Donald W Benbow

Throughout Don Benbow's extensive career, teaching mathematics and statistical courses to college students and corporate employees, one common question always popped up: how do you fix statistical errors in quality? Most textbooks and courses tend to emphasize how to perform statistical analysis and give little attention to errors that can occur in the process. This book intends to teach readers how to avoid common pitfalls by providing examples and scenarios based on similar real-world events. The book also provides caveats (or quick tips) to help readers navigate their way through statistical methodology.

The eight discipline (8D) problem-solving methodology includes the following: Select an appropriate team Formulate the problem definition Activate interim containment Find root cause(s) Select and verify correction(s) Implement and validate corrective action(s) Take preventive steps Congratulate the team This unique book provides an overview of the 8D process, gives guidance on tools for finding root causes, shows 8D in action in eight case studies, and gives five unsolved problems for readers to apply 8D themselves for practice. Anyone who wants to improve quality, regardless of the industry they come from, will benefit from the 8D approach. It has been successfully applied in healthcare, retail, finance, government, and manufacturing.