Using WinChart and Understanding Variation

The course described below is our signature expression. It can be varied in many ways to meet your exact specifications and needs.

WinChart is the easy-to-use software for Control Charts. This is the two-day course for those who want to get up to speed rapidly both with better measurement and better interpretation using Control Charts and WinChart software.

Whilst WinChart is technically very easy to use, it is also easy to use the charts incorrectly from a statistical viewpoint, and consequently make some damaging decisions about the processes producing the data.

Therefore, the full two day course assumes no prior knowledge of the statistics underpinning WinChart, and will integrate the use of WinChart into the wider statistical learning.

Our course is an initial two-day workshop, followed by a period of supported application and a day of review, consolidation, and presentation to others.

Workshop style and objectives

The workshop is very interactive! There will be some statistical theory, but mostly people are surprised at how relatively straightforward it all is, we concentrate primarily on practical application and interpretation.

The general objectives of the programme are;

• To learn more about the concept of statistical variation in performance and other data;
• For you to look differently at the data you work with through a deeper understanding of variation;
• To learn about a powerful yet simple statistical tool that helps you get to grips with tackling variation and improvement – the Process Behaviour Chart (aka control chart). We will aim to enhance your knowledge and confidence in using these charts, looking at how they apply directly to your situation, and covering specifically; their construction, their interpretation, proactive use of them for performance improvement in your workplace, their use as a powerful tool for management.
• To apply the Process Behaviour Chart in the following ways; to your use and analysis of performance and process data, to "filter out the noise" by separating special and common causes, to investigate processes and performance more appropriately based on this analysis, to derive improvement plans for these processes, to enhance the one-to-one and team performance coaching carried out, based on a better analysis of data.
• To learn the use of WinChart - which offers an easy means of producing Process Behaviour Charts, allowing you to concentrate on interpretation and improvement.
• To consider how to explain the meaning and use of the charts to others who have not had the benefit of this learning.

Workshop Pattern

First there is some preparatory work! This contains some reading and a few questions to think about ahead of time, and some guidelines on what performance or other data you might bring along to the workshop. It will be in using WinChart to look at data that means something to your work where you will gain maximum value.
An intensive workshop covering the following; The concepts behind the use of Process Behaviour Charts, What is Variation and why does it cause trouble? Special and Common Causes, Benefits of reducing variation, Predictability and Process Capability, Customer requirements and specifications, The Process Behaviour Chart (aka control chart) a powerful management tool – linked to a framework of continuous improvement

The charts themselves –

• Construction
• Interpretation
• Decisions and Actions
• Trial phase and Operating phase
• Detecting special causes and other signals of process change
• Using the charts for process improvement
• How and where to select data for charting
  

WinChart

We teach delegates the full functionality of WinChart for use in creating process behaviour charts, including linking automatically to Excel worksheets.

So that you gain maximum value from the workshop a chunk of time will be set aside for you to work with data that means something to you. This will form the basis of the project work carried out between the workshop and the review day.

Then there is a gap of about 6 weeks or so for you to apply the new learning about process behaviour charts and WinChart. During this period we provide email support to allow you to test your application of the technique and the software.

Finally, a review day to allow you to share and discuss your learning, fine-tune your application, and receive additional teaching as appropriate. Following the review day we shall continue to provide email support for a further month.