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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 - Three Steps to Successful Six Sigma Project Selections
Most companies can identify improvement project opportunities, however, sizing and packaging these into meaningful Six Sigma projects is more difficult. Help can be found in a three-step approach to project selection that has proven successful. Read the full article. December 13, 2004
- Trusting the Data: Gage R&R in Transactional Projects
An essential component of any Six Sigma project is the gage R&R step. When traditional tools are hard to apply in transactional projects, the best approach is to ask the question, "Do I understand what my data represents and can I trust it?" Read the full article. December 6, 2004
- Rejected! The Ugly Truth About Hypothesis Testing
Most people use p 0.05 as the line where they reject the null in hypothesis testing. Yet p 0.05 means there is still a risk of making a false assertion five percent of the time. Correctly rejecting a null hypothesis is about more than just p-value. Read the full article. November 29, 2004
- Ask the Expert - The Topic: Six Sigma Metrics
David Henkin, a principal at The Vanguard Group, offers his views on Six Sigma metrics. He discusses ideas on metrics used by successful companies, Six Sigma metrics versus business metrics and the best ways to present metrics to upper management. Read the full article. November 22, 2004
- Black Belt Return on Investment - How much can Black Belts save your company?
How much can Black Belts save your company? This research benchmarks over 800 company data points and shares the hard and soft savings being achieved around the world. Read the full article. November 18, 2004
- Using the Theory of Constraints to Allocate Benefits
Many Six Sigma companies experience challenges in their effort to calculate and allocate benefits from throughput projects, where bottlenecks shift from one process to another. Employing the theory of constraints provides an effective solution. Read the full article. November 15, 2004
- Quick, Quality Decision-Making Using Six Sigma Tools
A significant part of business success can come from the speed and quality of decision-making, which leads to performance improvements that reduce rework and drive benefits to the bottom line faster. Six Sigma has tools that improve decision-making. Read the full article. November 8, 2004
- Measuring and Improving Service Processes with Six Sigma
Service processes can consume a large portion of a company's operating margin, so it is not surprising that Six Sigma efforts are often directed at these processes. Sensible measures of such service processes are a key to managing and improving them. Read the full article. November 1, 2004
- Mining for Lost Gold in the Transactional Environment
Transactional projects in Six Sigma often center on process chaos or, in other words, time or money being lost in long wait times, missed deadlines and expensive firefighting. The best way to restore order is via a repetitive cycle of measurement and analysis. Read the full article. October 25, 2004
- Is Your Organization Ready to Implement Six Sigma?
A successful Six Sigma implementation depends on a company's culture, and the commitment and conviction of its leadership. Identifying a few simple factors can help determine whether an organization is ready for a successful deployment. Read the full article. October 18, 2004
- Using Data Analysis to Identify Six Sigma Sales Projects
Six Sigma's data-driven approach facilitates correlation of factors involved in the sales process and helps isolate specific ways to expand the potential for increasing sales. The end result is a significant source of ideas for improvement projects. Read the full article. October 11, 2004
- Benefits of Connecting RFID and Lean and Six Sigma
The benefits radio frequency identification (RFID) brings to supply chain management, transportation and item tracking are well known, but it also can provide these data elements as inputs into a quality management system via Six Sigma or Lean. Read the full article. October 4, 2004
- Ask the Expert - The Topic: Six Sigma and Employees
Barbara Wheat, executive director of Six Sigma for Tenneco-Automotive, offers her views on Six Sigma and employees. She discusses a variety of ideas on communications, but her best advice about what to tell employees is: The truth. Read the full article. September 27, 2004
- Importance of Test Plans/Test Protocol (with a Template)
Test plans, which outline requirements, activities, resources, documentation and schedules, are an important part of performing an experiment. They save time and money, help get the best results and facilitate speedy test report writing. Read the full article. September 20, 2004
- Turning Customer Data into Critical-to-Satisfaction Data
In Six Sigma, a successful business knows its customers by identifying the voice of the customer (VOC). And, the key to success in that process is gathering customer data and converting it into measurable critical-to-satisfaction elements. Read the full article. September 13, 2004
- Tips and Technology for Six Sigma in Mobile Workforces
Deploying Six Sigma in areas of high workforce mobility or dispersion, such as field sales and service, has proven challenging. This is ironic in that mobile workforces are closest to customers, and a Six Sigma strength is its focus on customers. Read the full article. September 6, 2004
- Involving Finance in Six Sigma – Do It Early and Fully
