Case-Based Quality Management System Using
Expectation Values

Hirokazu Taki1, Satoshi Hori2, and Norihiro Abe3

1Wakayama University, Systems Engineering Department, 930 Sakae-dani,
Wakayama, Japan
taki@sys.wakayama-u.ac.jp
2Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Manufacturing Technology Center,
8-1-1 Tsukaguchi-Honmachi, Amagasaki Hyogo, Japan
hori@int.mdl.melco.co.jp
3Kyushu Institute of Technology, Information Engineering Department,
680-4 Kawazu, Iizuka-Shi, Fukuoka, Japan
abe@sein.mse.kyutech.ac.jp



Abstract. This paper describes a quality management system (called CBQM: Case-Based 
Quality Management) using the case-based reasoning mechanism which is
based on a cost expectation value. The cost expectation value is calculated from
objective and subjective values. We developed a quality management system that
employs a stochastic method. However, in some cases, this stochastic-based system
failed to select good cases. Therefore, we have integrated some expectation values
into the case selection mechanism. The CBQM has an expectation measurement. Its
case selection criteria use not only similarity, but also some expectation values, If
unforeseen malfunctions may occur due to inappropriate design, manufacturing
condition and/or unsuitable usage, the similarity is not enough to select useful cases
from a casebase. That is because the similarity is mainly based on products
themselves. The CBQM adopts the cost expectation value in order to pick up useful
cases. The CBQMs selection criteria is based on the quality of cases, which considers
repair time, repair part cost, trouble recurrence, the confidence of diagnosis and repair
difficulty. We validated this system in real product repair problems which field service
engineers repair home appliances.


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