Taguchi or classical design of experiments: a perspective from a practitioner

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present some fundamental and critical differences between the two methods of experimental design (i.e. Taguchi and classical design of experiments (DOE)). It also aims to present an application of Taguchi method of experimental design for the development of an optical fiber sensor in a cost effective and timely manner.Design/methodology/approach – The first part of the paper shows the differences between classical DOE and Taguchi methods from a practitioner's perspective. The second part of the paper illustrates a simple framework which provides guidance in the selection of a suitable DOE strategy. The last part is focused on a simple case study demonstrating the power of Taguchi methods of experimental design.Findings – One of the key questions from many quality and production related personnel in organisations are “when to use Taguchi and Classical DOE?”. The purpose of this paper is to make an attempt to address the above question from a practitioner's perspect...