Preface

The long-range contribution of statistics depends not so much upon getting a lot of highly trained statisticians into industry, as it does in creating a statistically minded generation of physicists, chemists, engineers , and others who will in any way have a hand in developing and directing the production processes of tomorrow.

W.A. Shewhart and W.E. Deming

Much has been said about statistics and their use. Often, though, we statisticians overlook the discussion of the obvious as soon as we move away from the academic arena. We expect researchers and professionals in all walks of life to use the many tools offered by the statistical world, but we have failed to educate them appropriately both in concept and application. The focus of most statistics books seems to be formula utilization.

This volume will attempt to explain the tools of statistics and to provide guidance on how to use them appropriately and effectively. The structure of this work is going to follow (1) the conceptual domain of some useful statistical tools, (2) appropriate formulas for specific tools, and (3) the connection between statistics and probability.

This volume is not intended to be a textbook . It is intended to be a general manual for people who are interested in using statistical, probability, and reliability concepts to improve processes and profitability in their organizations.

The discussion begins with very elementary issues and progresses to some very advanced tools for decision-making. Specifically, the book begins by delineating the importance of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data, from a practical perspective rather than an academic point of view. The assumption is that you (the reader) are about to begin a study of something, and you want to do it well. You want to design a good study, analyze the results properly, and prepare a cogent report that summarizes what you have found.

Because of these assumptions, this book does not dwell on formulas and significance tables or proofs for that matter. The assumption is that a statistical software package will be utilized, and that the reader will benefit more from learning to understand and interpret the results generated by that software than from memorizing formulas.