TS ISO 7870-1

TS ISO 7870-1 is a general guide to control charts, setting out the basic philosophy, core elements, and main families of control-chart methods. In practical statistical process control, the aim is to monitor how a process behaves over time, distinguish routine variation from special-cause variation, and support more consistent decisions about when and how to intervene.

The basic framework behind control charts

From a technical perspective, control charts plot measurements or counts against time and interpret them around a central line and control limits. Shewhart-type charts are the classic foundation for tracking short-term variation, while charts focused on process acceptance or on online process adjustment serve different decision needs. The importance of this standard lies in presenting that broader family rather than prescribing only one chart type.

Chart families and where they are used

• Approaches based on Shewhart control charts
• Control charts used for process acceptance
• Control charts that emphasize online process adjustment
• Specialized or purpose-built control charts

The standard relies on the statistical terminology needed to understand control charts and is therefore best read together with references such as TS ISO 3534-1 and TS ISO 3534-2. As a general guide, it gives users a common conceptual basis for understanding which chart family may best suit a given monitoring or decision-making need, rather than a single prescriptive procedure for every application.