Authentic Learning Task (ALT) #2: Hats Off to Us!

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Overview

All organizations providing products or services are concerned about the level of quality they furnish to their customers. Effective use of attribute control charting can improve organizational performance by reducing the quantity of nonconforming output production. This Authentic Learning Task (ALT) introduces you to an attribute control chart, otherwise called a p chart.

P charts are used to evaluate process performance by measuring the proportion of nonconforming items produced by the process over time. Information thus obtained about the process variations can then be compared to the participant's expectations and the producer's claims.

Data describing the performance of a process is frequently in terms of percent "good" vs. "bad" or the percent of an additive in the product (such as the percentage of alcohol in a given gasoline may not exceed 10%). Data of this type is called attributes data. In this ALT, you use attributes data to define the quality of a process, as well as the capability of the process to meet the customer's needs or expectations.

Evaluation of a process, product, or service requires that the quality characteristics of the process, product, or service be defined and that a plan for measurement be identified. Additionally, you must understand the need to use a representative sample as opposed to evaluating the entire output. The activities in the ALT provide you a means of evaluating process performance using sample data.

After completing this ALT, you should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:

• Apply the concepts of "forms of variability" and "process dominance" to the selection of an appropriate control technique (Comp. 1).
• Acquire, analyze, and interpret data from a process to determine if the process is in statistical control and capable of meeting customer requirements (Comp. 2).
• Apply problem-solving techniques to the development of an improvement plan for processes that are not in statistical control and/or not capable of meeting customer requirements (Comp. 3).

Pre-Activity

To prepare for the activity:

• Read Instruction Sheet: Hats Off! in your Process Control Participant Journal.
• Read about control charts.
• Read more about p charts.

In your team, perform the following step to complete the activity:

1. Complete Instruction Sheet: Hats Off!, Data Sheet: Hats Off!, and Data Sheet: Attribute Chart-ALT #2.

Post-Activity

Your team should now post all of its results from the activity to the Discussion Board.

Assignment
There are no instructions to prepare for ALT #3: Right On, Raisin!

Assessment
Your facilitator may use Assessment Sheet: Hats Off! to evaluate your results from the activity and your posting to the Discussion Board.

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