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Six Sigma & Quality Article Archive
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Quality Spotlight Archive | Management Spotlight Archive | Tools Spotlight Archive Readers' Choice: View All Top-Rated Articles Archives by Year: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 - How To Calculate Process Sigma
Calculating your process sigma can be accomplished in 5 simple steps: Define your opportunities, define your defects, measure your opportunities and defects, calculate your yield, look-up process sigma. This article includes all the tools you need. Read the full article. December 23, 2002
- Control Chart Wizard Now Online
Ever wondered what control chart to use for your process? Wonder no longer, the iSixSigma Control Chart Wizard is online and available! Start by selecting your data type and other parameters, and the Wizard walks you through the Control Chart selection process. It also includes links to definitions, tutorials, examples and additional resources. Try it now: Read the full article. December 16, 2002
- GE's Six Sigma Focus On Span
Span is a metric used to understand process dispersion, as well as help a business become focused on customer requirements. Read the full article. December 9, 2002
- When to Recalculate Control Limits
A problem that has often confronted practitioners using control charts is when to consider recomputing the control limits. A simple decision matrix and explanation is included in this article. Read the full article. December 2, 2002
- Ask the Expert: Deploying & Implementing Six Sigma
David Silverstein, Managing Partner and CEO of Breakthrough Management Group, explains how Six Sigma can be implemented in any organization. The key to is build a customized deployment plan. Read the full article. November 28, 2002
- Generating Support For A Sales Quality Initiative
Applying quality principles to sales often produces nothing but resentment and resistance between the sales and quality departments. Examining both the sales and the quality perspectives, this article illustrates a technique that might be useful in getting such a seemingly impossible initiative off the ground. Read the full article. November 25, 2002
- The Six Sigma Cycle Of Change
The Six Sigma cycle of change is hard to begin, but once the wheel of change is in motion it's easy to sustain. In other words, Six Sigma becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Read the full article. November 18, 2002
- How To Compare Data Sets - ANOVA
An ANOVA is a guide for determining whether or not an event was most likely due to the random chance of natural variation. Or, conversely, the same method provides guidance in saying with a 95% level of confidence that a certain factor (X) or factors (X, Y, and/or Z) were the more likely reason for the event. Learn more about this useful tool and how your everyday spreadsheet program can help you perform a test. Read the full article. November 11, 2002
- Six Sigma and Workout
For companies already committed to Six Sigma, the addition of Workout to their ongoing deployment strategy can add 30 percent or more to their savings scorecard and greatly expand employee participation. For companies not ready to invest in Six Sigma, Workout is a logical on-ramp for clearing the path of low-hanging fruit and for helping employees become confident about making change happen at controlled speed. Read the full article. November 4, 2002
- Ask the Expert: Integrating Lean And Six Sigma
Michael George, Chairman and CEO of George Group, explains Lean and how it can integrate with Six Sigma to improve speed and efficiency while decreasing waste. Why should Lean be important to Six Sigma professionals? Read on. Read the full article. October 28, 2002
- Reducing Variability With DOE
As a result of doing systematic experimentation, using sound statistical principles, the quality of processes can be improved and become more robust to variations in the levels of components and processing factors. Apply powerful design of experiments (DOE) tools to make your system more robust to variations in component levels and processing factors. Read the full article. October 21, 2002
- Y=f(x): Aligning Green/Black Belts To Business Needs
Using the Y=f(x) tool to analyze your business will help define processes and key metrics supporting customer satisfaction. Read the full article. October 14, 2002
- How To Turn Process Data Into Information
When we turn our counts and measures into accurate statistical pictures, patterns emerge. Learning to recognize these patterns is an indispensable Six Sigma skill. Valuing the information conveyed by these patterns is one of the most important contributions executive leaders can make to Six Sigma projects. Read the full article. October 7, 2002
- Selecting Appropriate Metrics
Process metrics need to serve a purpose, be understood, and not be too cumbersome or complex to use. Fashioning appropriate metrics requires knowledge, experience and a lot of common sense. These examples are intended to help the inexperienced Six Sigma practitioner recognize the issues involved and the criticality of ensuring that the metrics selected and used at all levels of the organization are the appropriate ones. Read the full article. September 30, 2002
- Ask the Expert: Large & Small Deployments
Ask the Expert about Six Sigma deployment at large and small companies: Should it be based on strategy or finances? Can all companies reap benefits? Who is best to help with the deployment? Read the full article. September 23, 2002
- Understanding Six Sigma Deployment Failures
A recent iSixSigma Discussion Forum question asked if there have been any Six Sigma deployments that have failed. This article defines the term failure from a company's viewpoint, and discusses the reasons why Six Sigma deployment failures can occur. Learn to identify failures before they happen to your company. Read the full article. September 16, 2002
- Are You New To Six Sigma?
