1 - Introduction to Industrial Experimentation

Abstract

This chapter illustrates the importance of experimentation in organisations and a sequence of activities to be taken into account while performing an industrial experiment. This chapter briefly illustrates the key skills required for the successful application of an industrial designed experiment. The fundamental problem associated with One-Variable-At-a-Time approach to experimentation is also demonstrated in this chapter with an example. The last part of this chapter is focused on statistical thinking and its role in the context of Design of Experiments (DOE). The industrial engineers and managers in the twenty-first century have two jobs: to perform their daily work and to continuously seek ways to improve their work. In order to produce the best results through the use of statistical thinking, managers of the twenty-first century should change the way they work. The author firmly believes that the essence of statistical thinking can encourage many managers in organisations to use wider applications of DOE as a powerful problem-solving technique.