ABSTRACT
In the manufacturing world, productivity, quality, competitiveness, and customer satisfaction are all determined by the degree of variation found in finished product.
As a practical matter, all manufacturers are customers as well as suppliers. Manufacturers process purchased raw material, and they provide customers with finished product. As a result of this dual role, manufacturing companies need to be acutely aware of the variation to be found in purchased raw material as well as the variation inherent in their finished product.
