Whether you are a new practitioner or seasoned pro, mistakes are inevitable in complex projects. In fact, the saying goes that you aren’t a true project manager before your first catastrophe. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t learn from the mistakes of others (Lessons Learned, to those in the know!). Below are the top […]
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. […]
How important is work experience and on the job training when potential employers look at candidates for a particular position? You can say it is very important! Let us start with an example of two college students at rival schools. Both are exceptional students, exceptional human beings with extra-curricular activities to show that they can […]
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 […]
Are you prepared to advocate and fully support Lean Six Sigma? If yes, how do you know? If no, how you reach that stage? These questions can be tiresome and their answers difficult to pin down. We’re here to make things easy for you. Today we will help you get ready for Lean Six Sigma (or recognize […]
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 […]
5S is a methodology that is used in workplaces across the world. The “5S” name comes from the 5 Japanese words that make up the process. The five words are seiri, sieton, seiso, seiketus, and shitsuke. Roughly translated these words stand for sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. They all describe ways in […]
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. […]
If you have never heard of the Kaizen Methods you might be surprised to learn that it is one of the best ways to live a better, more productive life or business. It has been used for years to help people reach goals once thought unreachable and to bring companies together that were having some […]
For the businesses that have adapted to the Six Sigma methodology, branding and positioning their company is simple, because those businesses are reinforcing their core mission and what they stand for every single working day. You might say the Six Sigma methodology should be at the core of every business. When a business takes care […]
This article is the second in our three-part series to help you achieve the best results using Six Sigma. You can read the whole article series here. Now, get set… Our three-part guide will act as the perfect primer on all the important Six Sigma project facts. Today we discuss how to assemble and prepare […]
