Process Capability Analysis

Name: Process Capability Analysis
Rating: 4.6 (3625 reviews)

Master Cp, Cpk, Pp, and Ppk to Meet Customer Specs and Improve Process Performance

Bestseller

Role Play

Created byRay Harkins, The Manufacturing Academy

Last updated 5/2026

English

What you'll learn

Learn to build histograms and compute the capability statistics in Microsoft Excel
Calculate and interpret process capability indices like Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk and Cpm.
Understand the exact differences between Cpk and Ppk
How to apply Process Capability Analysis to manufacturing improvement projects or new parts
Interpret the results of a capability study to drive process improvement
Advanced topics such as one-sided targets, estimating % defective using capability indices, skew, and kurtosis

Course content

1 section • 53 lectures • 6h 44m total length

Introduction to "Process Capability Analysis"11:13
An introduction to this course, "Process Capability Analysis"
The Manufacturing Development Process, Part 15:59
By having an overview of the manufacturing development process, it's much easier to see where Process Capability Analysis is best applied. Excel spreadsheets and additional info attached to this lecture.
The Manufacturing Development Process, Part 24:58
A continuation of the Manufacturing Development Process.
The Manufacturing Development Process., Pt 33:13
The Manufacturing Development Process, Pt 42:47
A continuation of the Manufacturing Development Process.
Key Process and Product Characteristics16:33
This video shows you a real manufacturing process in action: Donut-making!! The it ideas a few of the key process and product parameters.
Measurement Systems, Pt 112:01
A discussion of the available measurement systems and their accuracies.
Measurement Systems, Pt 28:47
Sampling Options, Pt 15:57
Should you measure 100% of the parts you produce or just a sample of them? It depends on the application.
Sampling Options, Pt 214:08
Picking the correct sampling option for your application.
A Quick Word about Sampling Size8:32
Why a 30 piece sample size matters.
The Arithmetic Mean3:43
Understanding the arithmetic mean as a cornerstone to Process Capability Analysis
Quiz on Arithmetic Mean
Standard Deviation8:51
How to measure the spread, or dispersion of data.
Quiz on Standard Deviation
Building a Histogram is Excel11:01
The histogram is one of the seven quality tools. It is effective is visualizing your capability data, and estimating its underlying probability distribution.
Excel's Data Analysis Add-in2:11
The Normal Distribution, Pt 111:04
The most common underlying statistical distribution and a key input to process capability analysis.
The Normal Distribution, Pt 25:26
A continued exploration of this very important probability distribution.
Modality6:43
Skew10:39
Kurtosis9:49
Plotting the Distribution Curve8:54
Pp and Ppk, Pt 18:39
The first pair of capability indices, used to examine a "population" of process data.
Pp and Ppk, Pt 25:43
A continuation of this first pair of capability indices.
Pp and Ppk, Pt 314:00
Wrap up of Pp and Ppk to measure the capability of a population.
Pp and Ppk for Sample Data7:08
A slight twist when applying Pp and Ppk to a "sample" of data.
Quiz on Pp and Ppk
The Run Chart3:33
Another of the seven quality tools, the run chart is the foundation for the second pair of capability indices: Cp and Cpk.
Cp and Cpk, Pt 16:11
The math behind these critical indices.
Cp and Cpk, Pt 23:38
Using Excel to calculate Cp and Cpk.
Interpreting Your Results, Pt 116:01
What does it all mean? Interpreting your process capability results.
What's the difference between Cpk and Ppk?9:33
One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects or capability analysis: What's the difference between Cpk and Ppk?
Interpreting Your Results, Pt 32:33
A graphical look at the differences between Cpk and Ppk.
Interpreting Your Results, Pt 4, Using DPPM7:53
Closing thoughts on interpreting your results.
Capability Analysis
Let's Talk About Process Capability Analysis
Dealing with One-Sided Tolerances11:16
One of the most commonly asked questions ... how to deal with one-sided tolerances.
Taguchi's Loss Function7:59
A model showing the effect of targeting your process on financial loss.
Cpm: Its Math and Application4:38
Calculating Cpm to determine a process's capability relative to its target.
More on Cpm3:18
Calculating Cpm in Excel.
Using Cpm in the Real World4:52
Applications of Cpm.
Intermission and Practical Exercises2:52
Finding % Out of Tolerance in Excel, Pt 15:04
Once you calculate the estimated x-bar and sigma for a population, and determine that it has an underlying normal population distribution, you can plug your parameters into Excel to easily calculate the percent of the population above and/or below values you choose. This method is an excellent way to estimate the percent of a population outside your specification limits.
Finding % Out of Tolerance in Excel, Pt 24:46
Continued in Excel.
Finding % Out of Tolerance in Excel, Pt 33:53
A slightly more complicated, yet more realistic version of the above scenario. This version has values both above the USL and below the LSL.
Finding % Out of Tolerance in Excel, Pt 46:09
Continue in Excel.
Costing Defects Through A System7:55
Calculating the cost of quality defects through a process requires some simple data modeling and formulas that may not be intuitive. This video shows how to model quality defect costs through a series of processes.
Combining PCA with Quality Costs12:26
Combining what we learned about estimating the percent defective in a process using our capability data with costing defects through a series of processes is powerful. This video shows you how to build a data model that will show the value of improvement opportunities.
Coefficient of Variation7:38
SPC versus PCA7:13
Sturges' Rule7:08
Quiz on Sturges' Rule
Z Score8:28
Applying Z Score14:57
Norm Functions in Excel6:43
Calculating Equivalent Cpk7:31
Conclusion2:06
Closing thought on the course.
Bonus Lecture10:27

