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With its DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) roadmap, the Six Sigma methodology provides a structured and systematic approach to solving business and process problems. The related toolkit is a selection of proven tools and methods that– correctly applied – help to determine, analyze, and improve a problem. All is well and good, however, […]

As the name implies, capability analysis is an analysis of the ability of your process to meet your customer’s expectations and requirements. There are a number of calculated metrics which can be used to help you do your capability analysis. 

Kappa is the common measurement for judging how your measurement system works for attribute data. It is also described as the primary output from an Attribute Agreement Analysis.

“Prevention is better than cure” applies to defects in the software development life cycle as well as illnesses in medical science. Defects, as defined by software developers, are variances from a desired attribute. These attributes include complete and correct requirements and specifications as drawn from the desires of potential customers. Thus, defects cause […]

Correlation allows you to determine whether sets of data have some sort of relationship. Goodman-Kruskal Gamma looks at pairs of data and determines a correlation. Let’s see how.

When an organization begins a Lean Six Sigma deployment, what is the first step that the leadership team should take? Should they start executing Kaizen events to demonstrate the impact of quick process improvement? Or should they kick off with Six Sigma projects, using the DMAIC or DFSS roadmap, with a deep dive […]

Is random variation a good thing or a bad thing? Should I worry about the statistical implications or the practical ones? Let’s find out.

The Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology can be thought of as a roadmap for problem-solving and product/process improvement. Most companies begin implementing Six Sigma using the DMAIC methodology and later add the DFSS (Design for Six Sigma, also known as DMADV or IDDOV) methodologies when the organizational culture and […]

Your customers want to know when they can expect completion of their orders. Little’s Law, or Process Lead Time (PLT), is a simple way to calculate how long an order will take to complete.

Visual Management Boards played a critical role in enabling this company to link and visually display critical metrics, KPIs, and actions simply and consistently. So, what are Visual Management Boards? Today, we’re exploring how these visualization tools can let your company reach new heights. While the company is fictional, the results speak for […]

What are the differences between PDCA and DMAIC? There is no shortage of jargon and acronyms to keep track of within the Six Sigma methodology. However, the two methods we’re looking at today blur the lines substantially. So, let’s jump in and see exactly how these approaches differentiate themselves. What is PDCA? Plan […]

Process stability is a critical need before trying to improve that process, and control charts are used to assess it. The lower control limit is one of the three fundamental lines on a control chart for identifying a lack of stability.

The ability of a process improvement initiative to invoke sustainable change within an organization depends on the support of stakeholders who will execute the proposed changes.

So, you’ve decided to tackle a key process improvement project. You have your problem statement and scope set up, and now you need to determine who will be assigned to the core project team. Who needs to be on the team to maximize your probability of success? There’s a term for those individuals: […]

Have you ever heard your customer ask, “Why does my job take 10 days when there is only 5 days of actual work?” It may be because the Process Cycle Efficiency (PCE) is low, and there is a lot of waste in the process. PCE will help define how much that waste is.

For purposes of learning, using, or teaching a design of experiments (DOE), one can argue that an eight-run array is the most practical and universally applicable array that can be chosen. There are several forms of and names given to the various types of these eight-run arrays (e.g., 2^3 Full Factorial, Taguchi L8, […]

Learn the benefits of standard work, including how it is used to reduce variability within processes, assists faster training timeframes, and provides a starting point for process improvement projects.

Heijunka (pronounced hi-JUNE-kuh) is a Japanese word that means “leveling.” When implemented correctly, heijunka elegantly – and without haste – helps organizations meet demand while reducing while reducing waste in production and interpersonal processes. According to many Lean experts, heijunka is better achieved as a later-stage implementation in a Lean organization, long after value […]

Learn how defects per unit is used to understand the quality levels regarding defects, how DPU compares to other yield metrics, and the benefits of regularly measuring the metric.

When testing if the means of greater than 2 groups are statistically different you could use a 1-way ANOVA. But, if you have multiple treatment groups, then you can use Dunnett’s 1-way ANOVA.  ANOVA stands for Analysis of Variance. ANOVA is a statistical method used to compare the means of two or more […]

ISO 9000 is a set of international standards that ensures organizations meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders while adhering to statutory and regulatory requirements related to their products and services. It primarily focuses on quality management systems (QMS) and is designed to help organizations ensure they consistently meet customer requirements and […]

Learn more about the lower specification limit — in other words, the lowest limit that a measurement or reading can reach and still be acceptable to the customer. We’ll look at the benefits of monitoring LSL as well as some best practices and frequently asked questions.

Would you and I agree what 50% cotton/50% polyester means if we saw a label on your shirt? Probably not. How about whether your order was delivered? Without good operational definitions, we would likely not agree on many things. Let’s see how we can overcome that gap.

