Statistical Process Control as a Service: An Industrial Case Study

Abstract

Strong operations support is one of the key requirements for competitive success of modern manufacturing organisations. An important aspect of operations support is Statistical Process Control (SPC); the use of statistical methods for monitoring and control of manufacturing processes and products. However, implementation of SPC requires a certain amount of statistical knowledge and understanding. Although this is not an issue for big companies (e.g. in automotive sector), smaller companies are unable to provide the required knowledge in-house. In this paper, a service-driven approach for SPC is proposed, in which SPC is outsourced through the use of modern information and communication technologies, such as web services. This Statistical Process Control as a Service approach is illustrated and discussed through an industrial case study.