AMI4900: Engineering Design
Unit 2: Structured approaches to problem solving and process improvement
Introduction: Quality Engineering tools
Figure 2.1
A disciplined approach to quality
The flow diagram in Figure 2.1 shows how the various Quality Engineering methods may work together to achieve a disciplined approach to ensuring quality. QFD gathers the needs of the customer and prioritises where improvements are needed. Taguchi provides the mechanism for identifying these improvements and SPC contributes the means to hold these gains as well as to otherwise ensure continuing quality improvements.
Other tools such as Six Sigma and Value Engineering are also applicable as Quality Engineering Tools.