Pitfalls and Protocols in Practice of Manufacturing Data Science

The practical application of machine learning and data science (ML/DS) techniques present a range of procedural issues to be examined and resolve including those relating to the data issues, methodologies, assumptions, and applicable conditions. Each of these issues can present difficulties in practice; particularly, associated with the manufacturing characteristics and domain knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the pitfalls that have been identified in real manufacturing application under each of these headings and to suggest protocols to avoid the pitfalls and guide the practical applications of the ML/DS methodologies from predictive analytics to prescriptive analytics.