Applying SPC in a Service Environment

Statistical Process Control (SPC) has long been used to monitor and control the performance of manufacturing processes. Its benefits in this arena are well known. By comparison, little attention has been paid to the use of quantitative tools for monitoring and controlling service processes, other than accounting data in financial reports and the use (and abuse) of numerical ratings in personnel evaluations. This monograph discusses the need for establishing objective measures to monitor and control service processes— especially at the point where taking action can result in maximum benefit. It also describes the use of SPC to accomplish this intent, including the practical realities and considerations for doing so. It is assumed that the reader has at least a cursory knowledge of the concepts of SPC.