Requirements

Basic knowledge of manufacturing
Basic knowledge of print reading and mathematics
Eagerness to expand quality knowledge base

Description

Master the Tools That Separate Great Quality Professionals from Good Ones

Do you analyze production data but still feel unclear about what Cp, Cpk, Pp, or Ppk actually mean? Are you prepping for an ASQ exam or driving a Six Sigma project and need to truly understand process performance?

This course gives you the tools, templates, and confidence to apply Process Capability Analysis (PCA) across a wide range of manufacturing and quality challenges.

What You’ll Learn:

How to analyze population and sample data to assess process capability
The difference between Cp/Cpk and Pp/Ppk, and when to use each
How to work with control chart data and interpret capability over time
Advanced concepts like one-sided tolerances, Taguchi’s Loss Function, and Cpm
How to build capability analysis tools using Microsoft Excel
Practical use cases, costing defects, and integrating PCA with SPC and quality cost systems

All with downloadable templates, cheat sheets, and real-world examples that make the math approachable and the concepts stick.

Who Should Take This Course?

Manufacturing & Quality Professionals
Apply data-driven decisions to real production problems and improve yield, consistency, and customer satisfaction.
Engineers New to Quality or Six Sigma
Whether you're early in your career or shifting into a process improvement role, this course builds foundational understanding and confidence.
Green Belts, Black Belts & CI Practitioners
Use capability indices to diagnose variation, set improvement targets, and communicate results clearly.
Professionals in Regulated or Precision Industries
If you're in aerospace, medical devices, automotive, or food manufacturing, process capability is essential for meeting regulatory and customer expectations.

Why This Course Stands Out:

Over 10,400 students enrolled
Average rating: 4.7+ stars
Step-by-step Excel demonstrations
Includes downloadable templates and job aids
Taught by a passionate, experienced instructor who makes complex topics easy to follow

What Your Colleagues Say:

“Clarity on confusing Process Capability concepts… lecture very good and passionate.” — Kemsley J.

“A great way to gain experience with PCA. Explanations were thorough, and the examples made the statistics come to life.” — Chris F.

“I work in manufacturing and this course gave me a better understanding of Cpk and Ppk. Easy to follow, even for a dry topic!” — Robin S.

Ready to Advance Your Skills?

If you want to level up in quality, prepare for certification, or simply understand your process better, this course is for you.

Sign up now and transform how you use data to drive performance.

Who this course is for:

Quality Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, Process Engineers, Quality Managers
Six Sigma Green Belts, Six Sigma Black Belts, Continuous Improvement Engineers, Operations Managers
Industrial Engineers, Production Supervisors, Quality Technicians, Production Planners
Supplier Quality Engineers, Lean Manufacturing Specialists, Test Engineers, Data Analysts
Calibration Technicians, Process Development Engineers, Plant Managers, Project Engineers
Technical Trainers, ASQ Certification Candidates (CQEs, CQTs, CQIAs), Operations Analysts