Analytical laboratory quality control charting

In life the importance of setting goals is stressed. The desired end result must be envisioned to chart a path and determine indicators to provide feedback on the process. Quality does not happen by accident but is achieved through a constant process of setting goals, process development, monitoring process indicators, fine tuning the process, and achieving results. These goals are to be focused and clearly measurable. In industry and life the setting of goals with clear process indicators is often difficult because of the variable end result and scarcity of measurements. Laboratories are fortunate in that they have a plethora of measurements with known or desired end results (controls) to monitor the process and give instantaneous feedback on quality. A key quality tool used by the laboratory to monitor and evaluate the lab processes is control charting. When properly utilized Quality Control (QC) Charts allow labs to be proactive in addressing problems rather than reactive. Several methods are available for control charting and some are listed in the references/information sources. The content for this paper is based on the control-charting program utilized at the Department of Energy's Fernald site. This control-charting program has specific areas of emphasis, simple charts, trend analyses, and effective follow-up