Identify Special Cause Variation
Special cause variation, also known as assignable cause variation, refers to variation in a process that can be traced to specific, identifiable causes or factors. These causes are not part of the normal, expected variability that occurs in a process. Identifying special cause variation is a critical aspect of process improvement and quality control. It involves distinguishing between random or common cause variation and variation that can be attributed to specific factors. Key characteristics and methods for identifying special cause variation are control charts, unusual data points, patterns in data, data clustering, data outside specification limits, outliers, sudden changes in inputs, observations from process operators, root cause analysis, and historical data comparison. Statistical control charts are graphical tools used in statistical process control to monitor process performance over time. They typically have upper and lower control limits that represent the accept...