When it comes to Lean Six Sigma, “yield” is the measure of the percentage of items produced that meet customer quality or specification requirements. Find out more about this concept.

Do I have to pay money to get through my project Tollgate? Of course not, but you do have to stop, evaluate your progress, and make sure you’re still heading in the right direction — and accomplishing the tasks required for each step of your project. 

Your design of experiments (DOE) has many variables and a tight budget. How can you balance the process information you need with the limitations of time and resources? You might try using a screening DOE.

What Is Accuracy? Accuracy is the difference between a measured value compared to its true value. Since no measurement can be 100% exact, there needs to be a degree of inaccuracy allowed in the measurement. This degree of inaccuracy depends on the amount of error you can accept and is denoted by a […]

Run rates are a measure of the number of units produced by a process over a period. Actual run rates are often used to make future projections of process performance.

You may need to be able to determine if your processes are acceptable and capable. Thankfully, there are capability and performance indicators such as Cp, Pp, Cpk, and Ppk that can help you make that determination.

A final product can have a lot of moving parts to it, some of which were not developed by your business. Regardless, they are part of your product and your customers expect them to work.

Cost models provide a wealth of vital information about the overall state of a business as well as details of specific operations, which makes them a powerful tool for any streamlining agenda.

In business, you always want to think of your customer and you should be doing everything you can to add value to your service. There are some things, however, required to run your business that will have no inherent value to your customer.

What is Value Added? The most important thing to understand about value concepts is that they always revolve around the customer. Customers are the ones who set the standard for value, which means it’s based on whether the customer believes the product or service will address their specific needs. Increasing appeal by adding […]

What Are the Exit Criteria? Exit criteria are conditions that must be met before closing out one project stage and advancing to the next stage. When project management teams use exit criteria, they break down the project into multiple steps. Therefore, each stage will have its own set of conditions (exit criteria) that […]

The DMAIC methodology of Six Sigma is a well-known tool for improving existing products and processes. But, what if our existing process or product can’t be improved enough to meet expectations? What if we are developing a process that hasn’t existed before?

The Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test, sometimes called the Mann Whitney Wilcoxon Test or Mann Whitney U test, is used to test whether two independent samples come from the same population or two different populations. 

Cpk is one of the metrics calculated for determining whether a process is capable of meeting customer specifications or requirements. 

When performing statistical data analyses, quality professionals are always challenged to maintain data integrity. When should you round up the answer; when should you round down? How many significant figures are appropriate for the data set that has been taken? Below is a set of simple rules that should help you traverse the […]

Normally distributed data is needed to use several statistical analysis tools, such as individual control charts, Cp/Cpk analysis, t-tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). When data is not normally distributed, the cause for non-normality should be determined and appropriate remedial actions should be taken. (An introduction to remedial actions for non-normal data can […]

Red X is an anti-hero and a former “villain identity” employed by Robin of Batman and Robin fame. No, that’s not right. Red X is really a problem-solving methodology developed by Dorian Shainin. Let’s explore this a little further.

When defects happen in the manufacturing process, it’s important to correct them as quickly as possible and take action so they don’t occur again. Initiating a Corrective Action Report, or CAR, helps a project manager document the issue and define steps to avoid repeating it.

After gathering voice of the customer data, the next step is to translate user demands into design quality. A quality function deployment (QFD), also known as the house of quality, can help define those critical-to-quality outputs (CTQs).

A machine capability index is an index that can be utilized as an effective measure of machine improvement. Therefore, it is an important term to be aware of so that you can be sure that the changes you have made to improve how the machines in your business are actually working!

Six Sigma has been defined in three ways: as a metric, a methodology, and a philosophy. Sigma can be defined as the standard deviation of a set of continuous data, so Six Sigma would then be six standard deviations.

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.

How do you choose between a standard operating procedure and work instructions? When you’re onboarding employees, it helps to have the right sort of documentation in place. Today, we’re looking at the differences between both of these concepts and where they apply within your organization. What is Standard Operating Procedure? Most established companies […]

Steps in Constructing a p-Chart: p Charts can be used when the subgroups are not of equal size. This guide shows you the steps involved in constructing a p Chart.

“There is a desire in each of us to invest in things that matter, and to have the organizations in which we work be successful…Our task is to create organizations we believe in…to be part of creating something we care about so we can endure the sacrifice, risk, and adventure that commitment entails. […]

What Is a Customer Journey Map? A customer journey map is a diagram that visually represents the various steps a customer goes through in engagement with your company. This can be with a product, service, online and in-person interaction, or a combination. The Benefits of a Customer Journey Map A customer journey map […]

Y=f(x) is a concept regarding the setup of a formula used to perform analysis during problem-solving efforts. Let’s look at how Y=F(x) works within the problem-solving process, the benefits of Y=F(x), as well as some frequently asked questions.