RE: Red Bead "simulator"

["Dave Carr" <dc0955@gates.com>]

>Isn't the fact that this is a mechanical sampling process and takes
into
>account variations in paddle hole size,
>bead size and weight etc. an important contributor of the results?

It depends on how you interpret the word "important". It does explode
the myth that even a simple well understood mechanical process will
produce "ideal" results. We all have many myths about our processes and
I am continuously humbled as my application of SPC explodes each of my
myths  and some unexpected cause jumps from the page ( or computer
screen ).

On the more general topic of real beads vs. simulation, I believe our
collective age and stodginess is showing. I would caution that we do not
imbue the mechanical with any special magical properties that cannot be
captured by a well written computer simulation. Perhaps the video game
generation would be better served by an immersive factory simulation
than our quaint beads and funnels. We even have the option now of
multiple users sharing the same simulation. If the military can use
simulation to train pilots in jet fighter combat, I do not see why we
cannot use computer simulation to teach the use of SPC.

- Dave Carr