Category: Work-out

A medical imaging device manufacturer’s profitability was severely affected by quality defects in its X-ray tube product line. In addition, customer satisfaction was suffering due to consistently missed production schedules. All of the failures were discovered at final inspection. As a result, bottom-line losses were significant, since most of the defective product was either damaged […]

GE employees see Six Sigma as “the way we work.” A key component of Six Sigma is the use of Work-out to move from a statistical delineation of a process or quality improvement to a practical solution. Work-out is a tightly designed problem-solving process involving facilitation tools and techniques. Use of this highly structured process […]

Ask successful Six Sigma deployment leaders, or experienced Black Belts, and they will usually report that change management is the most challenging aspect of deploying Six Sigma. For most practitioners, change management is the black art of Six Sigma deployment: What is change management? And how can you convert the volumes of change management theory […]

Healthcare organizations face tremendous challenges in addressing efficiency, cost, quality, staffing shortages and mounting pressure to raise salaries. To bolster lagging morale and improve retention rates, management must empower staff and effectively leverage existing resources. Tools and techniques that support these imperatives are critical to the success of modern healthcare organizations. Many problems in healthcare […]

A recent study by the National Center for Health Statistics found that, on average, an ambulance in the United States is diverted every minute to another hospital due to emergency room overcrowding. The study underscores the fact that this is a nationwide problem, and that emergency department (ED) diversions often produce a negative chain reaction […]

If an organization could choose only one method for unlocking value quickly, what approach should rise to the top of the list? If a company could adopt only one method for shaping its culture toward continuous improvement, what tool should it use? The answer to both questions is Work-out. Work-out certainly should not be the […]

US Fuels is responsible for the wholesale fuels operations in the United States for its parent company, BP, one of the world’s largest energy companies. US Fuels supplies branded gasoline to company-owned gas stations and branded fuel jobbers, and diesel fuel to commercial accounts such as railroads, trucking companies, transit authorities and truck stops. The […]

Alaska’s Providence Health System has always had a strong pioneering spirit, stretching back to 1902 when the Sisters of Providence first brought healthcare to gold rush territory in Nome. Expanding and evolving throughout the years to meet community needs, Providence Health System now employs more than 3,000 people, includes seven facilities and delivers a full […]