A control plan lists all product and process inspection points required to deliver a defect-free outcome, and is essential for maintaining process control over the long run.
See the control plan training PPT for a training file and control plan excel template for a streamlined template.
While the control plan example on this page is manufacturing related, the same concept can be adapted to any number of physical or transactional work processes.
Here is a simple control plan for an assembly operation in a furniture manufacturing plant –
Columns in a Control Plan
The following columns make up a typical control plan –
| Control PLan Column | Description |
|---|---|
| PART/PROCESS NUMBER | This is typically the process step number that matches both the process flow diagram and PFMEA |
| PROCESS NAME/DESCRIPTION | A clear description of each process step, i.e., “Drive screws 1 and 2” |
| MACHINE, DEVICE JIG, TOOLs FOR MFG | Devices and reference numbers (also noted on the devices themselves) for the major items needed to complete the task, i.e., “Electric screwdriver 987-01A1” |
| CHARACTERISTICS – NUMBER | This is a reference number for each characteristic being monitored. Control plans typically monitor product and process characteristics. For example, when manufacturing a disposable coffee cup, a product characteristic might be the overall height of the cup, and a process characteristic might be the curing temperature for the adhesive joining the top to the bottom of the cup. |
| CHARACTERISTICS – PRODUCT | If the characteristic being monitored is related to the product itself, fill in a brief description of the characteristic, i.e., “Screw torque” |
| CHARACTERISTICS – PROCESS | If the characteristic being monitored is related to the process, fill in a brief description of the characteristic, i.e., “Glue temperature.” |
| CTQ? | Note “Yes” if the characteristic is a CTQ (Critical-to-Quality). |
| PRODUCT/PROCESS SPECIFICATION AND TOLERANCE | Note the specific product or process specification and tolerance for the characteristic being monitored, i.e., “Back-out screw torque between 26 and 29 in-lb” |
| EVALUATION/MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE | Note the method used for measuring the characteristic, i.e., “Digital Calipers” |
| SAMPLE SIZE | If a random sample is drawn from production at some frequency, note the size of the sample. For example, a sample size of 5 is commonly used with some control charts. This is also referred to as the subgroup size in control charting. |
| SAMPLE FREQUENCY | Note how many times per shift or hour a sample group is to be measured |
| CONTROL METHOD | Note the method by which process control is maintained, i.e., “Control Chart” |
| REACTION PLAN | Note how the associate is to react if a deviant condition is found |
While Excel control plans are very useful, more companies are moving to cloud-based collaboration tools for control plans. We took the above control plan and entered it into Monday.com in about 20 minutes. Here are some screenshots and comments.
