Certified Production & Operations Manager (POM) Practice Exam

Walter Shewhart is listed among the important people of operations management because of his contributions to:

1. Lean manufacturing

2. Statistical quality control

3. Operations research

4. Supply chain management

The correct answer is: Statistical quality control

Walter Shewhart is renowned for his pioneering work in statistical quality control. He developed the concept of the control chart, which is a method used to monitor the consistency of processes and ensure that they are operating within predetermined limits. This was a significant advance as it introduced statistical methods to quality management, allowing organizations to systematically analyze variation in processes and improve quality outcomes. Shewhart’s emphasis on the use of data and statistical analysis laid the groundwork for later developments in quality management, including Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma. His contributions are fundamental to the development of modern quality control practices, making statistical quality control a key area of expertise within operations management. While the other areas mentioned—lean manufacturing, operations research, and supply chain management—are also critical to operations management, they do not explicitly reflect Shewhart's primary contributions to the field.