Demystifying MSA: a structured approach for Indian foundry SMEs

The purpose of this paper is to present the results from an empirical investigation of measurement system analysis, status in the Indian foundry SMEs and formulate an integrated approach for its successful implementation. A feasible survey questionnaire is supplied to units related to one of the vital foundry cluster and is suitable to small and medium scale Indian foundries. Further the result of the survey becomes basis for problem formulation. The paper not only un-wraps the critical reasons to implement MSA in SMEs but also generates an integrated frame work for deploying MSA comprehensively among foundry SMEs by not ignoring present constraints of Indian SME environments. Its practical implication has been analysed empirically by implementing structured MSA approach in one of the significant foundry of the Batal-Jalandhar-Samalkha cluster. Very rare research has been carried to relate the status of MSA in the Indian foundries and it will further provide value to academicians and Six Sigma practitioners.

[1]  J G Voelkel.  SOMETHINGS MISSING-AN EDUCATION IN STATISTICAL METHODS WILL MAKE EMPLOYEES MORE VALUABLE TO SIX SIGMA CORPORATIONS , 2002 .

[2]  W. Edwards Deming,et al.  Statistical Adjustment of Data , 1944 .

[3]  John Mandel,et al.  The Nature of Repeatability and Reproducibility , 1987 .

[4]  Abby Ghobadian,et al.  Total quality management in SMEs , 1996 .

[5]  James M. Lucas.  THE ESSENTIAL SIX SIGMA , 2002 .

[6]  M. J. Harry,et al.  SIX SIGMA : A BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGY FOR PROFITABILITY , 1998 .

[7]  Dinesh Khanduja,et al.  SMED: for quick changeovers in foundry SMEs , 2009 .

[8]  L. J. Porter,et al.  Identification of the Critical Factors of TQM , 1996 .

[9]  N. Doganaksoy,et al.  Joint Optimization of Mean and Standard Deviation Using Response Surface Methods , 2003 .

[10]  G. Borenius,et al.  Statistical Adjustment of Data , 1966 .

[11]  John J. Flaig.  Using Factor Effects Analysis to Improve Statistical Process Control , 2002 .

[12]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Critical success factors for the successful implementation of six sigma projects in organisations , 2002 .

[13]  Jiju Antony,et al.  Six Sigma in the software industry: results from a pilot study , 2004 .

[14]  Douglas C. Montgomery,et al.  Introduction to Statistical Quality Control , 1986 .

[15]  Douglas C. Montgomery,et al.  GAUGE CAPABILITY AND DESIGNED EXPERIMENTS. PART I: BASIC METHODS , 1993 .

[16]  D. Montgomery,et al.  GAUGE CAPABILITY ANALYSIS AND DESIGNED EXPERIMENTS. PART II: EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN MODELS AND VARIANCE COMPONENT ESTIMATION , 1993 .

[17]  J. Mandel.  Repeatability and Reproducibility for Pass/Fail Data , 1997 .