ASSIGNMENT 08
Question: Describe the The 7 QC Tools
Answer: Kaoru Ishikawa, a Japanese professor of engineering, originally developed the
seven quality tools (sometimes called the 7 QC tools) in the 1950s to help workers of various
technical backgrounds implement effective quality control measures.
At the time, training programs in statistical quality control were complex and made it difficult
to standardize effective quality control across operations. Companies found that simplifying
the training to user-friendly fundamentals—or seven quality tools—ensured better
performance at scale. They are described below:
I. Flowcharts
Flowcharts are perhaps the most popular out of the 7 quality tools. This tool is used to
visualize the sequence of steps in a process, event, workflow, system, etc. In addition to
showing the process as a whole, a flowchart also highlights the relationship between steps
and the process boundaries (start and end).
Flowcharts use a standard set of symbols, and it’s important to standardize the use of these
symbols so anyone can understand and use them easily. Here’s a roundup of all the key
flowchart symbols.
Uses of Flowchart:
● To build a common understanding of a process.
● To analyze processes and discover areas of issues, inefficiencies, blockers, etc.
● To standardize processes by leading everyone to follow the same steps.
Method:
1. Gather a team of employees involved in carrying out the process for analyzing it.
2. List down the steps involved in the process from its start to end.
3. First write down the process steps and rearrange them later once the flow is identified.
4. Identify the sequence of steps; when representing the flow, show it from left to write or
from top to bottom.
5. Connect the shapes with arrows to indicate the flow.
The flowchart enhances process understanding, highlights bottlenecks or inefficiencies, and
supports process optimization and standardization efforts.
, II. Histogram
A histogram is a type of bar chart that visualizes the distribution of numerical data. It groups
numbers into ranges and the height of the bar indicates how many fall into each range.
It’s a powerful quality planning and control tool that helps organizations understand
preventive and corrective actions.
Uses of Histogram:
● To easily interpret a large amount of data and identify patterns.
● To make predictions of process performance.
● To identify the different causes of a quality problem.
Method:
1. Collect data for analysis. Record occurrences of specific ranges using a tally chart.
2. Analyze the data at hand and split the data into intervals or bins.
3. Count how many values fall into each bin.
4. On the graph, indicate the frequency of occurrences for each bin with the area (height) of
the bar.
Histogram provides insights into process performance and variation, enabling teams to target
areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions
III. Cause and Effect (C-E) Diagram
This tool was devised by Kaoru Ishikawa himself and is also known as the fishbone diagram
(for it’s shaped like the skeleton of a fish) and Ishikawa diagram.
They are used for identifying the various factors (causes) leading to an issue (effect). It
ultimately helps discover the root cause of the problem allowing you to find the correct
solution effectively.
Uses of C-E diagram:
● Problem-solving; finding root causes of a problem.
● Uncovering the relationships between different causes leading to a problem.
● During group brainstorming sessions to gather different perspectives on the matter
Method:
Question: Describe the The 7 QC Tools
Answer: Kaoru Ishikawa, a Japanese professor of engineering, originally developed the
seven quality tools (sometimes called the 7 QC tools) in the 1950s to help workers of various
technical backgrounds implement effective quality control measures.
At the time, training programs in statistical quality control were complex and made it difficult
to standardize effective quality control across operations. Companies found that simplifying
the training to user-friendly fundamentals—or seven quality tools—ensured better
performance at scale. They are described below:
I. Flowcharts
Flowcharts are perhaps the most popular out of the 7 quality tools. This tool is used to
visualize the sequence of steps in a process, event, workflow, system, etc. In addition to
showing the process as a whole, a flowchart also highlights the relationship between steps
and the process boundaries (start and end).
Flowcharts use a standard set of symbols, and it’s important to standardize the use of these
symbols so anyone can understand and use them easily. Here’s a roundup of all the key
flowchart symbols.
Uses of Flowchart:
● To build a common understanding of a process.
● To analyze processes and discover areas of issues, inefficiencies, blockers, etc.
● To standardize processes by leading everyone to follow the same steps.
Method:
1. Gather a team of employees involved in carrying out the process for analyzing it.
2. List down the steps involved in the process from its start to end.
3. First write down the process steps and rearrange them later once the flow is identified.
4. Identify the sequence of steps; when representing the flow, show it from left to write or
from top to bottom.
5. Connect the shapes with arrows to indicate the flow.
The flowchart enhances process understanding, highlights bottlenecks or inefficiencies, and
supports process optimization and standardization efforts.
, II. Histogram
A histogram is a type of bar chart that visualizes the distribution of numerical data. It groups
numbers into ranges and the height of the bar indicates how many fall into each range.
It’s a powerful quality planning and control tool that helps organizations understand
preventive and corrective actions.
Uses of Histogram:
● To easily interpret a large amount of data and identify patterns.
● To make predictions of process performance.
● To identify the different causes of a quality problem.
Method:
1. Collect data for analysis. Record occurrences of specific ranges using a tally chart.
2. Analyze the data at hand and split the data into intervals or bins.
3. Count how many values fall into each bin.
4. On the graph, indicate the frequency of occurrences for each bin with the area (height) of
the bar.
Histogram provides insights into process performance and variation, enabling teams to target
areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions
III. Cause and Effect (C-E) Diagram
This tool was devised by Kaoru Ishikawa himself and is also known as the fishbone diagram
(for it’s shaped like the skeleton of a fish) and Ishikawa diagram.
They are used for identifying the various factors (causes) leading to an issue (effect). It
ultimately helps discover the root cause of the problem allowing you to find the correct
solution effectively.
Uses of C-E diagram:
● Problem-solving; finding root causes of a problem.
● Uncovering the relationships between different causes leading to a problem.
● During group brainstorming sessions to gather different perspectives on the matter
Method:
