The Role of Academic Statisticians in Quality Improvement Strategies of Small and Medium Sized Companies

This paper will describe the relationships and interactions that have developed between academic statisticians in the Department of Statistics at the University of Manitoba and small to medium sized companies. The size of the local community and the limited resources available to many of these small companies mean that few knowledgeable commercial consultants are readily available. As a result, these companies have turned to the statisticians at the University of Manitoba for assistance. The paper will provide some details on the type and range of activities that the Department has undertaken. The benefits of these activities to the local industrial community as well as the benefits to the academic statisticians and their students are described.