SPC-based model for evaluation of training processes in industrial context

Abstract

Purpose: This article aims to present successful practices in the management of training processes based on virtual reality and augmented reality, namely a strategy for evaluating the process with the principle of continuous improvement in mind, and monitoring its performance in terms of productivity and waste levels. It is proposed to apply Statistical Process Control (SPC) tools to develop control charts for monitoring individual events (i-charts). Design/methodology/approach: The methodology is based on a case study developed in an industrial project and is guided by a literature review on Work-Based Learning (WBL) and SPC.Findings: The developed work shows that SPC tools are suitable for supporting decision making in situations where the data to be analyzed is generated by human-computer interactions, e.g., involving students and virtual learning environments. Originality/value: The innovative aspect presented in the article lies in the evaluation of the effectiveness of pedagogical resources arranged in simulation environments based on virtual and augmented reality. The accumulated knowledge about the application of SPC in service areas, and others that demand data analysis, reinforces the hypothesis of the suitability of its application in the case presented. This is an original application of SPC, normally used in business processes quality control, but which in this case is applied in an innovative way to the evaluation of industrial training processes, with the same spirit for which it was designed, i.e. to provide the means to manage the quality of a process.