Deming said reduction in variation is the key to process improvement. Statistical Process Control (SPC) is a series of statistical techniques used to measure process behavior. A capability index is one of the SPC tools used measure the capability of aprocess to meet a specific standard. The concept of a capability index is not likely to be well understood on dairy farms. However, all dairy personnel can relate to the idea that consistent performance of their work logically yields better results. Therefore a consistency index (CI) was derived as a more field friendly measure of process performance. Consistency index (CI) uses daily SPC control chart data to calculate the maximum allowable variation (sigma) needed to meet the SCC standard at a givenmean BTSCC. Daily monitoring of the CI will indicate whether the processes that effect BTSCC are improving, staying the same or deteriorating. It will also inform the dairy consultant, manager and farm laborers whether present performance is capable of meeting the desired BTSCC quality goal with statistical certainty. The objective of this study was to derive CI for each of the following SCC standards: 750,000; 600,000; 500,000; 400,000.
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