MSA (Measurement System Analysis)

Measurement Systems Analysis, the abbreviation MSA is used. It is a set of procedures for evaluating the set system of the measurement. MSA is based on the quality measurement in the automotive industry and has become a part of the QS 9000 standard, or more precise, of its third edition. MSA itself is an analytical technique for the assessment of the measurement system, which is a part of a quality management system - either according the above standard QS 9000, or other standards or holistic methods of quality management ( TQM, Six Sigma).

Use of the MSA in practice: Although it was originally developed in the automotive industry, the MSA is used due to its practicality and versatility in other sectors. MSA method is used to evaluate both a gauge (e.g. calibrated gauge) and the assessment of the entire measurement system (hence the acronym Measurement System Analysis). The method focuses on the resource analysis of uncertainty in the whole measurement process, because it assumes that for the measurement it is not enough to have just an accurate meter, but other factors can affect it as well and therefore it assesses the measurement system as a whole. The goal is to determine the influence of various factors on the variability of the measurement results, i.e. what affect the factors in the process of measurement have on the variability of results (e.g. the operator). The MSA method therefore uses and provides additional statistical methods and techniques. MSA method emphasizes the repeatability and reproducibility of the measurement (R & R - Repeatability and Reproducibility).

The main objective is to improve the accuracy of the entire measurement system.

Steps in the MSA are as follows: