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Key Notes In today’s business world, innovation is one of the biggest differentiators in increasingly crowded market verticals. Companies seek to create distance between themselves and competitors through tools like design thinking.  While design thinking may have originally started as a way to create innovative and sleek products, it has since taken on a much […]

What does the future of Six Sigma hold? Business is ever-changing, especially when looking at the trends and market forces that push and pull in the modern era. However, Six Sigma is alive and well, flourishing some might say. Now, this isn’t down to just pure luck, but rather a proven track record […]

Today’s business landscape is more fast-paced and competitive than ever. As a result, companies are continuously looking for ways to keep up with the latest technological advancements or trying to create them themselves.  One tactic businesses use to gain an edge over the competition is the concept of “digital transformation,” which is a […]

What are the best tools for Agile? Agile as a methodology can seem somewhat freeform, despite following rather rigid planning. Further, since Agile projects are typically broken down into individual components, complex projects can spin out of control quite quickly. As such, it makes sense to employ solid and dependable tools for the […]

Six Sigma is a powerful methodology for process improvement and operational efficiency. However, its implementation often encounters obstacles due to common mistakes. This paper explores these pitfalls and provides specific examples and strategies to avoid them. 1. Lack of Clear Organizational Goals Mistake: Organizations often fail to align Six Sigma projects with strategic […]

If you believe everything you read, you’ll know there was supposed to be a better-than-good chance that close to 47% of existing jobs could be gone in 15 years due to automation. While time will tell whether this Oxford University study is accurate, no doubt this number concerns some people, depending on your […]

Where do stakeholders in Agile come into play? Any project management methodology is going to have a stakeholder of some sort at its core. However, learning the roles and overall function of these individuals in the grander scheme of your Agile project can make quite a bit of difference when moving through sprints […]

When you think about the sudden rise of remote work, something about it feels like the future of all work. Although CEOs and corporate executives might be kicking and screaming that remote work isn’t the future, the idea that you can work anywhere worldwide if you have a laptop and a strong Wi-Fi […]

In today’s data-driven world, organizations across industries are inundated with information. Transforming this data into actionable insights requires robust analytical tools, one of which is statistical hypothesis testing. This method enables businesses to make decisions based on data rather than intuition, significantly reducing risks and enhancing operational efficiency. This article explores the concept […]

How do you get past resistance to Agile? Change is a tricky subject for any company to navigate. This is doubly true when looking at instituting a methodology like Agile for your project management needs. If you’ve got an entrenched method of work, changing gears so abruptly can lead to some setbacks. However, […]

Agile vs. waterfall, what is the best methodology for managing your projects? There is no shortage of project management approaches when it comes to businesses. Agile is one approach that has taken off in the world of software development, with new practitioners even extending it well outside of the tech industry. Waterfall is decidedly different, […]

Lean Six Sigma, a methodology that combines lean manufacturing and Six Sigma principles, has long been synonymous with the factory floor. Born out of Toyota’s production system and popularized through companies like Motorola and General Electric, Lean Six Sigma has been instrumental in streamlining manufacturing processes, reducing waste, and improving quality. However, its […]

Value Stream Mapping (VSM): An Overview Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a Lean management tool used to visualize, analyze, and optimize the flow of materials and information required to deliver a product or service to customers. It helps identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and waste in the process, enabling teams to improve value delivery and […]

How does Agile project management fare beyond the world of software development? Software development has adopted Agile as an industry standard, but the same principles can be applied across the band to a wide variety of industries. Furthermore, many industries would benefit from implementing the Agile methodology in their current project management workflow. […]

How do you get everyone on board with a continuous improvement effort? A prominent peanut butter manufacturer was facing a growing problem: customer complaints about inconsistent product color. Variations in the shade of peanut butter on grocery store shelves led to perceptions that some jars were fresher than others. As a result, customers avoided purchasing […]

How can the fractional factorial design of experiments benefit you? A global beverage company faced a persistent issue in its production line: excessive foaming while bottling 1-liter apple juice bottles. The foaming caused significant inefficiencies, including improperly filled bottles, contamination risks, and increased rework due to rejected products. Despite attempts to address the problem through […]

You know variation in your process is not a good thing. It negatively impacts predictability and planning. Let’s learn about an easy way to measure variation so you can better understand your process.

Is your data normal? If not, will that be a problem? It might be, since data normality can be important when using certain statistical tools to make your business decisions. 

Non-value-added is the work your customer is not paying you to perform.

Never-ending improvement is the heart of any continuous improvement effort.  The Deming Cycle, or PDCA, is one of the first formalized approaches to utilize an iterative approach to improving processes, and it still serves as a fundamental tool today for continuous improvement.  This article will describe the stages of the Deming Cycle, the benefits of […]

Successful initial implementation and ongoing maintenance of process improvements requires overcoming the resistance to change. Green Belts are change agents who need to recognize, understand, and interpret resistance to change and develop skills to manage it effectively. Managing change resistance is often covered in training, yet a primary learning issue facing most organizations is the […]

How do you measure process work? First introduced in the 19th and early 20th centuries, time and motion studies established rules of motion that guaranteed optimal performance during a given period and reduced the number of movements needed to accomplish work. Over the years, time and motion studies have been conducted in many industries to […]

Quality is one of those words and concepts that have many meanings. Let’s review the concept and discuss the different definitions associated with the term. It refers to the degree of excellence or superiority of something, often concerning its intended purpose or function. Further, it is a measure of how well something meets its specifications […]

You want to make good data-driven decisions, but can you trust your data? Is the measurement system you used to gather the data giving you precise and consistent measurements? A Gage R&R study will answer your questions. 

