Capability indices for material balance accounting

Capability indices are used to measure the output from a process relative to specification limits set by engineering requirements. In this research, they are applied to material balance series generated in a nuclear facility. These indices are modified to account for the complexities in a nuclear facility including the dependency between observations and the influence of outliers. By appropriately measuring material balances across various units of a nuclear facility, managers can then identify the weakest area. Resources should then be concentrated in reducing the variability of the most troublesome unit, which in turn would improve the overall performance of the facility in terms of improved operational efficiency and a reduction in nuclear material losses.