is adapted to measure and improve the quality of the system. Findings At the end, some suggestions for improving the quality of service system are proposed in this study to complete the research. Research limitations/implications The most difficult part of this study was data collection. Because of the situation of the restaurant, the number of customers does not exceed 60 every day. Another limitation of this study is that the samples have been collected from the same population each day, and it may affect the final result. Practical implications The research is based on the present service system at a restaurant, located at a university campus in Cyprus. Social implications A similar study can be applied in the social sector to evaluate and improve service quality. Originality/value In this paper, for the first time, SPC and SERVQUAL are used to evaluate and improve quality in the service sector.