SQC & OR Division (1953- )

The Institute pioneered the development of Statistical Quality Control (SQC) movement in India. As early as in 1935, the Institute had recommended that the Government should take appropriate measures to initiate SQC methods in Indian industries. Prof. Walter A. Shewhart (the originator of SQC) came to India at the invitation of the Institute in November 1947, toured the country, held conferences and stimulated interest among Indian industrialists. The follow-up work done by the Institute led to the recognition of SQC as a useful technique in the industry and resulted in the formation of a network of SQC Units in India. The Statistical Quality Control and Operations Research (SQC & OR) Division set up in 1953, now operates with 7 units located at Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune. The basic objective of the Division is to propagate the use of SQC & OR and allied management techniques for improving quality, enhancing productivity, reduce manufacturing cost and losses in industries. During the last four decades of its existence, this is realized through academic programmes, consultancy services, inplant and general training course for industrial personnel, systems and software development, organizing conference, seminars and research in the methods and procedures of quality control, operations research and allied techniques. The increased awareness that Statistical Quality Control and Operations Research (SQC & OR) techniques are of immense help in the development of the industrial sector, has led to the introduction of an M.Tech. programme in Quality, Reliability and Operations Research, MS in Qulality Management & Business Analytics and a Ph.D. programme in Quality, Reliability and Operations Research .

SQC & OR Unit, Kolkata (1954- )

The Calcutta Unit was started in the middle of September 1954 under the guidance of Dr. G. Taguchi, an SQC expert and specialist in design of experiments, and with the assistance of two technicians, both statisticians. At the invitation of ISI, Dr. W. A. Shewhart came to India for the second time at the end of October 1954 for a visit of 3 months. Mr. T. Hanada, another SQC expert from Japan, was appointed in December 1954 to work with the Calcutta Unit for a year. Mr. D. J. Desmond, a well-known SQC Consultant of U.K. came to the institute in December 1954 for four months with an assignment from the British Government under the Colombo Plan. The Unit was occupied during this period with the organization of an SQC conference and immediately afterwards in initiating its scheme of SQC service to industry, which involved the preparation and issue of a brochure, as well as a number of introductory visits to various factories. Presently, the Kolkata Unit, consisting of 8 faculty members, offers industrial consultancies in the areas of quality control, quality management and six sigma, reliability, operations research, business analytics etc. along with M.Tech. programme in QR&OR and a PhD programme in the same discipline. Conducting workshops, seminars, symposiums are regular activities of the Unit.

Roles and Functions:

 To develop highly skilled quality professionals through programmes like M.Tech and PhD.