Today, when we talk about data, we all think of digital data, but even when whitewashing, the master has data on the place to be painted, and he starts the project within a plan created based on these data. Data measurement systems are extremely important as they directly relate to how the job is done, but how do we trust the measurement system? This is where measurement system analysis, or MSA for short, comes into play.
MSA control comes first. Because how the available data is measured is critical in most cases. If your measurement system is not correct, all the studies on the data will give wrong results and the projects prepared with these wrong results will always be wrong. Let’s examine questions such as what is MSA, what is it good for, how is it done in all details, and let’s get to know this analysis method a little more closely through examples.
What is MSA, what is it for, how is it done?
What is an MSA?
Measurement System Analysis, or MSA for short, measurement system analysis in Turkish; It is a mathematical method applied by special devices or people to check whether the measurement systems used to measure and evaluate data give the most accurate result.
Although the control with the MSA method is the main topic, studies on continuous data are called Gage R&R, studies on discrete data are called Attribute Agreement Analysis. The common point of all these is that they are intended to determine whether the measuring systems are working correctly. Simpler systems can be analyzed by humans, while complex systems can be analyzed by devices.
What does an MSA do?
MSA, that is, measurement system analysis aims to show whether measurement systems really give accurate results. Because even a simple length measurement is actually the variation of the natural variation in the measurement system. If the instrument you are measuring the length with is an incorrect measurement system, the length data you obtained is also not correct.
In some cases, since even a single data is formed by the combination of more than one data, it means that more than one measurement system has entered the circuit. If even one of these measurement systems is faulty, it means that the last data obtained is incorrect. This is where MSA comes into play, and by making an undisputed statistical analysis, it reveals whether the measurement system in question really gives the right result.
MSA example:
Before going into details about measurement system analysis, let’s give a simple MSA example. Let’s say you weigh 90 kilos and one day you saw yourself as 85 kilos on the scale. Good, you were already dieting and exercising. But have you really lost weight or is there a problem with the scale? This is where the MSA method comes into play and uses many different variables to reveal whether the scale makes an accurate measurement or not. If it is proven to be correct, you can make any assessment you want based on your new weight loss.
How is an MSA done?
Measurement system analysis can be done with the help of digital devices or by a human himself. Therefore, there are many different application methods. However, they all have some basic common points and all analyzes are evaluated based on these observations.
- Repeatability as evidenced by the same person measuring the same object with the same device and getting the same result.
- Repeatability as evidenced by multiple people measuring the same object with the same device and getting the same result.
- Stability as evidenced by variation over time.
- Bias indicating whether the measurement system is biased in one direction, either plus or minus.
- Continuity showing the tendency of the measurement system to remain constant over all measurements.
- Discrimination and analysis showing the state of the measurement system to reveal meaningful data.
In which areas is MSA used?
Measurement system analysis, briefly MSA, can be used in any area you can think of, where data is obtained using a measurement system. Let’s take an industrial example. A paint manufacturer was buying powder raw materials in sacks of 50 kilograms and producing paint by adding other raw materials according to this value. However, over time, the dyes produced became problematic and the raw materials were examined.
As a result of the investigations, it was determined that there was a problem with the weight of the powder substance in question and the supplier was contacted. As a result of the MSA checks carried out by both companies, it was revealed that the scales of the supplier did not measure correctly and 50 kilogram bags were filled with a different measurement each time. As a result, the supplier was ordered to pay more than one million dollars in damages.
What are the benefits of doing an MSA?
Almost all industries do data-driven work. For this reason, the accuracy of the data obtained with the measurement systems is extremely important. The more accurate the data obtained, the more accurate the evaluations made on these data will be. If we consider this as a broad process, it is possible to say that the health of the relationship between supplier, producer and user is directly proportional to the results of the MSA.
Production is extremely complex and each department will act according to the accuracy of the data it receives from the previous department. Even a small change in an incorrect data transfer in this process can have very bad results. Measuring system analysis makes it easy to detect even the smallest changes and errors in this complex process.
No matter what method the measurement system analysis is applied, it is always scientifically based and therefore gives indisputable results. Thanks to the scientific-based and indisputable performance evaluations of the MSA results, empty discussions on measurement systems are prevented and the correct result is reached much faster.
Conclusion: Why is MSA so important?
The measurement system analysis, namely MSA, is important, because no one wants to give 50 liras to an incorrectly measured 900-gram version of cheese that weighs 50 liras, thinking it is 1 kilo. Think of this tiny example in terms of tons of weight and billions of dollars. Why should big projects be thrown away because of a small problem in the measurement system? MSA is a scientific method that eliminates such mistakes and should be applied in every field.
The measurement system analysis applied to check whether the measurement systems give correct results. You can share your thoughts on the subject in the comments.
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