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Work to hit the target

Lynn D. Torbeck

Flexible consistency

The terms sound contradictory but do contain logic. Many activities are at the liberty of the operator or analyst and, as such, are subject to considerable leeway in how they are performed. In these situations, particularly in the analytical laboratory, one strives to get everybody on the team to do exactly the same thing, the same way, every time. If then, at some point in the future someone proposes a new or better way to perform the task, the whole team changes to follow the new process. This group consistency can have a substantial impact on variation within a department. Notably, creativity of the individual is not stifled, but rather channeled to find better ways to perform a task.

Operational definitions

"An operational definition describes what something is and how it is measured" (2). For example, "sample the batch" could mean: "Using the 72 in. thief, open the port on the right side labeled P8, and take a sample from the top two inches, a sample from the middle, and a sample two inches from the bottom. Composite the three samples into a clean glass jar with a lid, and label with the date, time, name, product, lot and vat number." Operational definitions reduce variation by promoting consistency. Standard operating procedures are a form of operational definitions.