How confident can a company be that claims of Six Sigma benefits actually impacted the bottom line? BHP Billiton Base Metals found an answer through the early and full involvement of its finance department in its deployment of Six Sigma. Read the full article. August 30, 2004
- Ask the Expert - The Topic: Six Sigma and Business Strategy
Joe Valasquez, senior vice president/quality and productivity executive for Bank of America, offers his views on Six Sigma and business strategy. He discusses aspects of successful programs plus the value of partial deployments and pilot programs. Read the full article. August 23, 2004
- Six Sigma Projects in the Human Resources Department
Human resources is no different than any other aspect of a business in being able to deliver Six Sigma projects with significant financial benefits to the company. Projects are directed toward the internal customer or toward the external customer. Read the full article. August 16, 2004
- Analytical Treatment of Discrete Ordered Category Data
Black Belts learning to apply the Six Sigma methodology to ordered category data should know that there are alternate methods for analyzing discrete ordered category data that are specifically useful when structuring voice of the client processes. Read the full article. August 9, 2004
- Six Sigma Tools, Methods and Culture Are Here to Stay
Is Six Sigma just a fad? Without proper leadership, what is labeled Six Sigma in some organizations may indeed fall by the wayside. However, done right, the tools, methods and culture that are true Six Sigma will be here for decades to come. Read the full article. August 2, 2004
- Automating Input Data to Improve On-Time Deliveries - An iSixSigma Case Study
A Six Sigma company seeks to improve its cycle time in filling customer orders, but has no data collection for parts of its order fulfillment process. Its solution is an automated process for extracting input data from its own business system. Read the full article. July 26, 2004
- Using DOE to Solve a Product Development Problem - An iSixSigma Case Study
Design of experiments (DOE) helps an automotive company determine factors affecting defect levels in an alternator it manufactured. DOE identified the cause of ventilation noise within the alternator, and moved the problem toward resolution. Read the full article. July 19, 2004
- Measurement Uncertainty as a Real World Issue
Since customers continue to insist on the highest quality at the lowest cost, the production floor of Six Sigma companies must continually improve the certainty of measurements without increasing costs. This is a necessity to stay competitive. Read the full article. July 12, 2004
- Green Belt Mentoring: Re-Draw Dotted Line to Black Belts
Green Belts are sent out to solve nagging business problems with two weeks of intensive training and a pat on the back. Not surprisingly, the results usually are not stellar. The solution is for Black Belts to devote some time to being mentors. Read the full article. July 5, 2004
- Ask the Expert - The Topic: Hiring and Training Black Belt Leaders
Jackie Cazar, vice president of Pershing LLC, a member of BNY Securities Group, offers her perspective on the hiring and training of Black Belt leaders - including what a Black Belt needs in the way of skills, background and experience. Read the full article. June 28, 2004
- 2004 Six Sigma Salary Survey: Pacific Nations
iSixSigma's 2004 Salary Survey for Six Sigma Professionals: Pacific Nations Read the full article. June 21, 2004
- 2004 Six Sigma Salary Survey: U.S./Canada
iSixSigma's 2004 Salary Survey for Six Sigma Professionals: U.S./Canada Read the full article. June 21, 2004
- 2004 Six Sigma Salary Survey: United States Alone
iSixSigma's 2004 Salary Survey for Six Sigma Professionals: United States Alone Read the full article. June 21, 2004
- The Global Salary Survey for Six Sigma Professionals
iSixSigma's 2004 Salary Survey for Six Sigma Professionals has two unique perspectives. First, the survey provides a global view. Second, unlike other quality salary surveys, this one is focused as specifically as possible on Six Sigma professionals. Read the full article. June 21, 2004
- 2004 Six Sigma Salary Survey: Worldwide
iSixSigma's 2004 Salary Survey for Six Sigma Professionals: Worldwide Read the full article. June 21, 2004
- 2004 Six Sigma Salary Survey: Asia/Africa
iSixSigma's 2004 Salary Survey for Six Sigma Professionals: Continental Asia/Africa Read the full article. June 21, 2004
- 2004 Six Sigma Salary Survey: Europe
iSixSigma's 2004 Salary Survey for Six Sigma Professionals: Europe Read the full article. June 21, 2004
- ISSSP Session: Innovation and Six Sigma Go Hand in Hand
Corporate innovation and Six Sigma go hand in hand if the methodology is fully utilized. That was the conclusion of participants in a lively discussion at the International Society of Six Sigma Professionals (ISSSP) conference in June. Read the full article. June 17, 2004
- Partnership in Educating Black Belts − A Case Study
In an effort to achieve breakthrough results in educating Six Sigma Black Belts, an industry-academia partnership was formed between the Union Pacific Railroad and Bellevue University in Nebraska. The results were indeed of Six Sigma proportions. Read the full article. June 14, 2004
- Margin of Error and Confidence Levels Made Simple
Most surveys draw their conclusions from a sampling a larger group. How well the sample represents the larger population is gauged by two important statistics which quality professionals should understand - the margin of error and confidence level. Read the full article. June 7, 2004
- DOE: The ‘Power Tool’ of the Analyze and Improve Phases
