Statistical Process Control and Quality Management

Purpose of the Assessment

This assignment is designed to enable you to demonstrate an understanding of the role of statistical process control in informing management decisions relating to quality.

You will conduct a review of the academic literature on the subject of statistical process control.

Following your review, you are to analyse a given set of data to evaluate the performance of a fictional tannery in a given scenario.

You will be expected to illustrate your discussion with examples from academic journals, the trade press and other authoritative sources.

1. Prepare a literature review on the subject of statistical process control, covering the concept from its inception up to the present day.

Ensure that you include references to at least 10 peer-reviewed articles, no more than ten years old. You may also find relevant reviews in the trade press and from other authoritative sources.

(50% of word count)

2. The supplied spreadsheet contains historic data recording the temperature of combined effluent discharged by a fictional tannery, Waterside Leather Limited (WLL) over the past four months.

The tannery’s discharges are normally controlled within the range 25^oC to 35^oC. The maximum permitted temperature is 40^oC. Regular maintenance is performed on the balancing system (which neutralises the pH of the effluent at the expense of heating the discharge in the process) on a monthly basis.

Use the data to visualise the performance of the effluent control process, describing your analytical approach in detail. Include any graphs generated.

In your view, how well has the plant performed?

In your judgement, what priorities for quality improvements should the plant management set?

(50% of word count)

The quality of your presentation and academic referencing is very important. Please, use the Harvard Referencing System.

Within your assignment your tutor will be looking for content that addresses the key elements of the assignment brief.

Try not to overcomplicate your answers. Keep to simple processes that you know well.

Look at the Check list at the end of this brief. It shows the subheadings to use and offers a guide as to how the marks will be distributed.

Use the percentages as a guide to how to distribute your word count.

This is an individual assignment. The University of Northampton policy will apply in all cases of copying, plagiarism or any other methods by which students have obtained (or attempted to obtain) an unfair advantage.

Support and guidance on assessments and academic integrity can be found from the following resources

Assessment Task

To submit your work, please go to the ‘Submit your work’ area on the NILE site and use the relevant submission point to upload your report. The deadline for this is 11.59pm (UK local time) on the date of submission. 

Written work submitted to TURNITIN will be subject to anti-plagiarism detection software.  Turnitin checks student work for possible textual matches against internet available resources and its own proprietary database. 

When you upload your work correctly to TURNITIN you will receive a receipt which is your record and proof of submission.  

If your assignment is not submitted to TURNITIN rather than a receipt you will see a green banner at the top of the screen that denotes successful submission.

Your assignment must be word processed and presented in a report format with simple sub-headings. The word count should be 1600 words ±10% (tables, diagrams and appendices are excluded from the count).  

The Assignment report should have a Front Sheet showing your name, your student number, the module name, the module number, the assignment title, the module tutor's name, the date and the word count

N.B Work emailed directly to your tutor will not normally be marked. The only exception to this is when you are instructed to do so because TURNITIN is down.  

For first sits, if an item of assessment is submitted late and an extension has not been granted, the following will apply: 

• Within one week of the original deadline – work will be marked and returned with full feedback and awarded a maximum bare pass grade.
• More than one week from original deadline – maximum grade achievable LG (L indicating late).

At the second opportunity deadline (resits) work submitted late will be awarded a LG grade. There is no opportunity to submit work late for a bare pass. 

The University of Northampton’s general policy with regard to extensions is to be supportive of students who have genuine difficulties, but not against pressures of work that could have reasonably been anticipated.   

For full details please refer to the Extensions Policy.  The module leader can, where appropriate, authorise a short extension of up to two weeks from the original submission date for first sits only. There are NO extensions for resits. The TWO weeks means 14 calendar days including weekends and any University closed days. 

Mitigating Circumstances 

For guidance on Mitigating circumstances please go to Mitigating Circumstances  where you will find detailed guidance on the policy as well as guidance and the form for making an application. 

Please note, however, that an application to defer an assessment on the grounds of mitigating circumstances should normally be made in advance of the submission deadline or examination date.   

Unless this is a group assignment, the work you produce must be your own with work taken from any other source properly referenced and attributed. The University of Northampton policy will apply in all cases of copying, plagiarism or any other methods by which students have obtained (or attempted to obtain) an unfair advantage. 

If you are in any doubt about what constitutes plagiarism or any other infringement of academic integrity, please read the University’s Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy. For help with understanding academic integrity go to UNPAC  and follow the Top Tips for Good Academic Practice on the student hub.  

Please note that the University of Northampton puts all written assignments through detection software which detects if work has been plagiarised (copied) from other students (past or present and whether at UON or any other university), books, journals or internet sources. Copied materials WILL be detected. The penalties for copying work from another source without proper referencing are severe and can include failing the assignment, failing the module and expulsion from the university. 

These can be accessed through clicking on the Feedback and Grades tab on NILE. Feedback will be provided by a rubric with summary comments.  

All assignments will be submitted, graded and fed-back electronically via TURNITIN. Several submissions will be permitted before the hand-in date in order to enable you to refine the content in your report.

If you click on the “Submit Your Work” button on the Module NILE site, you will find an explanation of the Submission and Grading Electronically process there.

Feedback on assignments in general will be provided to the whole group when marked assignments are returned.

Feedback on assignments for each individual will be provided electronically via TURNITIN.  

A student may obtain an individual appointment to discuss feedback with the tutor.BSOM046 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

–    Prepare a literature review on the subject of statistical process control.

Analysis and evaluation (50%)

-    Use the data to visualise the performance of the effluent control process 

• Describe your analytical approach in detail.
• Include any graphs generated.
• How well has the plant performed?
• What priorities for quality improvements should the plant management set?

Max word count 1600 +/- 10%

The learning outcomes being addressed through this assignment are:

1. Identify and integrate relevant data/information/literature from a range of self-identified sources.
2. Devise and sustain an argument, supported by valid/significant, evaluated evidence, including some elements which are new/original/unusual and may offer new insights or hypotheses.
3. Demonstrate ability to relate theory to practise and critically assess organisational problems in order to design specific responses to address the issues identified.