Ken Feldman

Six Sigma has been defined in three ways: as a metric, a methodology, and a philosophy. Sigma can be defined as the standard deviation of a set of continuous data, so Six Sigma would then be six standard deviations.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries, organizations are increasingly integrating AI-driven solutions into their continuous improvement programs. AI has the potential to revolutionize these programs by automating repetitive tasks, uncovering patterns in data, and offering predictive insights that can accelerate decision-making. However, AI’s implementation introduces new considerations for businesses aiming to […]

The only acceptable quality level should be zero defects. But that’s not always the case. Let’s learn what an acceptable quality level or limit is all about.

You have probably heard of the acronym PDCA (Deming Cycle) but have you heard of FOCUS PDCA? Read this article and you will understand what it is.

Making data-driven decisions is critical in today’s business environment, but can you trust your measurement system to give you meaningful data? Measurement System Analysis is the tool you need to know whether you can trust your data.

Is assignable cause a bad thing? No, it’s a signal something happened in your process that you didn’t expect. It could be good or bad, but you should find out what happened.

Many statistical tests have underlying assumptions about the population data. But, what happens if you violate those assumptions? This is when you might need to use a non-parametric test to answer your statistical question. Non-parametric refers to a type of statistical analysis that does not make any assumptions about the underlying probability distribution or population […]

Your customers often ask, “When will I get my widget delivered?” You respond with, “It depends.” If you know your turn-around time, you might be able to provide a better answer. Let’s learn more about turn-around time.

Your business is at war with waste, defects, and inefficiencies. Let’s attack and defeat your enemy with a lightning-quick attack using overwhelming forces. In other words, a Kaizen Blitzkrieg, or Blitz for short.

We have all heard the phrase “garbage in, garbage out.” AOQ is defined as the expected average quality level of an outgoing product for a given the value of incoming product quality. 

Fishbone diagrams are used to drill down to the root cause of a problem. The diagram looks like the bones of a fish, where each main bone represents a possible category of root cause, and subsequent drilling down is shown as smaller and smaller bones.

Waste is all around your organization. Using the acronym TIMWOOD, you will learn how to identify the 7 wastes of lean and eliminate them to improve your organization.

When you have multiple factors at different levels, it can be challenging to figure out which is the optimal combination. Design of Experiments is one common method you can use. The Taguchi Method is another.

6W? 5W1H? 5W? The bigger question is, how do you make sure you’re asking the right questions to guarantee you properly solve your problem or execute your project?

Do you hear voices? In a business context, that’s normal. Let’s listen in to the voice of the business and hear what it has to say.

Cp is one of the metrics calculated for determining whether your process is capable of meeting customer specifications or requirements. It is useful in comparing different functions and their ability to meet their unique specifications.

Do you feel that implementing change in your organization is going too slowly? So did Jack Welch of GE, which is why GE developed the Change Acceleration Process (CAP). Let’s explore how the concepts of CAP might help your organization.

Statistics is a branch of math that involves the collection, description, analysis, and inference of conclusions from quantitative data. But what is a statistic? Let’s find out. The word statistic is a word with numerous possible definitions. In its simplest form, a statistic can be defined as a descriptor of a set of data. The […]

Does your data from yesterday represent the current state of your process better than that from a month ago? How can you place more emphasis on it yet still make use of older data? That’s what the Exponentially Weighted Moving Average does. 

House of Quality? No, this is often referred to as a House of Pain because of the effort needed to complete one. Let’s see if we are just being overly pessimistic. 

Six Sigma at many organizations simply means a measure of quality that strives for near perfection. Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects (driving toward six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit) in any process — from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service.

Lean Six Sigma professionals, much like every other professional, love to talk in acronyms. The acronym of the day is DPMO. Let’s check out what it means.

An organization may hear many voices (Customer, Business, Employee, and Process). It is the voice of the customer (VOC) that is the driving voice. Additionally, it is what should be important to the organization and what the organization should focus on. The satisfaction of the VOC needs to be balanced against the Voice of the […]

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, fostering a culture of innovation and agility is essential for startups that want to stay competitive. Startups thrive on innovative ideas, quick pivots, and the ability to adapt to change. This 2014 article raised awareness of Lean Startups. But creating an environment where continuous improvement and creativity flourish […]