You are the project manager of a pilot project for implementing a new manufacturing process for bicycles. The new process includes five operations: cutting, forming, machining, welding, and final assembly. During the planning phase of the project, you developed a quality management plan for the quality assurance and quality control of the new manufacturing process. You have implemented inspection points to examine all of the components produced during all operations in the manufacturing process. These inspection points will help you determine any problems at their source.

As you execute the project, you find that the components manufactured during machining have an unacceptably high number of defects. What quality metrics might you use to identify the problem? Discuss the merits of these metrics within the context of the problem. What are your suggestions to correct the problem or prevent it from recurring? Give reasons for your suggestions.