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In a service organization, the most efficient method for cutting waste is to attack anything and everything that is not done right the first time. This concept, known as first time right, involves making sure that all activities are carried out in the right manner the first time and every time. Examples include a customer […]

One of the participants in our Six Sigma Black Belt training program expressed concern about a lack of buy-in for Six Sigma in her organization. With little inquiry into the matter, we discovered that the means she adopted to gain buy-in were not apt for selling the philosophy. A lack of buy-in is most common […]

Telephone operators help establish a company’s image with the outside world. An operator with a clear, courteous voice who is capable of connecting the call to the right person can be a delighter for the caller, as well as the receiver. Recently, a voice of the customer (VOC) survey revealed that operator response at a […]

PowerSteering Announces June 4 Webcast: ‘Applying Six Sigma to Six Sigma’

Since 2007, the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) has made efforts to institutionalize a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. The goal to have TACOM LCMC associates at every level advocate, pursue and implement continuous process improvement methods through the promulgation of Lean Six Sigma across the command is a […]

The Six Sigma methodology contains many tools that can be used successfully throughout an organization to improve processes and prevent failures, regardless of whether the full DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) roadmap is used. Demonstrating the efficacy of these tools for preventing or solving real business problems is a powerful way to market Six […]

As quality professionals, it is easy to become absorbed in day-to-day professional business roles: improving the quality of products or services, increasing productivity, enhancing profits, lowering costs, raising customer satisfaction and so on. Sometimes, however, it is important to pause and ask ourselves a fundamental question: How are we improving quality in our communities? For […]

Howard Gardner suggests that every person has a unique combination of multiple intelligences. Understanding what these intelligences can help practitioners design a variety of ways to better communicate lessons about Six Sigma.

PowerSteering Announces Next Webcast: ‘Automating New Product Development to Accelerate Innovation’

Mosaic Rapid Lean Six Sigma Team Saves Over $12 Million and Wins Award

The free session, “NewPage’s Recipe for Lean Six Sigma Success: Key Ingredients from the Most Successful Lean Six Sigma Start-Up,” will be presented by Robert J. Crescenzi, NewPage’s VP of Lean Six Sigma.

Don’t jeopardize your organization’s ability to capture strategic opportunities and maximize earnings. Use the tools of Six Sigma within the eight components of enterprise risk management to help your company accept the right amount of risk.

Failed Six Sigma efforts often are attributed to ineffective training of Black Belts and Master Black Belts. But there is a more fundamental issue at hand: the training and experience requested of Black Belts. It may be time to reconsider the typical certification process in order to produce expert Belts and lower the odds of […]

This best-selling book, currently in its third edition and with 1.3 million copies in print, was acclaimed by authors Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten in their new compendium The 100 Best Business Books of All Time: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You.

Time management is a common sore spot among many Six Sigma practitioners. The typical complaint: “I spend most of my time on my day-to-day responsibilities – my Six Sigma projects – and then my personal life suffers.” The question is: How can practitioners best manage all of their tasks and priorities? While time cannot be […]

Product Manager, Transportation Information Services (PM TIS) is an Army program under the auspices of the Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS). The PM TIS organization includes the Customer Service Center (CSC) which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer questions and resolve issues related to software that […]

Imagine for a moment that your Six Sigma project does not have the rigorous measurement system you would like it to have, and you have to calculate your primary metric from a few inputs instead of measuring it directly. Or perhaps you are designing a new product and want to understand how the variability in […]

Smarter Solutions CEO, Forrest Breyfogle, Receives Crosby Medal at the ASQ World Conference

Emagia CEO to Present on Driving Six Sigma Quality in Receivables Management at National Association of Credit Management

Making the decision to bring Six Sigma into an organization is the first step on a long journey. Although this decision has proven successful for a variety of industries (including healthcare), the best-laid plans may go awry if the focus is solely on the technical side, without considering the cultural and communication aspects of the […]

Testing a software product to remove hidden defects is an integral part of the software development life cycle (SDLC). Yet it is well accepted that running a software product through every possible scenario to check for defects is not just difficult, but usually impossible. The enormous cost and huge effort required is simply too much. […]

GAGEpack® Release Features Enhanced Measurement Systems Analysis

When it comes to managing supplier quality, many people immediately think of controlling the quality of incoming raw materials as they enter a process. However, as companies look to shed their non-core business processes by relying on other specialized firms to perform the work, suppler quality takes on a much broader meaning. Supplier quality incorporates […]

A common problem encountered in Lean, Six Sigma and TQM implementation is performance deterioration after the completion and handover of a breakthrough improvement. This can happen despite installation of control mechanisms to monitor ongoing performance. In this case study, a financial services company with a national sales network had already begun addressing concerns about its […]

