Page 308 - The Handbook for Quality Management a Complete Guide to Operational Excellence

Measure stage objectives include (Keller, 2011a):

• Process definition. Define the process at a detailed level including
decision points and functions.
• Metric definition. Define metric to reliably establish process estimates.
• Process baseline. Use the defined metrics to establish the current
state of the process, which should verify the assumptions of the
Define stage. Determine whether the process is in statistical control.
• Measurement systems analysis. Quantify errors associated with the
metric.

Process Definition
A process flowchart is simply a tool that graphically shows the inputs,
actions, and outputs of a given system. These terms are defined as follows:
Inputs. The factors of production or service: land, materials, labor,
equipment, and management.
Actions. The way in which the inputs are combined and manipulated
in order to add value. Actions include procedures, handling, storage,
transportation, and processing.
Outputs. The products or services created by acting on the inputs.
Outputs are delivered to the customer or other user. Outputs also
include unplanned and undesirable results, such as scrap, rework,
pollution, etc. Flowcharts should contain these outputs as well.
Flowcharting is such a useful activity that the symbols have been
stand ardized by various ANSI standards. There are special symbols for
special processes, such as electronics or information systems. However,
in most cases activities are contained within simple rectangles; decision
points within diamonds, with one input and only two potential outputs
(a yes/no path).
Flowcharts can be made either more complex or less complex. As a
rule of thumb, to paraphrase Albert Einstein, “Flowcharts should be as

295

14_Pyzdek_Ch14_p293-304.indd 295 11/20/12 10:32 PM