TOPIC: Control Limits Question

This is question from Sample exam question provided by PM-PREPCAST, episode E98.00.

You are producing aluminium dowels. The control limits of this production process are 14.9cm and 15.1cm. The specification limits are 14.8 and 15.2. Inspection shows that the last 5 dowels produced are 15.2cm long. What do you do.

Answer says: Deliver to customer

But since 15.2cm is outside the control limit(14.9-15.1), Is the process not out of control?. Please explain

Umesh,

You are correct. This question could be formulated a bit better. But overall, the answer is still correct. In the explanation we say the following:

"[A is correct because...] Specification Limits (also known as tolerances) are the limits that your customer has given you. Since 15.2cm is within the customer specified tolerance you can deliver them without hesitation."

Answer C (adjust the process) may also be a valid option. Our original argument was that the first thing you do is to deliver the goods to the customer, then you adjust the process.

I'll make sure we rephrase answer C to make it clearer.