ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors explain production activities form a network of processes and operations. Production is constructed of a network of processes and operations. Processes can be broken down into four categories: work, inspection, transportation, and delay. Inspections may be said to supplement work, transportation, and delays. Sensory inspections are inspections performed by means of the human senses, judgments of plating adequacy or inspections of paint saturation. Physical inspections involve the use of measuring devices, such as calipers or micrometers. Subjective inspections are made by the same person who performed the work. Objective inspections are made by someone other than the operator who performed the work. In carrying out inspections — especially sampling inspections — the number of samples may be chosen either in accordance with statistical theory or not. When inspections focus on judgments rather than measurements, automated inspections can make use of extremely simple and inexpensive devices.
