2014 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 38-44
Major results have been achieved by applying quality engineering methodologies in manufacturing industries. If quality engineering could also be applied in the home, where more than half of one's lifetime is spent, it should be able to improve the quality of one's life. A case study was made of the decision as to whether or not to stock spare supplies of consumable items for a printer used at home. The losses resulting from stocking and not stocking were defined and compared to obtain guidelines for the purchase and stocking of spare consumables. By considering different home environments, allocating their conditions to an orthogonal array, evaluating the losses associated with the array, and indicating the results of this analysis in a factorial-effect diagram, it was possible to present information that many users will find relevant.
