Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The effects of three statistical control charts on task performance

2004; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 15; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/09537280410001702137

1366-5871

Kuoh How Ong, Craig Harvey, Randa L. Shehab, Jerry Dechert, Ashok Darisipudi,

Quality and Management Systems

Abstract This study investigated the effects of graphical characteristics on three common statistical process control (SPC) charts, Shewhart , exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and cumulative sum (CUSUM) charts, with a near-equivalent statistical performance. Three main tasks, identification of out-of-control (OOC) points, estimation of process mean and identification of process pattern, were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of these charts. Participant response time and accuracy were collected. Results showed that each SPC chart performed equally well in perception and identification of OOC. For the mean shift task, charts yielded the fastest response times, and both and EWMA charts produced similar accuracy. However, all SPC charts led to consistently poor performance in the pattern tasks. For subjective preferences, participants reported a preference for charts in all experimental tasks, and the only difference noted between the EWMA and CUSUM charts was for the pattern task. These findings suggest the advantages of charts, which may account for their widespread use in industries, over EWMA and CUSUM charts. Computationally, charts were easier to understand and, graphically, they provided more direct information. Thus, statistical performance as well as human performance using these tools are important elements to consider in the selection of the appropriate SPC technique. Keywords: graphical characteristicshuman performancequality controlSPC chartsshewhartEWMACUSUM Acknowledgements This work was supported in part by a research fellowship grant from the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and funding from the United States Postal Service (USPS). Kuoh How Ong is an Associate with TransSolutions LLC, a Texas-based transportation and facility consulting firm. His primary responsibilities include airport operations analyses, airport security planning, facilities planning, simulation modelling, statistical analysis and operation research. Prior to his current position, his academic research involved statistical process control (SPC), ergonomics/human factors and maintenance engineering. He received a BS and an MS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.Display full size Craig Harvey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Louisiana State University. Dr Harvey served as an officer in the United States Air Force until 1992. After leaving the Air Force, he worked for Sallie Mae and KnowledgeWare. Upon leaving industry in 1994, he earned his PhD in industrial engineering from Purdue University in 1997. Dr Harvey has held academic positions at the University of Oklahoma and Wright State University before joining the faculty at LSU in 2002. Dr Harvey is the director of the Collaboration, Human, and Machine Performance (CHaMP) laboratory which conducts research into human-to-human and human-to-machine collaboration within all domain types. Dr Harvey's research areas include team collaboration in complex settings, useability engineering and human–computer interaction.Display full size Randa L. Shehab is an Associate Professor in the School of Industrial Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. She currently serves as the Director of the Human Technology Interaction Centre (HTIC), an interdisciplinary centre at OU founded to explore the human use of technology. Before joining OU, she worked as an ergonomics consultant to the Manufacturing Ergonomics Laboratory at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. Dr Shehab teaches undergraduate- and graduate- level courses in ergonomics, biomechanics, safety, experimental design and statistical analysis. The focus of her research is in the area of human factors and ergonomics with emphasis on technology and learning, human performance in occupational environments and physical performance of special populations. Dr Shehab received her PhD in Industrial Engineering (Human Factors) in 1995 from the University of Oklahoma.Display full size Jerry Dechert is currently the President of Dechert and Moses, a consulting firm specializing in quality improvement and statistical modelling. He received MS and PhD degrees from Oklahoma State University.Display full size Ashok Darisipudi is a PhD student in engineering science at Louisiana State University working under the guidance of Dr Craig Harvey. He is a research assistant in Computer, Human, and Machine Performance Laboratory (CHaMP), which is a state-of-the-art laboratory that focuses on conducting research to explore human-to-human collaboration and human-to-machine collaboration within all domain types. His academic research interests are human–computer interaction, team collaboration in complex systems, human factors, and useability engineering. He received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, India, and an MS in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, South Carolina, USA.Display full size