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The authors of two books on Lean and leadership, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), received Shingo Research and Professional Publication Awards at the 23rd Annual Shingo Prize Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Follow the Learner: The Role of a Leader in Creating a Lean Culture, by Dr. Sami Bahri, and The Lean Manager, […]

I can still hear the words ringing in my ears: ”Congratulations on the promotion.” I was selected for a position with the Senior Executive Service, a corps tasked with leading the continuing transformation of the United States federal government. The job could wield great influence over performance improvement in the Department of Defense (DoD) – […]

iSixSigma’s first Retail Forum for Process Excellence, presented by SSA & Company, wrapped up last week at the Westin Edina Galleria in Minneapolis. Attendees at the four-day event had the opportunity to learn from workshops, keynote addresses, breakout sessions, panel discussions and a site tour. They also had a chance to meet, network and share […]

The curtains were drawn the room was dark. The man tied to the chair could not escape. The kidnapers were out negotiating the ransom. The man spied his iPhone on the table. He shuffled the chair forward inch by inch. Leaning forward he activated his iPhone with his nose. He managed to start e-mail and […]

In my blog about a year ago, “How I became a Black Belt“, I wrote about Lean Six Sigma being “simply a scientific approach to problem solving and learning.” I am sure everyone understands LSS as a problem-solving methodology. But how does Lean Six Sigma help us learn? First, let’s look at some common barriers […]

Jan De Witte, president and CEO of GE Healthcare’s Performance Solutions division, has taken on the additional title of president and CEO of GE’s $1.4 billion Healthcare IT division. He succeeds Vishal Wanchoo, who has moved into the role of senior vice president of growth initiatives for GE India.

The International Six Sigma Institute and Secret Society for Imperious Professionals of Process Improvement (ISSISSIPPI) today announced that it will no longer charge customers for access to its industry-leading Lean Six Sigma training courses.

In a move to reduce waste and warehousing costs under its Six Sigma plan, Pepsi Beverages Co. has installed an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) and warehouse control system at its plant in Tampa, Fla., USA.

Cincinnati-based marketing operations firm Aero Fulfillment Services has hired Black Belt David Glew to the newly created position of quality assurance manager.

The conference portion of the 2011 iSixSigma Retail Forum for Process Excellence concluded on Wednesday afternoon, March 30, with three case studies, a panel discussion and a keynote address. The four-day event officially wraps up on Thursday, March 31, with a post-conference workshop and a benchmarking tour of Best Buy headquarters. All total, the 2011 […]

An all-star lineup of speakers shared best practices and lessons learned during the morning sessions on Day 3 (Wednesday, March 30) at the iSixSigma Retail Forum for Process Excellence. The conference runs through Thursday, March 31, at the Westin Edina Galleria in suburban Minneapolis. Jess Elmquist, the senior vice president of Life Time University and […]

Soon after announcing the he was forming an exploratory committee for a potential bid for the presidency in 2012, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty was heard touting the virtues of Six Sigma process improvement for the government reform, according to the Politico blog.

Macy’s, CVS and Best Buy. Oh my! Those were just three of the companies that shared their stories of process improvement success during the afternoon session on Day 2 (Tuesday, March 29) of the iSixSigma Retail Forum for Process Excellence. The conference is being held through Thursday, March 31, at the Westin Edina Galleria in […]

Stories of innovation, growth and business transformation were shared during morning sessions on Day 2 (Tuesday, March 29) of the iSixSigma Retail Forum for Process Excellence, being held at the Westin Edina Galleria in suburban Minneapolis. The four-day conference runs through Thursday, March 31. Keynote sessions this morning were delivered by Tim Wilson, the vice […]

iSixSigma’s inaugural Retail Forum for Process Excellence opened on Monday, March 28, with six hours of educational workshops. The conference runs through Thursday, March 31 at the Westin Edina Galleria in suburban Minneapolis. Robert Hafey, the president of RBH Consulting and the author of the book “Lean Safety – Transforming Your Safety Culture Using Lean […]

Chris Collins, the County Executive of Erie County, N.Y., USA, and prominent advocate of the application of Lean Six Sigma in government, has announced formally that he will run for a second term in this year’s November election.

A record number of seniors and graduate students have applied for the University at Buffalo’s (UB) 2011-2012 Six Sigma Black Belt Student Certification program, according to a recent statement from the school, part of the State University of New York system.

With just a few days to go, excitement is building for the iSixSigma Live! inaugural Retail Forum for Process Excellence, March 28-31. For four days next week all eyes in the process improvement world will focus on the Twin Cities region, as business leaders and operational experts gather at The Westin Galleria, in Edina, Minn., […]

Senior Hargreaves, a British ventilation ductwork manufacturer, has adopted Lean methodologies to help the company add 28,000 square feet of new space to its existing facility in Bury, Lancashire.?

The time has come for me to bid you adieu. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to share my thoughts and get feedback from you, so I thank you for allowing me to discuss my opinions about lean, six sigma, change management, leadership, and healthcare. It’s been almost 5 years to the day since Michael […]

The “Great Indian Bazaar” – the rapidly growing and evolving Indian retail market – presents special and daunting distribution challenges for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) products. For a typical producer, about 100 stock keeping units (SKUs) flow through 40 to 50 depots to 2,000 to 3,000 distributors to more than a million outlets varying in […]

The 3M Co., based in Maplewood, Minn., USA, has offered to pay up to $12 million to roughly 7,000 current and former employees to settle a long-running lawsuit alleging that older workers faced age discrimination under the the company’s Six Sigma program.

