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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.

When a product or service fails to meet quality standards, there are costs associated called Costs of Non-Conformance, or CONC. Find out more about this SixSigma concept.

Standard operating sheets help keep operations running smoothly. They outline the process steps, timing, and other elements of a given operation and allow employee engagement in the process.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries, organizations are increasingly integrating AI-driven solutions into their continuous improvement programs. AI has the potential to revolutionize these programs by automating repetitive tasks, uncovering patterns in data, and offering predictive insights that can accelerate decision-making. However, AI’s implementation introduces new considerations for businesses aiming to […]

One of the most confusing issues associated with someone saying “I’m using Six Sigma” has to do with what methodology they are using. A majority of the time they are using the DMAIC methodology because they have existing processes that are wasting resources (hence the big savings you’ve heard about at GE, Honeywell, […]

Get a quick primer on Paynter charts, a graphical method for comparing data regarding sub-groups. We look at how Paynter charts compare to KPI data and Pareto charts as well as the benefits of creating and reviewing Paynter charts.

It is important to have a procedure in place to finalize a project. That is where a PSO (process sign off) procedure comes in.

With the right metrics, SQDCM (safety, quality, delivery, cost, morale) boards can – and should – be used on the floor to enhance strategic development and the power of your Gemba walks.

The term COC can mean two different things in Lean Six Sigma management. It can either refer to the “cost of conformance” or a certificate of conformity. Since “cost of conformance” has already been defined on isixsigma.com at the link listed above, this article will discuss certificates of conformity. What Is a Certificate […]

The only acceptable quality level should be zero defects. But that’s not always the case. Let’s learn what an acceptable quality level or limit is all about.

You have probably heard of the acronym PDCA (Deming Cycle) but have you heard of FOCUS PDCA? Read this article and you will understand what it is.

Making data-driven decisions is critical in today’s business environment, but can you trust your measurement system to give you meaningful data? Measurement System Analysis is the tool you need to know whether you can trust your data.

Is assignable cause a bad thing? No, it’s a signal something happened in your process that you didn’t expect. It could be good or bad, but you should find out what happened.

What ethical challenges does AI pose? Anywhere you look now, there is no shortage of artificial intelligence systems in workplaces around the world. For some companies, this comes down to multiple systems working in concert with one another to achieve goals. Many industries have embraced AI, but that doesn’t mean it is a […]

There are times when you may encounter the need to analyze non-normal distribution. Having another option other than the ANOVA test in these types of situations is critical.

Many statistical tests have underlying assumptions about the population data. But, what happens if you violate those assumptions? This is when you might need to use a non-parametric test to answer your statistical question. Non-parametric refers to a type of statistical analysis that does not make any assumptions about the underlying probability distribution […]

Your customers often ask, “When will I get my widget delivered?” You respond with, “It depends.” If you know your turn-around time, you might be able to provide a better answer. Let’s learn more about turn-around time.

Your business is at war with waste, defects, and inefficiencies. Let’s attack and defeat your enemy with a lightning-quick attack using overwhelming forces. In other words, a Kaizen Blitzkrieg, or Blitz for short.

I will be the first to admit that I still have a few cases of 8-track tapes. For those too young to know what 8-track tapes are, please ask your parents. As a customer who purchased a lot of music, my needs were simple. I wanted a clearer sound and something smaller to […]

Voice of the Process vs. Voice of the Customer isn’t a debate necessarily. In Six Sigma, many voices communicate concepts, ideas, and progress that any organization should pay attention to. Some, like VOP, can inform you of the progress of a process. However, others like VOC, serve as a beacon into the minds […]

In the Six Sigma quality methodology, process performance is reported to the organization as a sigma level. The higher the sigma level, the better the process is performing. Another way to report process capability and process performance is through the statistical measurements of Cp, Cpk, Pp, and Ppk. This article will present definitions, […]

We have all heard the phrase “garbage in, garbage out.” AOQ is defined as the expected average quality level of an outgoing product for a given the value of incoming product quality. 

Fishbone diagrams are used to drill down to the root cause of a problem. The diagram looks like the bones of a fish, where each main bone represents a possible category of root cause, and subsequent drilling down is shown as smaller and smaller bones.