Design of Experiments for Non-Manufacturing Processes: Benefits, Challenges and Some Examples

Design of Experiments (DoE) is a powerful technique for process optimization that has been widely deployed in almost all types of manufacturing processes and is used extensively in product and process design and development. There have not been as many efforts to apply powerful quality improvement techniques such as DoE to improve non-manufacturing processes. Factor levels often involve changing the way people work and so have to be handled carefully. It is even more important to get everyone working as a team. This paper explores the benefits and challenges in the application of DoE in nonmanufacturing contexts. The viewpoints regarding the benefits and challenges of DoE in the non-manufacturing arena are gathered from a number of leading academics and practitioners in the field. The paper also makes an attempt to demystify the fact that DoE is not just applicable to manufacturing industries; rather it is equally applicable to non-manufacturing processes within manufacturing companies. The last part of the paper illustrates some case examples showing the power of the technique in non-manufacturing environments. Introduction Design of Experiments (DoE) sometimes called Multifactor testing (MFT) is fundamental and crucial to increase the understanding of a product or process. It provides a powerful means to achieve breakthrough improvements in product quality and process efficiency. According to Montgomery (2009), DoE is a powerful tool which enables the effects of several system or process variables to be investigated simultaneously and efficiently leading to an increased understanding of the system. DoE is a direct replacement of the traditional one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) or “hit or miss” approach to experimentation and the sequential testing approach of Shainin. [see Antony (1998) and Shainin and Shainin (1988)]. DoE has been widely applied to various problems in the manufacturing arena, but little attention has been paid to its applications in the context of nonmanufacturing. Although it has been around for decades, few business leaders in service organizations have a good grasp of its power in tackling problems associated with service process efficiency and effectiveness [Johnson and Bell, (2009)]. This field remains fertile ground for greater education, experience and application. Service oriented industries such as financial services, transportation services, hotel and restaurant services, healthcare industry, utility services, IT services etc. are the fastest growing sectors around the world [Kapadia and Krishnamoorthy (1999)]. Customers are becoming more critical of the service they receive today and therefore most modern organizations are paying more attention to their transactional