Abstract

In this article, I discuss a simple but useful feature of Excel called the Spin Button, and I use it to illustrate two concepts associated with attribute acceptance sampling plans. The first concept is calculating the probability of lot acceptance, from which the operating characteristic curve of an attribute sampling plan can be drawn. The Spin Button can show visually that the exact probability of lot acceptance determined by the Hypergeometric distribution can be approximated by the Binomial distribution. The second concept is how the Spin Button can be used to design an attribute sampling plan that satisfies certain consumer’s and producer’s risks. You need to have Excel installed on your computer to explore the interactive parts of this article, but the entire article can be read without Excel.

Steve H. K. Ng is a Lecturer in the Department of Information and Communications Technology of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education.

Published February, 2003, under the longer title, "A Graphical Method for Designing Attribute Acceptance Sampling Plans"

© 2002,  Steve H. K. Ng