Find answers, links and resources to all your basic Six Sigma questions. Read the full article. September 9, 2002
- Six Sigma - A Socio-Technical System
Six Sigma is both a social and technical system. To be effective, the social and technical systems must integrate and assist one another. This article features two case studies on failed Quality initiatives and how a socio-technical system balance would have helped. Read the full article. September 2, 2002
- From Quality Control To Quality Improvement
From Quality Control to Quality Improvement is a case study in applying control charts and experimental design. Read the full article. September 1, 2002
- 7 Keys To A Change Deployment Process
Why is there so much variation in levels of success amongst adopters of change programs? The answer lies in the fact that most methodologies offer steps that are necessary to achieve success; they are neither sufficient nor exhaustive. This article explores some of the potential issues that need to be addressed during a change process that can make the difference between a successful and a not-so-successful deployment. Read the full article. August 26, 2002
- Design for Six Sigma - IDOV Methodology
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) can be accomplished using any one of many methodologies. IDOV is one popular methodology for designing products and services to meet six sigma standards. Read the full article. August 19, 2002
- The History of Six Sigma
The history of Six Sigma is tracked from the 18th century, through Motorola, Allied Signal and GE's deployments to today. Read the full article. August 15, 2002
- The History of Six Sigma
The history of Six Sigma is traced from the 18th century, through popularization in the 1980s at Motorola and GE, to today. Read the full article. August 15, 2002
- Developing Black Belt Change Agents
Black Belts and Change Agents should know how to survive 'Pity City' and the 'Valley of Despair.' Learn to navigate the issues associated with change and improvement projects from two experts on this subject. The successful results lead to greater business efficiency and profitability. Read the full article. August 12, 2002
- Six Sigma Costs And Savings
In the world of Six Sigma quality, it takes money to save money. You can't expect to significantly reduce costs and increase sales using Six Sigma without investing in training, organizational infrastructure and culture evolution. But if you do invest, the savings are significant and should catch the eye of any CEO or CFO. This article include real data from real companies -- how does your company compare? Read the full article. July 29, 2002
- What Is Design For Six Sigma (DFSS)?
Troubled with the acronyms of Six Sigma? We'll help you figure out new product design (DFSS) from existing process improvement (DMAIC). Learn the many methodologies of Design For Six Sigma, and see how they compare to DMAIC. Read the full article. July 22, 2002
- Facilitation: A Critical Soft Skill For Success
The soft skills of facilitating a group are one of the most important skills that need to be mastered for the successful achievement of tangible results. Most examples are merely platitudes; this article provides a real-world case study and examples. Read the full article. July 15, 2002
- Why Control Chart Your Processes?
Control charts help you identify and understand process variation. Learn the major elements and control charts and how to construct a control chart. Read the full article. July 8, 2002
- My Business Is Different, Six Sigma Won't Work
If you think Six Sigma won't work for your company, you are either ignorant or refuse to change. Every business process can be measured, improved and controlled using the Six Sigma methodology. Read the full article. July 1, 2002
- Sustaining Results From Six Sigma
Six Sigma initiatives are at risk of losing the discretionary effort and intellectual capital that workers once supplied willingly. Organizations can increase employee engagement by engineering their improvement strategies around a few core principles. Read the full article. June 24, 2002
- Six Sigma DMAIC Roadmap
The Six Sigma DMAIC problem solving methodology consists of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control phases. This article roadmap includes steps, tools and tollgates. Read the full article. June 17, 2002
- Determine The Root Cause: 5 Whys
The 5 Whys is a technique used in the Analyze phase of the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology. The 5 Whys is a great Six Sigma tool that doesn't involve a statistical hypothesis and in many cases can be completed without a data collection plan. Read the full article. June 10, 2002
- Six Sigma Meets Software Development
While Six Sigma provides great tools for improving and developing products and services, some work is still needed for managing software projects. Read the full article. June 3, 2002
- Characterizing the Measurement Process
Measurement System Analysis (MSA) can be fun, always impresses the customer, and can often result in an important surprise or two. Learn why Gage R&R is only one part of the equation for achieving near risk free measurements of all types. Read the full article. May 27, 2002
- Is Software Inspection Value Added?
In manufacturing circles it is generally accepted that inspections are money wasted. But in the world of software that is definitely not the case. This brief case study uses scorecards to illustrate the value and payoff that can be realized by introducing software inspections. Read the full article. May 20, 2002
- Capturing Financial Benefits From Lean Manufacturing
Organizations are quick to adopt the Lean or Six Sigma religion, but management is sometimes underwhelmed with the bottom-line savings. What often gets lost is the discipline in tying activities to clearly defined and auditable financial results. There are several lessons that can be learned that can help organizations translate transparent intentions into visible financial results. Read the full article. May 13, 2002
- Six Sigma Trends: Upgrade for Supply Chains and Solution Providers
Customers are requiring greater supply-chain integration. This trend must be considered when launching and/or deploying Six Sigma. Today's traditional effort in deploying Six Sigma projects should be restructured in order to balance addressing Chain Voice of the Customer with solving internal, single-business process problems. Read the full article. May 6, 2002
- Save Time With Fractional Factorial DOEs
Design of Experiments (DOE) is a key tool in the Six Sigma methodology because it effectively explores the cause and effect relationship between numerous process variables and the output. Fractional factorial designs are good alternatives to a full factorial design, especially in the initial screening stage of a project. Read the full article. April 29, 2002
- The Champion's Role In Successful Six Sigma Deployments
Champions have a much larger role in deploying Six Sigma or any other initiative than just removing roadblocks. Champions must be integrated into the business, select projects accurately, adjust the speed of the deployment as necessary, and take responsibility for implementation. Read the full article. April 22, 2002
- Six Sigma Critical Success Factors
Measuring and managing Six Sigma critical success factors is required for organizational alignment and optimization. View this checklist to ensure your company is measuring, aligning and closing gaps in management performance and behavior. Read the full article. April 15, 2002
- Six Sigma Certification, Who Can Do It?
