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Sometimes you really need to look at problems in a creative and innovative manner. TRIZ is a problem-solving approach that fosters invention for project teams who have become stuck while trying to solve a business challenge.  TRIZ (Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadach) is a problem-solving methodology that was developed in the former Soviet Union by Genrich […]

In a regression model, there will be an amount of variation that is unexplained by x, unless r squared equals 100%. When you are working with a regression model, there is a chance that you will encounter an amount of variation that is unexplained. This variation, nevertheless, needs to be accounted for and checked to […]

When there seem to be more problems than can reasonably be dealt with, which is the right analytical tool to better your chances of spending precious time on those crucial few problems that will have the greatest impact on quality?

In an organization, it is important that there are members of a team to look to when leadership is required. These members may rise to this higher level of responsibility naturally through their skills or personalities, or they may be put in such a position by management.Being a team leader requires more from you than […]

Webster’s dictionary defines stratification as: formed, deposited, or arranged in stable layers or strata. That’s interesting, but how does it apply to Six Sigma? Let’s find out.

An SS product report is a critical document that summarizes the results of the product development process, including quality, reliability, and performance. Understanding SS Product Reports The Six Sigma methodology is a highly effective process improvement approach that has been widely adopted across various industries. It provides a data-driven and customer-focused approach to reduce defects […]

Spread comes in a variety of forms. It refers to the variation of the data and can be calculated in a number of different ways. Let’s explore these.

If you have a question about how your process or organization is performing, statistics will be the methodology for answering those questions. Statistics is the discipline and science used for the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of your data. Statistics usually fall into one of two categories: Descriptive statistics: methods used to summarize or […]

The variance inflation factor measures the degree of multicollinearity of multiple predictor variables in a multiple linear regression. Holy smokes, that’s a lot of big words. Let’s find out what it all means.

The system audit is a beneficial and needed tool to evaluate business processes to determine how efficiently they work. This article provides the understanding needed to correctly execute the methodology.

What do you picture when you hear the word stable? Words such as steady, consistent and minimal variation may come to mind. These words could also apply to your process. Let’s see what a stable process means. 

If your machines are not working, you can’t produce products for your customers. Your customers will likely not remain your customers for very long. Let’s see how Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) can keep your equipment up and running. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a maintenance strategy aimed at maximizing the productivity of equipment, machines, and […]

The term standard order refers to the sequence of the runs you will do in your Design of Experiments. The question we will answer is whether to use the standard order or a random order.

It is important that you clearly specify your expectations about a company process or product. These detailed expectations are called specifications and serve as a guide as to how well you are satisfying both internal and external expectations. A specification (spec) is a detailed description of the requirements, characteristics, and features of a product, service, […]

If you hear someone say, “Darn, I didn’t expect that to happen”, they are probably experiencing an unintended consequence from some action they took. No one plans for things to go awry, but unfortunately, they do.

When workers lack motivation, this can be incredibly frustrating. There can be a temptation to address these frustrations using terms that one has heard elsewhere. Take care to keep criticism constructive, to be very aware of how certain terms are used culturally, and to avoid them if they could be inappropriate. When workers have used […]

Do you remember the days of having to get off the internet when your mother had to use the phone? How about waiting to watch a video while an advertisement seems to buffer endlessly? Advancements in the telecosm have made the amount of bandwidth across all mediums feel infinite in comparison to the early days […]

Six Sigma without variables is like a recipe without ingredients. Understanding how variables align with Six Sigma is paramount to the success of any business. Learn how variables can highlight your process’ capabilities and limitations. What are Variables in Six Sigma? Variables are essential to Six Sigma. By measuring, analyzing, and controlling the variables that […]

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. You can also say a picture of your data is worth a thousand words. The stem and leaf plot is one such picture. 

The shortest distance between two places is a straight line. Unfortunately, you can’t alway do that in your work environment. Let’s see how a spaghetti diagram might help visualize how things move through your workplace. 

The root cause is the true factor that leads to a condition or non-conformance. Let’s look at how root cause compares to symptoms, the benefits of attending to a root cause, and some common tools you can use to uncover the root cause.

In the Analyze phase of DMAIC, you will want to identify possible independent or predictor variables to help explain the relationship with your response or dependent variables. Correlation is a statistical tool to establish the strength of the relationship between your independent and dependent variables. Regression is used to predict your response variable as a […]

When doing statistical analysis, it is impractical and often impossible to gather all the available data. That is when you would seek to sample the data to analyze it and make decisions about your process. In statistics, a sample refers to a group of individuals, objects, or events that are selected from a larger population […]

In the spirit of continuous improvement, re-engineering is the process by which you can identify, analyze, and re-design your organization’s core business processes for the purpose of achieving improvements in critical performance measures. Reengineering, also known as business process reengineering (BPR), is a methodology that focuses on the fundamental redesign of business processes to achieve […]

The dictionary defines a response as a reaction to something. A response variable would be defined as the reaction or effect on a dependent variable as a result of an experimental manipulation of independent variables.  Response variable When discussing Design of Experiments (DOE) and Regression, you can talk about independent variables, also known as the […]

The customer just placed a new order requesting 100 widgets by the end of the week. If we keep producing at our current rate, will our cycle time be able to provide the parts in time? What is the rate we must produce the widgets to meet their deadline? Well, that rate has a name, […]

Software inspection requires thorough examination in order to be sure that it is safe for release. In order to successfully and reliably conduct such an examination, a plan is required. Overview: What is a software inspection plan? A software inspection plan is a formalized process of inspecting software for any issues. The typical steps involved […]

A t-test is a statistical tool used to determine whether a significant difference exists between the means of two distributions or the mean of one distribution and a target value.

