Metrics Related to Confusion Matrix as Tools for Conformity Assessment Decisions

Abstract

Conformity assessment refers to activities undertaken to check whether some product, service or process meets certain criteria and specifications given by internationally accepted standards. The decision on whether a property of interest is aligned with the set standards is made based on measurement. However, uncertainty associated with the measurement results may lead to incorrect decisions. Measurement results may be falsely rejected as non-conforming, although they meet specifications. This is referred to as the producer’s risk. If the measurement result that does not meet the required specifications is accepted as conforming, this is referred to as the consumer’s risk. This paper covers calculations of global consumer's and producer's risk using the Bayesian approach and deals with the application of metrics related to confusion matrices in conformity assessments. These techniques have been used to assess the conformity of the bearing ring diameter with the given specifications. Based on the behavior of these metrics, the optimal length of the guard band was determined with the aim of minimizing the global consumer’s and producer’s risk.