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What is a "Control Chart" primarily used for?

  1. To improve customer satisfaction

  2. To monitor process stability and variation over time

  3. To evaluate employee performance

  4. To identify training needs for staff

The correct answer is: To monitor process stability and variation over time

A "Control Chart" is primarily used to monitor process stability and variation over time. This tool is a key component of statistical process control (SPC) and enables organizations to visualize the performance of a process over a period. By plotting data points in a time-ordered sequence, a control chart helps identify trends, shifts, or any unusual variation that could indicate a problem in the process. Using control charts, managers can determine whether a process is operating within specified control limits, and if it remains stable or is subject to common cause variation (natural variation) or special cause variation (unusual occurrences). This insight is crucial for making data-driven decisions to maintain or improve process quality and performance. Regarding other contexts, while improving customer satisfaction, evaluating employee performance, and identifying training needs are important for overall organizational performance, they do not specifically align with the purpose of control charts, which is fundamentally about statistical analysis of process behavior over time.