QSG provides a full range of statistical consulting services including coaching on training applications, Six Sigma projects or other customer applications, assessment of needs for improvement, and  technical / research / business project new method development.

The Data Difference
If you have a problem involving the use of data, our Ph.D. level and experienced statistical experts can assess needs and develop customized solutions for your business, research or technical applications.  Statistical consulting can help to unlock the information contained in data which can help to expand your knowledge-base.

The Training, Coaching, Consulting Cycle
Statistical training is often undertaken to equip individuals to apply statistical tools, methodologies and strategies for real-life applications involving characterization, improvement or control.  QSG provides coaching support for direct application of statistical methods taught in these courses including Six Sigma project coaching.  This coaching activity can mean the difference in improving the success rate of such applications.

Sometimes statistical applications may not be straightforward, but rather, may require modification of even totally new methods.  For these circumstances statistical consulting may be necessary to achieve the desired outcome.  This usually involves taking a real-life practical problem, translating this into the appropriate statistical problem, solving the statistical problem and translating this back into a practical solution.  Once new methods have been developed and implemented, these need to be included in training to complete and carry on the cycle.

Example Topics for Statistical  Consulting

• Data Mining & Data Analysis for Problem Resolution
• Process Optimization and Cost Reduction
• Customized Business Solutions
• Six Sigma Project Coaching
• Measurement System Improvement
• Yield Improvement and Defect Reduction
• Experimental Design & Analysis
• Characterization and Modeling
• Forecasting and Prediction
• SPC Optimization for Performance
• Reliability and Testing

A Sample of Consulting Projects

Data Mining, Characterization, Forecasting and Modeling

• Projection to Latent Structure modeling between TQM practices and business/customer results.
• Survey analysis for feasibility of market penetration for solar applications.
• Tolerance and performance capability study for a hearing aid manufacturer.
• Data mining of PCB suppliers for identification of Lean improvements in lead time.
• Development of a forecasting tool for a transfer function model.
• Particle shedding modelling from partial information for filter products.

Experimental Design and Analysis

• Design and analysis of a split plot wafer fab experimental design for improvement of electrical parameter performance.
• Using DOE for setting specification limits on process inputs to solve a product cracking issue.
• Using D-Optimal designs to determine setup of an automated visual inspection tool with 16 light source factors, each with 3 settings.

Measurement Systems, Testing and Specification Limits

• Assessment of measurement performance for a new soil sensor.
• Development of a method to assess tester measurement performance on automated attribute binary test measurements.
• A new method to estimate manufacturing void counts and perform an MSA.
• New statistical guard band limits method for semiconductor testing.
• Count estimation via product weight.
• Bivariate model for setting specification limits.
• Inverse prediction methods for setting process windows.
• Method for human temperature testing to reduce risks from Covid-19.

Problem Resolution, Cost Reduction and New Methods

• Paint blister problem resolution for on a problem lasting over 1 year.
• Statistical imputation methodology for estimating river water quality from surrounding land use function to reduce sampling time and cost.
• New methodology developed for prediction of cellular phone customers likely to terminate service for customer retention intervention.
• Optimal inventory policy on multiple tools to minimize cost.

Qualification and Verification Testing

• Using censored data methods for Qualification and Verification testing.
• Using equivalence testing and sequential analysis for Qualification and Verification testing.
• Median tests for multiple product tests.
• Change FMEA methodology development.

Reliability

• Reliability Estimation for Number of Speedometer Field Failures to avert a recall.
• Reliability methodology developed to assess reliability performance in tripping incidents in power transmission.
• Optimal time-based PM schedules.
• Weibull testing with few or no failures.
• Sample size for accelerated testing on storage tests.
• Testing strategy for destructive drop testing.

SPC and Control Methods

• Comprehensive SPC assessment for hard disk drive manufacturing processes including target calculation, control methods, economic control chart design and optimal detection performance.
• Using zero-inflated models for control limit calculation.
• New short-run SPC method and tool.
• Consecutive event chart development.
• Robust estimation of censored data and zero-inflated distribution models for control chart estimation.

Example of State-of-the-Art Statistical Tools Used in Consulting

An example of state-of-the-art tools that can be used for problem resolution is the multivariate technique, Projection to Latent Structures (PLS).  Pictured below is a PLS plot for an application of determining yield drivers from 216 Wafer Fab and Final Test parameters from a semiconductor manufacturer. Low yielding lots are in red, and high yielding lots are in black.

Parameters that are good discriminators of low and high yield show as longer bars on the VIP (variable importance in projection) diagram to the right. Using PLS, this complex problem was narrowed to only a few critical inputs and resolved via DOE.