Question 1(Patrick)

As quality control manager for a candy company who wants to fill 12 oz packages accurately, I would institute established quality processes based on mathematical theory such as utilizing run charts with control limits and following the plan do check act cycle to promote quality in the organization. A critical step is to determine what is the desired outcome and then measure actual outcomes or use estimates to set control limits such that when the outcome drifts outside a limit it can then be recognized that there is a quality problem and action can be taken to improve or change the process. This cycle of define, measure, analyze and improve control can be used as a continuous cycle of quality improvement (Sharpe, et al., 2019). Control charts have been and are widely used within many industries in the manufacture of products such as automotive, food and pharmaceuticals to promote, monitor and demonstrate quality to regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration.

So, in the case of the candy company the desired outcome is 12 oz of candy in each package as this meets our labeling and reduces excess costs to the business. With that in mind the next step is to take measurements of samples from each batch and plot those values in a control chart determining the current standard deviation from the mean. Food regulations indicate slightly more than half an oz is an acceptable tolerance but to ensure we meet this in most cases we can set the tolerance at a lower level of 0.25 oz difference. By plotting the current state on the control chart, it can be observed how many points are outside the desired tolerance and then decide on actions for improving the process. This method can also facilitate rejecting packages outside the tolerance limit. Then this cycle can be repeated until the process is stable and within the desired limits and then continually used to monitor the process going forward.

Question 2(Catherine)

As quality control manager for a candy company, it is important to maintain uniformity and consistency in product leaving the factory. Quality control allows us to make sure the product promised to the customers on the package of the product is what they receive, in order to comply with their standards, the expectations of the company, and government regulations.

Before setting any quality control regulations in place, we need to determine the maximum allowable variation in whatever state the factory is located in. This will tell us how much of an ounce is acceptable for us to be over or under. For the sake of this exercise, we will assume it is slightly less that one ounce. The Candy and Chocolate Confections article by the USDA and the NIST handbook on Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods both state that acceptable variation depends on the type of candy being produced. For example, a hard candy might need to be packaged individually before being packaged in a larger envelope. Both the individually packaged candy and the envelope of candy will need some form of quality control.

For this example I would recommend a run chart to keep track of multiple parts of the packaging process. A run chart will allow the factory to look at how the data that is entered into the chart changes over time. It can help assess uniformity and allow the factory to see if there are any major variations. As the candy is packaged, it is weighed, and any variations are caught as they pass down the conveyor belt to be shipped off.

This process should allow us to catch any major variations in weight. Once a variation is detected, factory workers can go and pull a sample from the shipment with the variation and check them manually. They can then determine when the variation occurred and check the factory machinery for anything causing this change. This will allow the company to maintain government standards and produce the same product consistently.

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