I attended a short course on quality sampling plan recently. The course was about how to design a sampling plan for a process. Why we need to do sampling? If not, the producers will need to do 100% inspection on their products. This will incur additional cost to the production. Ultimately, the cost will be absorbed by the consumer, which is us.
During the course, there was a short sharing on how sampling plan activities take place in producing potato chips. The company is one of the renowned potato chips maker – Lays. A packet of Lays’ potato chips will cost you RM8. Maybe because it’s cost USD2 in the States (it’s cheap in US though).
The quality activities start right from the vendor. Vendor will deliver a truck full of potatoes. But first, the company will take sampling to justify the quality of the potatoes before accepting the whole truck. Firstly, the worker will take samples from few points in the truck by placing a bucket. Then the worker will randomly load some potatoes into the bucket. These buckets full of potatoes will be transferred to incoming check counter.
Worker then weigh and inspect a few potatoes accordingly. Some potatoes will be drilled thru a hole and sliced. Thus, each slice will have a hole. These samples will then go through the normal potato chips production process. Towards the end of the process, worker will screen out the holed chips (if you happen to find a potato chip with a hole in your packet, that’s the sample). These holed chips will be subjected to numerous testings (texture, weight etc). If the samples passed the preliminary tests, only then the company will accept the full truck of potatoes. Imagine if the tests are negative. The truck driver will have to deliver back to his plant.
Once the delivery is accepted, potatoes will go through normal process i.e. cleaning, peeling, slicing and frying or baking. As usual, throughout the production process, few samples will be taken to ensure the weight, thickness, salt content and appearance are meeting the requirement. Once the whole production process is completed, the chips will be packed into individual packet. The weight of the packets will be measured as well. Subsequently, the packets will be loaded into a box. Prior sealing the box, worker will randomly inspect a few packets for appearance and weight.
Finally, the boxes of potato chips will be delivered to local retail stores or shipped to other location. The inspection doesn’t stop here. The company hires a regular evaluator to purchase one or two packets from the selected outlets on a timely basis. The evaluator will then feedback the quality of the packet and content to the company.
Such a simple item but it takes lot of work to ensure the quality. This kind of work is adding value to the quality, just as quoted in 1 Cor 3:10-15.
During the course, there was a short sharing on how sampling plan activities take place in producing potato chips. The company is one of the renowned potato chips maker – Lays. A packet of Lays’ potato chips will cost you RM8. Maybe because it’s cost USD2 in the States (it’s cheap in US though).
The quality activities start right from the vendor. Vendor will deliver a truck full of potatoes. But first, the company will take sampling to justify the quality of the potatoes before accepting the whole truck. Firstly, the worker will take samples from few points in the truck by placing a bucket. Then the worker will randomly load some potatoes into the bucket. These buckets full of potatoes will be transferred to incoming check counter.
Worker then weigh and inspect a few potatoes accordingly. Some potatoes will be drilled thru a hole and sliced. Thus, each slice will have a hole. These samples will then go through the normal potato chips production process. Towards the end of the process, worker will screen out the holed chips (if you happen to find a potato chip with a hole in your packet, that’s the sample). These holed chips will be subjected to numerous testings (texture, weight etc). If the samples passed the preliminary tests, only then the company will accept the full truck of potatoes. Imagine if the tests are negative. The truck driver will have to deliver back to his plant.
Once the delivery is accepted, potatoes will go through normal process i.e. cleaning, peeling, slicing and frying or baking. As usual, throughout the production process, few samples will be taken to ensure the weight, thickness, salt content and appearance are meeting the requirement. Once the whole production process is completed, the chips will be packed into individual packet. The weight of the packets will be measured as well. Subsequently, the packets will be loaded into a box. Prior sealing the box, worker will randomly inspect a few packets for appearance and weight.
Finally, the boxes of potato chips will be delivered to local retail stores or shipped to other location. The inspection doesn’t stop here. The company hires a regular evaluator to purchase one or two packets from the selected outlets on a timely basis. The evaluator will then feedback the quality of the packet and content to the company.
Such a simple item but it takes lot of work to ensure the quality. This kind of work is adding value to the quality, just as quoted in 1 Cor 3:10-15.
... I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds....
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