The article deals with the quality of measured data, which is necessary for effective quality management and successful implementation of the concept Industry 4.0 and the related concept Quality 4.0. The quality of the measured data is determined by the properties of the used measurement system, which are evaluated by measurement system analysis (MSA). Attention is paid to increasing the effectiveness of the repeatability and reproducibility analysis often used in practice. The importance of graphical tools of analysis, which are often neglected in practice, is emphasized in this regard, and new or modified graphical tools are proposed. The proposed graphical tools allow more detailed analysis of the data collected for the study and reveal the causes of the measurement system variability. The information obtained by applying these graphical tools is a valuable basis for proposals of appropriate actions to improve the measurement system. The use of the proposed graphical tools is presented in a real study of the repeatability and reproducibility of the measurement system.

The value added tax is an important part of revenues of the European Union and its Member States. The aim of the paper is to statistically analyse the extent of positive impact of selected legislative measures introduced in the fight against tax evasion and discuss subsequently the sustainability of the current value added tax system in the European context. The analysis was conducted for the Czech and Slovak Republics, two traditionally strong trading partners, and for an important commodity, copper. In the analysis, regression methods applied to official time series data on copper export from the Czech Republic to Slovakia were employed together with appropriate statistical tests to detect potential significance of the new legislative tools, the value added tax control statement and reverse charge mechanism. Moreover, the study considers fundamental economic factors that affect foreign trade in parallel. Based on the analysis, there is sound evidence that the major historical turnaround experienced by the time series took place due to the then forthcoming legislative measures that were to restrain the possibility of carousel frauds. The results confirm the positive impact of the measures and also suggest the necessity of more systematic changes in the tax system.

Purpose: The paper focuses on how the problem of process capability assessment can be handled when taught, using convenient numerical and graphical means. The contents of the paper results from the authors’ own academic and practical experience, which suggested that many important steps are overlooked in the process of selecting and using capability indices.Methodology/Approach: Selected problems in capability assessment are illustrated with suitable examples and graphs.Findings: The authors’ experience is reflected in the paper, aiming to emphasize what matters and how, and what does not. Also, a new capability index is introduced.Research Limitation/implication: The style in which the problems are analysed may serve as a guide for further studies in the field and capability index applications.Originality/Value of paper: The paper also contains, aside from specific examples, some more advanced techniques, and is therefore accompanied by software readouts, since computer support is required in such cases.

Purpose: The paper investigates if relocation of goods at supermarkets, practised to boost sales, bothers customers and improves financial results of the stores. To explore this, a questionnaire-based poll was run, using questions, such as “Do you mind if commodity is not permanently in the same place?”, or “While searching, do you buy anything you did not indend to buy?”. Various relations are also observed. For instance, are opinions on product relocation related in any way to age of customers? The study suggests most customers are not satisfied with changes in product location, yet the practices lead to higher sales. It turns out the business principle – only satisfied customers spend more – may not be so true. In the study, some new questions also arose and were evaluated, such as the question “Which management activities have a positive effect on customers?”. Methodology/Approach: The paper relies on statistical testing, specifically on the chi-square test of independence and a test of differences in the relative frequency of occurrence of diverse phenomena. Real, empirical data are utilized. Findings: The analysis showed that most customers dislike looking for goods, and many of them buy items that they did not intend to purchase. Thus, a paradox occurs when entrepreneurs dissatisfy customers, yet they register higher profits. Research Limitation/Implication: The results concern a specific scientific field – microeconomic behavioural patterns at supermarkets. Originality/Value of paper: The research presented in this paper is focused on the Czech Republic where it has not been undertaken to date. Work of this kind is not cited in the scientific literature, however.

This paper describes procedures that can be adopted during product development, so that there is a higher chance that new products are properly designed before being placed on the market. To implement the suggested procedures, market data are first obtained, then processed in a specified way for the new products to reflect relevant market information. This means putting into use suitable data-processing algorithms and information technologies, based on the type of collected information. The text deals with two information scenarios in this regard, the first assuming that not much is known about customers’ desires and the second working with larger amounts of more specific customer data. While the former requires a more sophisticated approach to product design, theoretically speaking, the latter is simpler to handle from the theoretical point of view, but potentially less so from a practical perspective, given the amounts of data. These theoretical and practical problems are discussed in what follows, and their possible solutions are presented.