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With any business, it is important to be able to separate yourself from the competition to gain an advantage. This can be anything from running your operations with greater efficiency to being able to differentiate the attributes of your product from those of your rivals. Having a competitive advantage and being able to maintain it […]

During the Six Sigma Improvement Stage of DMAIC, you will need to develop strategies and ideas for improving your process. There are three steps to coming up with viable improvement solutions. These steps are idea generation, organization, and assessment.  Brainstorming can be defined as a structured method of generating unconstrained ideas/ solutions and gaining engagement/involvement […]

Blocking doesn’t always refer to football. It can also apply to Design of Experiments. Let’s explore how that works.

Asking the 5 Whys is a quick way to get to the root cause of a problem your organization may be dealing with.

In any business arrangement, it is necessary to know who exactly has the power to make decisions. This is true for everything from approving a sale to granting the request for a change in a process be implemented. Just being in a position of power does not make you a great leader. A lot of […]

5S is often thought of as the foundation for continuous improvement. While traditionally considered only applicable to a manufacturing environment, it’s highly relevant for non-manufacturing operations as well. In this article, we will define 5S, discuss its benefits, and consider its importance to an organization. Overview: What is 5S?  There is some debate as to […]

The Alternate Hypothesis, written as Ha, is a subset of the larger topic of hypothesis testing. The Alternate Hypothesis is the default statement about a specific condition of your data and allows you to draw important conclusions about the population from which the sample data came.

3P? How hard could that be? It’s only three letters: P-P-P. You will see that there is more than meets the eye.

When talking about an alias, alias structure or aliasing, you are talking about Design of Experiments (DOE). More specifically, you are referring to the confounding of effects in a fractional factorial experiment. Aliasing occurs when the estimate of a factor effect  is difficult to distinguish because of the impact of other factors in your experiment. […]

A buffer can be simply defined as something that serves as a protective barrier. Let’s see how this might apply in the context of technology and computing as well as manufacturing. In the context of technology and computing, a buffer is a temporary storage area that holds data while it is being transferred from one […]

Average incoming quality is a simple, effective and accessible metric that indicates input quality within a process. Accurate assessment of average quality depends on several other factors, including an established framework for evaluation and consistent screening techniques. Overview: What is average incoming quality? In the context of lean manufacturing and business management practices, average incoming […]

An underlying assumption for the use of many statistical tools is that your data is normally distributed. But, how do you know? The A-square calculation for the Anderson Darling Normality Test will tell you.

At the gun range, your goal is to hit the target. Accuracy will be measured by how close you come to that target. The same is true of your process.  

In random sampling, this number is the fine line that separates an accepted lot and a rejected one.

While you may be familiar with Lean Six Sigma as a methodology for improving your processes, have you heard of the Business Process Management System (BPMS)? If not, this article will provide lots of information on what it is and how to use it. Business Process Management System (BPMS) Business Process Management System (BPMS) is […]

The design and manufacture of highly complex products and systems requires close co-operation between multiple suppliers and customers. Without well-defined quality plans and methodologies, products will neither get to market on time, or on budget, nor be defect free. 

Don’t you hate it when you make a mistake? Well, an alpha risk is just that. Let’s learn what that mistake is and how to keep from making it.

The bad news is that you have problems to solve. The good news is that there are a number of simple, yet powerful tools that can help you. The 8D process is one of them.

Even a little bit of leftovers each day can add up to something big. That’s the basic principle and motivation behind accessory planning. The whole purpose of this activity is to find ways to use what would otherwise be wasted to generate further value. Overview: What is accessory planning? Most companies engage in accessory planning […]

Some tasks are repetitive, mind-numbing, and lack the sort of creativity that promotes active engagement. If possible, these types of processes should be automated so that the type of energy needed to find places where your organization can evolve may blossom. Businesses thrive on having employees that are engaged in the work that they are […]

Why do you weigh yourself before you start your diet? You probably want to get a starting point or baseline to help measure your progress so you know whether the diet is working or you have reached your goal. 

There are all types of business metrics. Some examples would be sales revenue, customer retention rate, and net profit. Each of these and others helps provide you with a fuller picture of how your business is doing. Overview: What are business metrics? Business metrics are metrics that are quantifiable and utilized to assess the performance […]

By standardizing a project, an organization is better able to analyze the effects of environmental factors that may have otherwise been overlooked. Baselining is one way to achieve this.

The marketing departments of businesses have been looking to the field of psychology for many years to determine how to best understand the habits of consumers. One theory that is utilized is attribution theory. Attribution theory dates back to the 1950s but has continued to be a touchstone for businesses to understand how to best […]

Ever been to a business meeting? Ever thought it was a waste of time? Let’s explore how the 5Ps of meeting effectiveness may help you have a better meeting.

It is important for any business to understand its consumers. The collection of both passive and active data serves to provide insight into the habits, preferences, and needs of an organization’s consumer base. In data capture, smart businesses do not rely solely on passive data alone. Active data can tell an organization more about its […]

You are probably familiar with the term 5S in the context of Lean Six Sigma. But, what about the term 5Z. Let’s learn a little more about what that means. The 5Z’s provide the principles and guidelines for achieving 5Z Accreditation. The 5Z process uses the Genba (Gemba) Kanri principles to maintain, evaluate, promote, and […]

Sometimes you need an improvement approach that is faster than the traditional Six Sigma methods of DMAIC or DMEDI. Agile may be your answer. Let’s see how.   The word agile refers to the ability to rapidly create and respond to change and the need to improve. It is a way of dealing with, and ultimately […]

ReAgent Chemical Services tripled its manufacturing space with the opening of its new eco-friendly facility. The new premises has been entirely built-to-spec to offer the most efficient, high quality and environmentally friendly service to customers.