What are the most common challenges in digital transformation? Digital transformation is one of the driving forces behind modern business. However, making the most of the digital revolution isn’t always a sure thing. As such, it takes a somewhat deft hand to navigate the common pitfalls of digitizing your workplace. This can result […]

How do you convert DPMO to Sigma Level? There are several metrics you can use to measure how well your process is performing. Let’s look at three of them and discuss how to calculate them and how they relate. The three are DPMO, Sigma Level, and Cpk. Convert DPMO/Sigma to Cpk  Before discussing how you […]

There never seems to be enough time on a project, especially when considering flow time vs. cycle time. These measurements are great ways of tracking time throughout a project. However, when to use these respective measurements comes down to the stage of the project. Don’t fret, we’ll get you up to speed in no time. […]

A control chart consists of several parts. It has two control limits and an average line. The bottom dashed line is called the lower control limit (LCL).  The solid middle line is the average of the statistic being plotted. The top dashed line is the upper control limit (UCL). The upper control limit is calculated […]

TQM is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. Total Quality is a description of the culture, attitude, and organization of a company that strives to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. The culture requires quality in all aspects of […]

The word Normal generally has a positive connotation. When applied to statistics, the term Normal Distribution has essentially the same effect. Let’s see why. 

The global workforce is evolving rapidly, with emerging technologies, shifting market demands, and a renewed emphasis on efficiency. For organizations striving to maintain a competitive edge, Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has become a crucial methodology for streamlining processes and improving quality. However, as we enter 2025, one challenge looms large: the skills gap […]

What is Gage R&R? Like it or not, any process will have variances and the potential for defects. Measurement error is unavoidable. There will always be some measurement variation that is due to the measurement system itself. Most problematic measurement system issues come from measuring attribute data in terms that rely on human judgment such […]

How do you calculate your Process Sigma? Determining the lowest acceptable defect rate in your production is a way to increase customer trust and continue to follow through on quality. Consider a power company for illustration purposes: A power company measures its performance in uptime of available power to its grid. Here is the five-step process […]

Common cause vs. special cause variation, aren’t they the same thing? At first glance, you’d be allowed to think so. However, as with any part of the production cycle, there is a reason for these two measurements to exist. So, let’s dive right into what makes these variations different, and how to identify and benefit […]

When you know your process yield (percentage of a process that is free of defects), you can use this yield to sigma conversion table to easily determine your process sigma level, as well as your process defects per million opportunities.

Process time vs. cycle time is a discussion that comes up often for newcomers to Six Sigma. Understanding these principles and how they apply to your time management is vital. Failing to grasp these concepts can affect your bottom line negatively. What is Process Time? Process time describes the interval required for a product or […]

How do you calculate the overall standard deviation of multiple groups or samples? You can’t just add them up and divide by the number of groups, like you do with averages. Let’s see how we can do it correctly.

This article will introduce you to control limits. You will learn about the role of control limits, how they were designed, and the role they play in process improvement.

How are companies leading Agile teams? Agile is a methodology with quite a bit of buzz, thanks partly to its rapid adoption in software development. Primarily intended as a software development approach, Agile emphasizes the use of distinct phases that are meant to iterate upon one another. The approach itself has caught on […]

In today’s competitive business environment, maintaining a high level of quality has become vital to a company’s success. It is imperative that suppliers provide quality parts that meet customer requirements the first time and every time. 

Six Sigma is a data-driven approach to quality, aimed at reducing variation and the associated defects, wastes, and risks in any process. This article explores the basics of Six Sigma process quality – definition and measurement. Defining Standard Deviation In a set of data, mean (μ) and standard deviation (σ) are defined as: μ = […]

DMAIC refers to a data-driven quality strategy for improving processes, and is an integral part of the company’s Six Sigma Quality Initiative. DMAIC is an acronym for five interconnected phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

There are three measures of central tendency for data. One is the mean or x-bar, and the others are the median and mode. When you’re diving into statistical analysis, these are basic components. Most practitioners should have encountered these in grade school, but a refresher never hurts. Let’s dive into what it means. Overview: What […]

One of the most famous sayings in the Star Wars films is May the Force be with you. This saying may also apply to making changes in your organization. Let’s see what forces you need to identify and deal with when using a force field analysis to manage change.

TQM, or Total Quality Management, is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. This approach encompasses the culture, attitude, and organization of a company. Further, it helps to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. However, the culture requires quality in […]

How is automation boosting productivity? If you’re even plugged in slightly to the news cycle, you likely have heard pundits espousing the benefits of automation. There are definite benefits to using automation to cut away the chaff and get your team focusing on the work that matters. However, there is also a fair […]

Full factorial DOE is one of the most powerfully designed experimentation statistical tools for understanding the impact your process inputs have on your process outputs. 

Control charts have two general uses in an improvement project. Undeniably, the most common application is as a tool to monitor process stability and control. A less common, although some might argue more powerful, use of control charts is as an analysis tool. Throughout this guide, you’ll have the various control charts identified. Accordingly, you’ll […]

Takt Time vs. Cycle Time: when do you choose what to use? Regardless of your processes’ efficiency, you will have to measure the time eventually. Now, if you’re a new Six Sigma practitioner, you might be wondering about Takt Time vs. Cycle Time. Both of these metrics are important to understanding and refining your processes. […]

Startups operate in a fast-paced environment where resources are scarce, time is of the essence, and the margin for error is slim. To thrive, startups need to streamline operations, improve quality, and deliver value to customers efficiently. Lean Six Sigma (LSS), a methodology traditionally associated with large corporations, can be a game-changer for […]