WABCO, a supplier of components for the commercial vehicle industry, has opened a new production facility in Jinan, China, showcasing the company’s Lean Six Sigma program.

Manufacturing facilities often are faced with major challenges when it comes to large-scale process improvement. Improving yields at a large manufacturing plant – one that produces millions of pounds of product annually – might require modifications for every step in its process: production equipment, maintenance strategies, operational procedures, process control strategies and analytical support strategies, […]

Leading Regional Hospital chosen to share findings and results on innovative approach to engaging employees in Lean improvement at American College of Healthcare Executives Annual Congress in Chicago.

Stealth Components, a distributor of electronics equipment, has added Andrée Kiser to its team as director of operations and quality control.

It’s been awhile since my last post. In October 2010 I secured a new role in our institutional asset management business in the City of London. Ever since I’ve been head-down learning the business and working furiously to pass my investment management exams so I can appear credible and add value. My role is front-office […]

Free Educational Seminars for Experienced Lean Six Sigma Professionals

Sleep Innovations, a designer and manufacturer of foam bedding products, has hired Robert West as Chief Operating Officer to implement Lean practices across the enterprise.

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minneapolis-based vehicle repair company, has hired Black Belt Jim Richardson as the company’s new vice president of ABRA Glass, where he will be tasked with meeting the division’s growth objectives and Lean initiatives.

The latest issue of iSixSigma Magazine reveals the top 10 Best Places to Work, analyzes the results of our 8th annual Salary Survey and discusses the latest training trends. In its March/April issue, iSixSigma Magazine focuses on Training and Certification, offering advice for Lean Six Sigma trainers, as well as an investigation into some of […]

Business Execution software specialist, i-nexus, celebrates 10 successful years in 2011, highlighting increased ROI from existing customers alongside the addition of global leaders such as Best Buy and 3M to its client portfolio.

Ford Motor Co. said is it nearing completion of the demolition phase of a $600 million project to revamp its Louisville Assembly Plant in Louisville, Ky., USA, which will include the addition of several Lean processes.

Doncasters Group Ltd., a U.K.-based global manufacturer of precision-engineered machine parts, has met its internal goal of training three members of its staff as Lean Six Sigma Black Belts in three different locations.

At the inaugural iSixSigma Live! Retail Forum for Process Excellence, SSA & Company will present a free Executive Workshop about how retailers can apply process excellence to drive significant cost savings.

MoreSteam.com, the leading global provider of online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training and Blended Learning support technologies, proudly recognizes and congratulates customer Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. on its recognition as the “Most Successful Lean Six Sigma Start-up Program” at the iSixSigma Live! Miami 2011 Summit and Awards.

This step-by-step guide shows how Belts in the transactional sector can calculate the time needed to complete a process and utilize their resources efficiently.

Historically, medical residency teaching clinics provide the heart of medical services to an under-insured population through various government-subsidized health insurance programs. These programs provide medical coverage for eligible individuals with incomes of less than 35 percent of the federal poverty level. It is well-established that people living in poverty are at a higher risk for […]

San Diego-based SG Biofuels, an energy company that is developing biodiesel fuels based on the jatropha plant, is expanding operations into India and has named Black Belt Subhas Pattnaik as its new director of operations for the Indian market.

The typical plant control room has changed dramatically over the years. Alarm management – which once was simply a sound or flashing light designed to get the control room operator’s attention – has changed dramatically, too. Many control rooms have replaced analog panel boards with multiple screens of bright and colorful representations of plant equipment. […]

Eric Doden, a Republican candidate for mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind., USA, said that, if elected, he would continue the city’s process improvement programs initiated by former Mayor Graham Richard, including customer service training for city employees.

An insurance firm discovers through value stream mapping that it must fix its broken processes before it can increase its productivity in a sustainable way.

The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) has released a call for nominations for its annual Manufacturing Excellence Awards, recognizing North American manufacturing sites that have demonstrated the highest quality in their operations.

Lauren Manufacturing, a supplier of extruded and molded sealing products, has announced the promotion of Halle A. Norris from plant manager to vice president of manufacturing.

The publishing industry is on the threshold of major structural changes. The arrival of e-books is only the first threat, and it is having an impact sooner than expected. For example, Amazon.com sold more e-books than paper books in the first quarter of 2010. The credit crunch also has reinforced retailers’ demands for smaller, more […]

According to George Wilbanks, managing director of Russell Reynolds’ Asset and Wealth Management practice, many investment firms are looking especially hard for technology executives who have some kind of training in continuous improvement. “In the last two years, with so much volatility we’ve had in the markets, they’ve been asking for Six Sigma qualifications,” he […]

After a contentious 10-year competition with European rival EADS, the Boeing Co. won a hard-fought $35 billion contract to supply the U.S. Air Force with new refueling tanker aircraft, due in part to the Lean methods the aerospace manufacturer recently adopted for its 767 line.