Quality improvement: an expanding domain for the application of scientific method

Abstract

Fisher’s early work on statistical data analysis and experimental design made possible the application of scientific method to industrial problems and to the improvement of the quality of everyday life. The use is discussed of simple statistical techniques for informed observation which can be used to improve quality in hospitals and other service organizations as well as in the factory. At a more sophisticated level, statistical experimental design may be used by engineers and scientists to design products that rarely go wrong. Experimental design can be employed to maximize a desirable quality characteristic, to minimize its variance, and to make it insensitive to environmental changes. Such expansion of the domain of the application of scientific method can not only raise industrial efficiency, but can improve the quality of life for everyone.