Root Cause Analysis is an invaluable skill to have in your Six Sigma toolkit. But how do we use Root Cause Analysis to the best effect? What tool is most helpful for this task? That would be the Decision Tree. This method involves branching between causes and outcomes to illustrate the consequences of your choices. […]
Six Sigma Black Belts are the lynchpin of many Six Sigma projects. You may know one such person, or maybe you are that person. What about life after the project? What additional opportunities does an SSBB background grant you? Which prospects are best for your career development? Having Black Belt certification listed on your résumé […]
Complacency is an epidemic. It kills productivity and can negatively affect your performance. Studies have shown that complacency comes from a lack of engagement, and affects up to 70% of the US working population. This means around three-quarters of American employees are not fully committed to their everyday workplace tasks! As an employer, this should […]
Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Lean. You might have heard of them. People throw these terms around a lot nowadays, often interchangeably. But what do they mean? What makes them different? And are they so similar? Remember, each tool solves specific, specialized problems. This article will help you get to the bottom of this mystery so you […]
Is your company using Six Sigma to improve efficiency, eliminate waste, and minimize variation? Six Sigma has been a proven success for many businesses around the world dealing with similar problems. But where do these issues come from? How do they arise? And most importantly why? Six Sigma DMAIC teaches you to Define, Measure, Analyze, […]
This article is the third in our three-part series to help you achieve the best results using Six Sigma. You can read the previous two articles here. Now, go! You’ve made your plans and assembled your team, but what comes next is not always as easy (or as difficult!) as it may first appear. The […]
Introduction With technological advancements and innovation in business processes, there came Six Sigma a systematic methodology to defeat defects and failures. Six Sigma is described as an engineering approach to minimize defects, counter failures and minimize waste in production system. It comprehensively deals flaws of a service system. Starting from automotive industry, Six Sigma entered […]
Six Sigma represents a vast collection of tools that can be used for improving the way your company does business. One of the most popular and powerful is a DOE. Let’s take a look at how to get the most from this incredible tool. Begin with Your Factors in Mind: You can’t do a successful […]
If you’re becoming familiar with Six Sigma, it’s only a matter of time before you learn about MSA (Measurement System Analysis). This concept is right at home finding and eliminating potential variability. As we’re going to cover in detail below, there are certain levels of MSAs. By learning them now, you’ll have a much easier […]
If we are to understand the basics of Lean process improvement let’s start with a review of the definition of Lean. We can define Lean as a system for developing process improvement that is continuous and has a focus on reducing and eliminating waste. Toyota developed the concept to help with their production operation and […]
If you’re ready to improve your business’ performance, it’s hard not to recommend TQM. However, if you’re unfamiliar with this business methodology, the following will help. What Is TQM? Let’s cover the basics quickly. TQM stands for total quality management. This structured approach offers a comprehensive method for organizational management that focuses on improving the […]
Introduction The most complicated thing to understand in any process is ‘variation’ as with variation there are possibilities of uncertainty to be carried in processes. The more the variation, the more uncertain is any process. In engineering and in contemporary administrative practices, the emphasis lies on minimizing variation. For such reason, initiatives are taken to […]
We look now at the Lean method of Value Stream Mapping (VSM). This is a method where you analyze a current state and design a future state where you look at events from the very beginning of the process to the very end with delivery to the customer. This can involve a product or service. […]
Introduction In fast pace digital world where business has gone even more competitive and risky, the need is of predictable strategic methodologies. Design of Experiment (DOE) is one such strategic method that provides strategists a road map to condition their business process. It is a systematic method to improve business activity. How it happens, how […]
When collecting data from a particular process it essential have a correct measurement system to achieve correct results and conclusions. Measurement System Analysis provides a great tool to ensure the quality of the data collected from a process. MSA – Measurement System Analysis has three purposes: 1. Examine how much of the total observed variability […]
DOE or Design of experiments helps identify the various factors that affect the productivity and the outcomes of a particular process or a design. The individual influence of the factors as well as the interactive power of these factors to influence the outcome comes to light through an efficient design of experiment. The trial and […]
Let’s look at Measurement System Analysis, and how it fits into continuous process improvements for a business. Since measurements and the collection of data are important to continuous improvement programs, we should have an interest in Measurement System Analysis. We use measurements to guide our decision on improvements and should be interested in the errors […]
Repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) are important factors to consider for manufacturing companies around the world. During an audit, the company’s ability to carry on doing what they usually do is measured to determine if there are any anomalies or problems that need to be addressed. Today, there are numerous software available that enable companies to […]
This article is the first in our three-part series to help you achieve the best results using Six Sigma. Today we focus on planning a successful Six Sigma project. You can read parts 2 and 3 here. Now, on your marks . . . If you’re new to Six Sigma, or just want to […]
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management philosophy that strives to achieve the best possible results by centering all business activities and processes on customer satisfaction. Proper TQM implementation involves constant improvement and all members of the particular organization and expected to take part in the process. The main idea behind this approach is that […]
