A simple approach for monitoring business service time variation.

Control charts are effective tools for signal detection in both manufacturing processes and service processes. Much of the data in service industries comes from processes having nonnormal or unknown distributions. The commonly used Shewhart variable control charts, which depend heavily on the normality assumption, are not appropriately used here. In this paper, we propose a new asymmetric EWMA variance chart (EWMA-AV chart) and an asymmetric EWMA mean chart (EWMA-AM chart) based on two simple statistics to monitor process variance and mean shifts simultaneously. Further, we explore the sampling properties of the new monitoring statistics and calculate the average run lengths when using both the EWMA-AV chart and the EWMA-AM chart. The performance of the EWMA-AV and EWMA-AM charts and that of some existing variance and mean charts are compared. A numerical example involving nonnormal service times from the service system of a bank branch in Taiwan is used to illustrate the applications of the EWMA-AV and EWMA-AM charts and to compare them with the existing variance (or standard deviation) and mean charts. The proposed EWMA-AV chart and EWMA-AM charts show superior detection performance compared to the existing variance and mean charts. The EWMA-AV chart and EWMA-AM chart are thus recommended

Ordered samples control charts for ordinal variables

The paper presents a new method for statistical process control when ordinal variables are involved. This is the case of a quality characteristic evaluated by an ordinal scale. The method allows a statistical analysis without exploiting an arbitrary numerical conversion of scale levels and without using the traditional sample synthesis operators (sample mean and variance). It consists of a different approach based on the use of a new sample scale obtained by ordering the original variable sample space according to some specific ‘dominance criteria' fixed on the basis of the monitored process haracteristics. Samples are directly reported on the chart and no distributional shape is assumed for the population (universe) of evaluations. Finally, a practical application of the method in the health sector is provided

Automation of Data Collection for Measuring The Quality of E-Commerce

The research aims to help managers in information gathering web log visitors based on traffic data, building automation data for determining the needs of e-Commerce extensibility, and design of information systems in the process of database interaction diagrams to show the control chart. Web monitoring is not so complex that requires a variety of tools (tools / applications / programs). Data collection in the form of traffic data and transaction data obtained automation. Data collected by the web application traffic and data traffic of e-Commerce transactions themselves. For a company whose goal is not just appear and serve customers, but is able to know the customer desires and business growth observed, this method is very suitable for monitoring quality control chart diagram shown in the form on page E-Commece it. Automation of data collection occurred in real time on information systems, so that the extensibility of e-Commerce report can be continuously monitored. The results demonstrate the extensibility of information systems such as e-Commerce can be applied to other e-Commerce

Assessment of a diagnostic procedure for the monitoring and control of industrial processes

The definition of “energy efficiency” entails programming, planning and implementation of operational tools and strategies leading to the reduction of energy demand for the same offered services. Among the typical industrial energy uses, the production of compressed air represents certainly an important segment of potential saving. The present work studies the monitoring of the compressed air used for blow moulding of a packaging solution company. The study addresses the monitoring of compressed air line in term of operational and energy variables. The available measured data are used to evaluate the energy performance evolution during a year time. The work tackles the problem with two different approaches based on univariate and multivariate methods. The first method aims at finding a key performance index and a new univariate control chart related to energy/operational parameters to better monitor the performance of the compressed air plant. Besides, the multivariate analysis of the production process is applied in order to analyse the energy efficiency by also considering the multiple variables influencing the whole process itself. Final purposes are identify a new methodology for the production process analysis and evaluate flaws and strengths of these models

A Time Truncated Moving Average Chart for the Weibull Distribution

A control chart of monitoring the number of failures is proposed with a moving average scheme, when the life of an item follows a Weibull distribution. A specified number of items are put on a time truncated life test and the number of failures is observed. The proposed control chart has been evaluated by the average run lengths (ARLs) under different parameter settings. The control constant and the test time multiplier are to be determined by considering the in-control ARL. It is observed that the proposed control chart is more efficient in detecting a shift in the process as compared with the existing time truncated control chart. ? 2013 IEEE.11Ysciescopu

Pilot Evaluation of an Internet-based Natural Family Planning Education and Service Program

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, knowledge of fertility, and acceptability of a web-based natural family planning (NFP) education and service program. Design: A 6-month repeated measure longitudinal evaluation pilot study. Setting: A university based online website. Participants: The website was piloted with 468 volunteer women seeking NFP services. Of these participants, 222 used the automatic online fertility charting system to avoid pregnancy. The 222 charting participants had a mean age of 29.9 years (SD=5.6), 2.2 children (SD=1.9), 37% were postpartum, and 47% had regular menstrual cycle lengths. Intervention: Nurse-managed web-based NFP education and service program. Outcomes: Pregnancies were confirmed by an online self-assessed pregnancy evaluation form. A 10-item fertility quiz and 10-item acceptability survey was administered online. Results: Among the 222 users avoiding pregnancy, at 6 months of use, there were two correct-use unintended pregnancies that provided a pregnancy rate of 2% and seven total unintended pregnancies providing a typical use pregnancy rate of 7%. Mean knowledge of fertility increased significantly from time of registration (8.96, SD=1.10) to 1 month of use (9.46, SD=.10), t=4.60, pSD=8.98) to 6 months of use (48.4; SD=8.77). Conclusion: The nurse-managed online NFP system seems to provide adequate knowledge of fertility and help participants meet pregnancy intentions. Acceptability of such a system of NFP is still in question

Monitoring Near-Shore Bathymetry Using a Multi-Image Satellite-Derived Bathymetry Approach

ABSTRACT Two advanced survey systems for hydrographic surveying are multi-beam echsounder (MBES) and airborne lidar bathymetry (ALB). Compared to more traditional hydrographic surveying methods, these systems provide both highly accurate and a dense coverage of depth measurements. However, high cost and logistic challenges that are required for either type of hydrographic survey operation limit the number of surveys and coverage area that can be conducted. As a result, most survey efforts primarily focus on updating existing chart information, and do not provide more enhanced charting capabilities, such as identifying dynamic seafloor areas or monitoring changes due to natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, floods, or tsunamis) along the charted coastlines. An alternative reconnaissance approach is the use of Satellite Derived Bathymetry (SDB). Although SDB provide bathymetry products at a coarser spatial resolution compared to MBES or ALB, satellite imagery can be repeatedly collected over the same area. In addition, some of the multi-spectral satellite imagery is publically-available, and at low at no cost. In this paper, we describe a practical approach that is based on a multitemporal analysis of the SDB using Landsat 8 imagery. The study results presented here are based on a time series of two sites (Barnegat Bay Inlet, NJ and Nantucket Sound, MA). Preliminary results indicate that it is possible to identify both stable and dynamic seafloor areas that have implications for charting and coastal zone management application

Design of post project analysis and risk management processes for r&d projects

This study has been performed as a project management process improvement project in the R&D Department of a leading white goods manufacturer in Turkey. Data related to 93 projects executed and finished during 1994-2001 in the R&D Department is compiled. These projects are analyzed to determine the factors that affect the project performance and to identify the risks encountered in the past and to compile a Risk Checklist as an input to the proposed risk management process. Then, a risk management process and a post project analysis process are designed for introducing risk management and organizational learning practice to the R&D Center. The risk management and project analysis processes are tested on a project close to its initiation and on two recently completed projects, respectively. It is observed that learning points are identified upon analyzing risk issues and the risk management process outcomes may provide insights into the weaknesses in the project management process. Thus, both processes are intertwined and evolve around each other