Generalized multivariate EWMA control chart supplemented with bivariate ranked set techniques

Abstract

Existing univariate exponential weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts with ranked set schemes are used for monitoring related characteristics independently. Also, existing multivariate EWMA control charts are generally applicable for simple random sampling (SRS) based processes. In this work, a generalized multivariate EWMA control chart is proposed with bivariate ranked set techniques (BVRST) for simultaneously monitoring. Furthermore, an extensive comparative analysis between proposed generalized multivariate EWMA and classical control chart is conducted. In this regard, we have used various performance measures, which cover average run length, median of run length, relative average run length, performance comparison index, and extra quadratic loss. The performance measures are obtained using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) approach. Results revealed that the proposed generalized multivariate EWMA control chart has an outstanding detection ability relative to the existing multivariate control charts. Additionally, existing multivariate control charts are found special cases of the proposed control chart. A real-life example from the agriculture field is included in which chemical properties (residual sodium and calcium-magnesium contents) of irrigation water are monitored through the control charts. The results revealed that the proposed control chart is proficient in diagnosing small variations in the chemical characteristics relative to the existing control charts.