What is process control?

Simply put, process control deals with the science of maintaining the output of a specific process within a desired quality range and usually involves some sort of feedback loop.

Traditionally, the term process control refers to controlling industrial processes in an automated way. The outputs of a process are actively monitored and if they are not within the desired quality range, components of the process, like ingredients, the temperature of materials, or the pressure under which materials are held,  are then automatically and appropriately adjusted to get more optimal outputs that are within range.

But, the concept of process control can be extended beyond just industrial production systems to human processes as well. In the case of human processes, a person will keep an eye on the results of a business process (or activity) and make changes to the process, people, or tools to keep the results within the desired quality range.