In this continuation of a multi-part case study, recurring problems are identified and eliminated at the diagnostic clinics’ newly established centralized laboratory.

This now five-part case study focuses on improving customer satisfaction at two of a company’s diagnostic clinics – Centers A and B. In Part One, the company worked at Center A to reduce patient turnaround time, a defining component of patient satisfaction. In Part Two, the chain’s improvement story focuses on increasing patient delight at […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Kiki Schockling [email protected] (937) 813-4689 October 3, 2018 (Dayton, OH)–PQ Systems, global provider of software solutions and services to help manufacturers succeed in improving quality, was named a winner in the Goering Center’s Family and Private Business Awards in a celebration event on September 11. The awards showcase […]

Who Is Sime Darby Plantation? Sime Darby Plantation is the world’s largest sustainable palm oil producer and has four areas of focus: Upstream: 248 estates and 72 mills where fresh fruit is processed into crude palm oil Downstream: Production of oils and fats, oleochemicals, biodiesel, other palm oil derivatives and renewables in 16 countries Research […]

Just like in operations, manufacturing offices such as engineering, purchasing and others face flow challenges – including employees constantly making subjective decisions and judgment calls about which tasks are most important. With team members filtering priorities through their own, often unique, prioritization mechanism, it is nearly impossible to connect processes to create flow that moves […]

During the month of August – while many are taking time off to enjoy summer – we will be offering a resource page on a particular topic. The resource page features an overview of the week’s topic and links to the best related content across iSixSigma (articles, blogs, discussions, Marketplace products and dictionary entries). This […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: Diane Tilley (888) 744-6295 August 21, 2018 (Kitchener, Ontario) – SigmaXL Inc., a leading provider of user friendly Excel Add-ins, announces the release of DiscoverSim Version 2.1 for Monte Carlo Simulation and Global Optimization. DiscoverSim is now bundled with MIDACO Solver Version 6, one of the world’s strongest evolutionary solvers for […]

In the aerospace industry, zero defects has been the driver for customers and competition since Phil Crosby and his team at the Martin Company provided the Army with a zero defect missile in the 1960s. This is not a new concept but the first question that comes to mind is: how much do we need […]

During the month of August – while many are taking time off to enjoy summer – we will be offering a resource page on a particular topic. The resource page features an overview of the week’s topic and links to the best related content across iSixSigma (articles, blogs, discussions, Marketplace products and dictionary entries). This […]

Business process mapping is a great method for understanding the complex processes that impact a business’s bottom line. Comparing a map of how a process is supposed to work and how a process actually works can be revealing. These methods, originally developed to understand manufacturing processes, do not always translate well to service or transactional […]

Although the gage reproducibility and repeatability (GR&R) study is a crucial tool in Six Sigma’s DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) toolset, it is not the most glamorous; mistakes in its execution are common among new Six Sigma practitioners. The standard for assessing if a gage is acceptable can vary significantly from organization to organization, […]

When the Z bench is calculated from the overall standard deviation and average output of the process, you arrive at Z lt.

Problem-solving teams are equipped to help leaders break through vexing operational challenges that impair customer satisfaction. Often, there are more challenges than resources, and staying focused on the most critical problems is imperative. This case study describes how a team redirected its efforts toward strategic needs.  Original Team Purpose In Louisville, Kentucky, Greg Fischer, businessman […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Barbara A. Cleary, PhD (937) 813-2672 Dayton, Ohio, June 26, 2018—PQ Systems has lent its professional support and charting expertise to a software application developed by the Deming Institute in partnership with Acquate. https://www.acquate.com/ ED Software provides training for leading organizations as systems—a fundamental principle of W. Edwards Deming, considered the […]

We are all members of teams of one type or another, but have you ever stopped to think about how to lead a team well when you aren’t the boss? There’s a plethora of advice about being a better boss and the like, but how about a team that will only be together for a […]

Monitoring your process metrics over time allows you to look for trends and patterns in the data. The run chart is one of the easiest graphs to use to do this. 

There are a number of descriptive statistics you can use to describe the central tendency of your data. The mode is one of them. 

Late last year, I decided to upgrade my vehicle. For seven years I’d driven a Honda Civic. It was nothing special, just a reliable vehicle with good gas mileage – the perfect commuter car. But now I’ve got two kids, own a home and picked up woodworking as a hobby; fitting car seats and dimensional […]

On her drive into work, Melissa Garcia was listening to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor and sipping on the mocha java blend she’d brewed in her kitchen just minutes before. It was a brisk fall Thursday morning, and Melissa was headed into the office where she was three weeks into her […]

Applying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) to the architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry can create unique challenges. LSS is not heavily used in the service industry and almost never used in AEC businesses. When LSS is presented to an AEC firm one of the first comments from the company’s team members is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix […]

Does your data management sometimes feel as if a giant load of sand has been dumped on your head? You may want to build a sand castle, but without some sense of order, all you’ll end up with is a million grains of useless material. The same may be true of data management. With 2.5 […]