Do you want to know whether your process is in control or not? Statistical Process Control, or SPC, is the tool you want to learn about, so let’s get started. 

In order to understand the world of Lean Six Sigma and the terminology that goes along with it, you need to know what subject matter is. It’s important because this is where you can start your project and determine if there are any areas for improvement or if anything needs fixing. By looking at subject […]

When you speak of subgrouping, it is usually in the context of constructing a control chart. Let’s explore the topic in a little more detail. Subgrouping is a technique used in control charts to group data into smaller, more manageable sets or subgroups. The purpose of subgrouping is to increase the sensitivity of the control […]

More often than not, it’s the variation in a process rather than the central tendency that results in defective products, causes us to not meet customer expectations, or costs real dollars. While there are others, standard deviation is the most common metric for quantifying the variation in a dataset.

Over one-third of projects will fail, and two-thirds will only achieve some of their goals. It is estimated that a lack of proper systems engineering is responsible for half of all total project failures. In order to help ensure that your projects do not wind up falling short, it is important to include systems engineering. […]

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, cut costs, and optimize their operations. Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that has been widely adopted by companies in various industries to achieve these goals. One of the key concepts in Lean Six Sigma is sufficiency. Overview: what is sufficiency, […]

In 1903, famed writer H.G. Wells first described the importance of mathematical analysis. Samuel Wilks, in 1951, paraphrased Wells and developed this famous quote: “Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write.” Let’s see why he said that.

Once in a lifetime, someone comes along who has a profound and transformational impact on society. Dr. W. Edwards Deming was such a person and his System of Profound Knowledge has had a significant impact on the business world.

So much to learn, and so little time to do it. The Six Sigma Body of Knowledge (SSBOK) is a collection of the tools and methodology of Six Sigma and serves as the base for most Six Sigma training and certifications.

No company is an island. Virtually every business process relies on different types of input, often in the form of physical supplies, that it does not generate internally. The concept of supply chain management (SCM) revolves around controlling and adapting to the way inputs flow into the process and outputs flow out of it. Overview: […]

Strategic planning is a formal, organized, proactive and structured process used by an organization to define its vision, goals, and objectives. The process of strategic planning also includes planning for, and the allocation of the resources needed to reach the stated goals and objectives of the organization. It is the roadmap for achieving your organization’s […]

As competitive and market pressure increases, business strategic planning becomes ever more crucial. Using SWOT analysis, we investigate the factors that allow us to plot a path to continued growth and profitability.

A graph of the points representing a collection of data, is one of the most useful techniques for gaining insight into the relationship between two variables.

Setting effective goals is crucial to the success of any project, and this is especially true in Six Sigma. SMARTER is a goal-setting framework that is commonly used in Six Sigma to ensure that project goals are well-defined and achievable. Overview: What is SMARTER The term SMARTER stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Evaluated, […]

Being able to make the right decisions about your products/services can have a major impact on the future of your organization. Having an organization that can make necessary adjustments before the impact is too great is a goal of most companies. Being able to gauge sensitivity across a great number of variables can help make […]

A saturated design, in the context of Design of Experiments, is a simplified experiment used for screening possible significant factors. It is designed to give you a high-level understanding of the main effect of factors, but not their interactions.

When writing your Six Sigma project charter, it is important to clearly state the scope of the project, so the team doesn’t attempt to “boil the ocean” or “solve world hunger”. Scope puts some boundaries and constraints on the activities of the project. In the context of Six Sigma, scope refers to the boundaries and […]

If your eyeglasses have the correct prescription, you will have proper resolution and can see clearly and with detail. The same holds true for your Measurement System Analysis and Design of Experiments. Greater resolution means your data can help you see more information about your process.

When you hear the term residual, think of linear regression. It is the error of your prediction equation and has implications for the quality of your regression analysis. 

Soft savings are benefits gained from Lean Six Sigma projects that cannot easily be assigned a dollar value. These include things like greater trust, reduced frustration, and increased job satisfaction.  

It is usually impractical to measure everything if you are trying to collect data. That is why you will use an appropriate sampling technique. But how big a sample should you get? Using a sample size calculator will make that task quick and easy. Let’s see how. When you are required to collect data to […]

You want your processes to be able to still function well in the face of changes and variation. Let’s learn some more about how you can develop these robust processes. A robust process refers to a well-designed and reliable process that consistently delivers the desired outcomes, even in the face of variations, uncertainties, or challenges. […]