A pragmatic experimental protocol using prior knowledge: A case study in supplier qualification

In most experimental studies, the experimenter faces real-life challenges and limitations that need to be taken into consideration when putting together the experimental protocol. This usually causes deviations from ideal settings and requires the experimenter to adapt to the realities of the experimental conditions. Often the main concern is the budgetary limitations. In this Quality Quandaries, we present a case where a pragmatic approach to experimentation is taken to address such challenges using prior knowledge. This case study considers a supplier qualification problem in which only enough material was available for a few experimental runs. The value of prior knowledge lies partly in the experiments it makes unnecessary. The case illustrates a simple principle: prior knowledge can help determine which experiments still need to be done.