Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Quality Planning Techniques: Design of Experiments

How do you determine the way a material, product, or process affects your project? You can use a quality planning technique called design of experiments. This analytical technique can help you uncover which variables have the most influence on an outcome, and verify the capability of materials, products, and processes.

Most organizations want to improve their products and services. Designing experiments that verify these improvements is worth the time and effort put into them, since they are helpful in solving chronic quality problems. Properly designed experiments can help you:
  • eliminate re-work
  • achieve higher productivity
  • improve customer satisfaction
  • prevent problems
  • reduce extra inspections.
Design of experiments is more efficient and less disruptive than a trial method experiment. It also requires extra thought and planning, as a mistake during any part of the experiment can invalidate the entire analysis.

The objective of a designed experiment is to study specific outcomes by analyzing the impact of several variables at one time. Testing more variables at one time makes this process more efficient.

Whether you are searching for the root cause of a quality problem or you want to improve quality results, design of experiments is a beneficial technique for quality planning. In addition to the benefits listed above, it provides the following two important benefits.
  • Smaller sample sizes. This technique requires smaller sample sizes to receive the same accuracy of results.
  • Interaction between variables. It determines interactions between process variables. Certain combinations of variables can have a greater impact on the outcome than any one variable on its own.
Design of experiments is a technique that is most often applied to the product of a project. For example, pharmaceutical companies often perform designed experiments to test the composition of their drugs. If studying the XYZ drug, a designed experiment would have a matrix of experiments that tests X, Y, and Z in different amounts at the same time. The experiment would examine X1Y1Z1, X2Y1Z2, X1Y2Z3, and other such combinations. This experiment tests multiple variables at the same time.

In summary, design of experiments verifies how a material, product, or process is affecting your project. This quality planning technique is usually applied to projects that produce a product.

3 comments:

Vicky said...

I was wondering where I can find literature reporting cases where multiple experiment designs projects have to compete for resources such as time and equipment.

Unknown said...

Good work

Anonymous said...


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1. Plan your day using time management techniques

As a project manager, time management skills are essential because you are dealing with a wide range of tasks that demand a quick turnaround time. Planning your day will go a long way in keeping you organized and increasing your productivity. Assist your task planning by using project management software which helps you track the work of you and your team.

If you are not very tech savvy, a simple to-do list can also be a great organizational tool. Prioritize your most important tasks by putting them at the top of the list and less important ones at the bottom. Having a visual plan of your daily tasks helps to keep you on track and aware of time.

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2. Include stakeholders in important project conversations

While you will have plenty of responsibilities regarding the project, don’t neglect your clients.

Good communication is essential is keeping both parties informed of project progression, curtailing scope creep, and apprised of changing requirements. Some clients may have different expectations when it comes to communication, so make sure to establish the frequency and type of communication (like emails, phone calls, and face-to-face conversations) at the beginning of your project.

Establishing communication expectations early helps alleviate stakeholder uncertainty about communication frequency and delivery.

3. Regularly communicate with your team

Daily team communication helps keep misunderstandings and unclear requirements under control. Keeping your team informed in every step of the project is essential to project management success.

For example, a study published by Procedia Technology found that good communication skills were the cornerstone of project management. The study examined over 300 “construction project managers, architects, construction managers, engineers and quantity surveyors” and their successes and failures on various construction projects.

4. Anticipate project setbacks

Even the best-laid plans often go awry.

Remember that even with a high amount of planning and attention to detail, your project may still encounter some challenges. Pay attention to complaints from stakeholders or colleagues, and other warning signs, like a missed deadline or cost overrun, that there may be a problem.

Preventing a crisis will keep your project running smoothly, save you a lot of time, and keep you, your team, and your stakeholders confident in progressing with the project.

Unfortunately not every complication can be avoided. Crisis management skills are essential for dealing with the unexpected. Project managers need to be flexible and pragmatic. Improvise and make sharp decisions when needed.

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5. Stay focused on the details

A common problem project managers encounter is having the project aims not aligned with the organization’s objectives. A great project manager will strategize a plan for the project to lead back to the overall success of the business.

Know your project’s scope by heart and avoid wandering outside of the project’s requirements. It’s too easy to get lost in minor details and forget what your focus is, so a well-planned project scope is essential for success.

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