A Preliminary Study on the Application of Statistical Process Control (SPC) Towards Process Efficiency: Case Study in Food Industries

Abstract

Today’s in an environment that is becoming increasingly global and challenging, the small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in Malaysia face new challenges with competitive, especially for strengthening the capacity and capability to enhance the performance of processing and production of high-quality products. This goal is one of the contribution through the use of a such quality tools likes statistical process control (SPC). SPC is a management tool techniques to control and improve processes in the production industry, but studies on the use of the SPC by the food industry in Malaysia is limited. The use of SPC such as control charts and analysis of process capability (Cp) enable food manufacturers to make decisions and improve quality of products produced to product defect, improve processes, ensure the reliability of the products and thus increase customer satisfaction. A survey was developed based on preliminary study for application of the SPC in the food industry involving in SMEs companies.  A total of 30 journal articles are selected for review the scenario implementation of SPC. The articles publishing on the implementation of the SPC in Malaysia focusing on non-food industry such as automotive, health services, textile, semiconductor, construction, chemical and others.  A preliminary study show the implementation of the SPC in the food industry is relevant mainly for quality improvement of food safety and enhance opportunity for security for food industry in Malaysia in the future by open global market.