Six Sigma certification is a funny concept. Everyone wants to be certified, but nobody really understands what it means in the industry and how it might enhance your resume outside your current company. This article helps the reader understand who can certify, what certification means, what Six Sigma certification requirements exist, and much more. Read the full article. April 8, 2002
- Human Process Capability And Entitlement
Can the capability of a human process ever approach Six Sigma, or is the entitlement of human processes much below what your customers will expect? Find out how many defects and errors you can expect from your human processes. Read the full article. April 1, 2002
- Six Sigma Trends: Next Generation of Projects
Trends in Six Sigma DMAIC projects indicate that higher level tools will be necessary in the future. Iterations within one project life cycle will also be more important. Here are some additional trends. Read the full article. March 25, 2002
- Six Sigma E-Learning: Fact Or Fiction?
Six Sigma e-learning is now on the radar screen of every major company implementing the Six Sigma Quality initiative. The key will be to design a Six Sigma e-learning system that combines both online and in-person classroom learning to meet the needs of individual employees and the business. Read the full article. March 18, 2002
- Introduction To Robust Design (Taguchi Method)
Robust Design method, also called Taguchi Method, pioneered by Dr. Genichi Taguchi, greatly improves engineering productivity by consciously considering the noise factors and the cost of failure to ensure customer satisfaction. Read the full article. March 11, 2002
- Recalculating Control Limits
The tedious task of analyzing control charts for validity of the limits can be eliminated and the resulting report can be used as a tool to keep the process of continuous improvement on track. Read the full article. March 6, 2002
- Successful Six Sigma Deployment
Six Sigma deployment success is built on an infrastructure foundation. Learn to align projects to business strategy, and use a balanced DMAIC framework as your key to successful Six Sigma deployment. Read the full article. March 4, 2002
- Applying Lean Manufacturing To Six Sigma
The relationship between Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma has been questioned. This case study of a digitizing document process clearly demonstrates that Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma can be combined for optimal results. Read the full article. February 25, 2002
- Understand And Quantify The Customer's View
The customers' view of the value your company provides is based on the quality of the combined package of product and service. So how do you -- as the Quality professional -- provide management with a tool to benchmark the operational performance and monitor the customer satisfaction of your organization's ability to satisfy? The Customer View Score may be what you need. Read the full article. February 18, 2002
- How To Complement ISO 9001:2000 With Six Sigma
How to meet the new ISO requirements and drive significant business performance improvement with a complementary Six Sigma program. Also learn how ISO can help your Six Sigma program. Read the full article. February 11, 2002
- Is This A Six Sigma, Lean, Or Kaizen Project?
Executives who develop a working knowledge of Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen are much better prepared to build the right infrastructure and lead their organizations to both financial and human success. Read the full article. February 4, 2002
- How Mistake Proof Are Your Processes?
Poka Yoke, also called mistake proofing, is a simple method to prevent defects from occurring in your business processes. Learn from these three poka yoke examples. Read the full article. January 28, 2002
- Six Sigma Evolution Clarified
The roots and evolution of Six Sigma, from Motorola until today, are traced and clarified. "I believe every six sigma practitioner, consulting firm, and black belt has contributed to the evolution of six sigma," says Daniel Laux, President of Six Sigma Academy. "I urge all of us to take six sigma to the next level by being thought leaders inspiring creativity and originality in our successors, instead of simply regurgitating what others have said before us." Read the full letter to the editor of iSixSigma. Read the full article. January 27, 2002
- Are You Sure Your Data Is Normal?
Most processes are not normally distributed. Most Six Sigma tools, however, assume normality. Choose the right tool for your next process analysis. Read the full article. January 21, 2002
- Maximize Six Sigma Team Performance
The Black Belt's ability to maximize team members' contributions is critical to the success of a Six Sigma project. Many factors must be addressed. With a well-maintained team comes team synergy, which results in happier, healthier, and more productive employees.
Read the full article. January 14, 2002
- A Simple Model of a Variance Stable Process
Most fairly accurate descriptions of equipment and/or process lifetimes assume that failure rates follow a three period I II III bath tub curve pattern where failures / errors decrease during the debugging or improvement time period, remain relatively constant and at their lowest levels during the normal equipment or process operating period, and increase during the wearout time period. Read the full article. January 10, 2002
- Words Of Advice For Frustrated Black Belts
We've all been there before - frustrated with projects, business culture and a lack of support for Six Sigma. Here are suggestions for overcoming Black Belt frustrations. Read the full article. January 7, 2002
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