In a recent speech to a local chapter of the American Society for Quality, the speaker stated that in a typical work site as many as 15 percent of the employees actively work to subvert the goals of the organization. Their activities obviously have a negative effect on the clients of the organization and the […]

KJ Analysis is a method of developing insight into themes and relationships among issues. It helps drill from high-level issues at one level of context (usually abstract or vague) to a more detailed set of common, reusable statements. KJ is particularly useful in software because people have a tendency to state problems as abstract characteristics […]

“We’re the largest company you’ve never heard of.” That description of McKesson Corp. by Master Black Belt Bob Gooby underscores the relative anonymity of the organization that is the largest – and also the oldest – healthcare services company in the United States. McKesson has been providing medical products for more than 175 years, yet […]

Six Sigma project metrics are typically taught in detail during Black Belt and Green Belt training classes. But the inconsistent use of these metrics after training can lead to lost opportunities and rework after a project ends. Using project metrics consistently brings enormous clarity to the impact and benefit of a Six Sigma project and […]

Nearly all medium and large companies spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions, on customer surveys every year. Customer survey results are used to amend strategies, design new products and services, and focus improvement activities. Gathering customer data is only the first step. The second step involves making best use of the data – analyzing […]

iSixSigma Live! Now Accepting Nominations for 2010 Awards

The late Bill Smith, widely regarded as the “Father of Six Sigma,” was inducted into iSixSigma’s Six Sigma Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the iSixSigma Live! Summit & Awards in Miami this past January. Smith was the first honoree to the Hall, which will welcome new members annually at the event. The Six […]

MoreSteam.com Announces Creation of Support Portal for Honda Lean Network

While working in environments where costly statistical software is not easily accessible across the organization, an Excel-based Pareto chart is a practical alternative. Follow these straightforward steps to build a Pareto chart that can be updated with a click of a button.

The Quality Group Announces Next LSS/CPI Blended e-Learning ‘Before and After’ Webinar

Information Technology Applications in Lean Systems

Lean Six Sigma Shares Innovation with DoD Components

Many organizations use surveys to gather information and data in order to learn more about their customers. While it is important to ensure that surveys are targeted to the right audience, confidence in the development and implementation of a survey is even more vital. To prepare a successful survey, practitioners should follow nine basic steps; […]

Systems thinking studies how parts of a structure interrelate to form an overall system. For example, the human body is a system – and so too are healthcare organizations and the healthcare industry in general. By adopting a systems mindset that supersedes individual functions and departments, practitioners can complete strategic value analysis based on internal and […]

A data set with a physical limit – such as time, which has a lower bound of zero – often cannot be transformed using the usual tools for non-normal data. To determine process capability and perform further statistical analysis, use the standard deviation calculated as if the data were not truncated, along with a correction factor.

The need to deploy a continuous improvement (CI) program is greater than ever. In the global financial meltdown, companies must find ways to produce goods and services cheaper, faster and better, while continuously delighting customers. In an effort to catch up, companies may be tempted to launch extensive training programs or start multiple improvement projects […]

Practitioners who think process mapping can be completed in a two-hour session with a group of subject matter experts, a white board and some sticky notes are likely to end up with a nice piece of paper with a bunch of squares and diamonds. This is because process mapping is not for wimps. Creating a […]

“McKesson’s strong Six Sigma culture and high employee job satisfaction proved to be their strongest points,” said Michael Marx, research manager for iSixSigma and the person who developed the matrix for measuring best places.

Call for Speakers: iSixSigma Live! Energy Forum for Process Excellence in Houston, May 2009

Practitioners should reach a strong understanding of the original Japanese 5S method so they will be able to educate others about it in a way that will garner employee buy-in and achieve the best results in helping their firm become more organized.

Customer complaints, known in the VOC process as reactive data, may be difficult to hear, but they are valuable information for an organization to track. They usually represent many unspoken issues, and can be used to take needed improvement action.

For companies hoping to groom future leaders, a two- or three-year Black Belt tenure can serve as a key testing ground. Therefore, it is important to select the right Belt candidates, provide them with proper training and assess their performance.

Linking DMAIC process measures to rewards as part of an annual employee objectives and appraisal process is a step often taken imprudently. It can create distortions in how the business processes are run and how Belts approach their work.

There is a synergistic relationship between enterprise risk management and Six Sigma. The continuous improvement methodology assists leadership in managing both the operations of the organization and the inherent risk associated with it.

Testing

A Six Sigma approach to marketing may be the missing piece in the marketing accountability movement. By selecting a target audience and positioning their messages to those people, marketers can become more effective while saving on cost.