Variability Reduction in the United States Air Force: Development of a Handbook
Abstract
The focus of this study is on Variability Reduction (V). Specifically, this thesis reviews Air Force policy regarding Variability Reduction, examines Variability Reduction's role in the Department of Defense's Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative including the United States Air Force Reliability and Maintainability 2000 (USAF R&M 2000) Process, and addresses several Variability Reduction methods. The primary objective of the research was to produce a Variability Reduction Process Handbook explaining several of the concepts involved in Variability Reduction, thus providing Air Force managers a better understanding of Variability Reduction methodologies. Additionally, the handbook emphasizes the importance of implementing this aspect of quality. Variability Reduction methods can be applied to selected phases within a system's life cycle and are essential to integrating two seemingly incompatible goals--fielding highly reliable and maintainable, combat capable systems while decreasing development time and reducing production and operational costs. Variability Reduction stresses uniformity around a target value rather than conformance to specification limits. Robust designs make products insensitive to noise, thus improving performance and enhancing reliability. Theses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA215074
Entities
People
- Vance A. Daunheimer
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology