Learning from the Past, Present, and Future to Drive Profits to New Levels

Chapter 10 Paths of Variation

DOI: 10.4324/9781003462385-10

For years, people and organizations have dedicated considerable time and effort to identifying, reducing, and controlling the variation that exists within their systems. Since the days of Walter Shewart and his creation of the control chart, the goal has always been to remove as much variation as possible from the system and then bring the remaining variation under control, making it more predictable. No matter how much planning is done, no matter how much effort is expended, it’s important to understand that some amount of variation will still remain within your system!

If you were asked the question of how long it takes you to get to work every day, your response might be something ...