Each step of the DMAIC methodology brings a distinct set of tools to bear on the project objective. For the Analyze and Improve phases, design of experiments (DOE), combined with analysis of variance, is the Six Sigma "power tool." Read the full article. May 31, 2004
- Ask the Expert - The Topic: Six Sigma – The Way We Work
Mike Carnell, Six Sigma Program Manager for BHP Billiton Base Metals, offers his views on Six Sigma as the way we work. He discusses the possibilities and problems of completely institutionalizing Six Sigma in an organization's processes. Read the full article. May 24, 2004
- Using Six Sigma to Solve Issues in Public School System
Of all the innovative applications for Six Sigma, none may be as interesting as one being used in Colorado – applying Six Sigma to all aspects of a public school system. And all aspects includes the heart of any school district – the classroom. Read the full article. May 17, 2004
- In His 100th Year, Juran Still an Advocate for Quality
Dr. Joseph M. Juran, whose ideas led to Six Sigma and other quality management strategies, continues his outspoken advocacy of quality at a celebration of his centennial. He warns that U.S. companies are moving too slowly in improving their quality. Read the full article. May 13, 2004
- Calculating COPQ Using Weighted Risk of Potential Failures
The Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) is the initial financial analysis conducted for a Six Sigma project. The challenge comes when no measurements are available at initiation of a project. Here is an approach for meeting that challenge. Read the full article. May 10, 2004
- Moms Know . . . All About Clear Operational Definitions
An operational definition can be defined as a clear and understandable description of what is to be observed and measured, such that different people collecting, using and interpreting data will do so consistently. It's something moms know about... Read the full article. May 3, 2004
- Ask the Expert - The Topic: Six Sigma Adoption and Cultural Issues
Jack Finney, president and CEO of Six Sigma Academy, offers his perspective on Six Sigma adoption and cultural issues - from strategies to convince resistant employees to maintaining a positive culture as the initiative matures and employees turn over. Read the full article. April 26, 2004
- Process Redesign to Reduce Cycle Time − A Case Study
A power distribution company in India, serving domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural users, was not meeting the country’s performance standard regulations for metering and billing. A Six Sigma project was initiated to reduce cycle time. Read the full article. April 19, 2004
- Why You Cannot Depend Totally on Statistical Software
The proliferation of do-it-yourself statistical software is giving some Six Sigma practitioners, who are not strong in statistics, a false sense of confidence. Here are some tips about what needs to be done even before collecting and analyzing data. Read the full article. April 12, 2004
- The Impact of Control Strategies on Z Shift Values
When special control strategies are applied to typical process data, the observed relationship between Z(short-term) and Z(long-term) is reproduced, and a relationship to estimate Z(short-term) from Z(long-term, discrete) from defect counts is derived. Read the full article. April 5, 2004
- Building the Foundation for Successful Change
After decades of initiatives being unleashed on unprepared organizations, good managers have learned that the correct foundation must built to allow successful change. Here are some critical aspects of building that foundation for change. Read the full article. March 29, 2004
- Ask the Expert - The Topic: Six Sigma and Return on Investment
John Lopez-Ona, president and CEO of Six Sigma Qualtec, offers his perspective on Six Sigma and return on investment - from how to measure ROI in a Six Sigma initiative to the critical success factors in achieving a satisfactory ROI. Read the full article. March 22, 2004
- Hard and Soft Savings: What Counts Can Be Counted
Organizations using Six Sigma measure success in terms of hard savings, and are less impressed with soft savings. But it pays to consider both when evaluating a Six Sigma project. Sometimes soft savings are harder than management realizes. Read the full article. March 15, 2004
- Turning Management Reluctance into Six Sigma Support
Not every organization is so lucky as to have senior management fully on board from the start of a Six Sigma program. There are, however, a couple of proven ways to turn on management support for a continuous improvement program organization-wide. Read the full article. March 8, 2004
- BOLO (Be On LookOut) List for Analyzing Process Mapping
Once a process map is completed, the team that put it together will analyze it. Here is a chart which provides a checklist of things to Be On the LookOut for when analyzing any process. Items on the list are called BOLOs, for short. Read the full article. March 1, 2004
- Ask the Expert - The Topic: Starting a Six Sigma Initiative
Forrest Breyfogle, president and CEO of Smarter Solutions, Inc., offers his perspective on starting a Six Sigma initiative -- from what can be learned from successful deployments to required resources and leadership to the role of top management. Read the full article. February 23, 2004
- Using Vector Analysis for Turbo-Charged Data Mining
Data mining via vector analysis is a powerful, flexible process observation tool. With due regard for the possibility of correlation/causation fallacies, data mining can be used by almost anyone. Read the full article. February 16, 2004
- Eureka! Seeing a Forest of Innovations Because of TRIZ
What if the process of creative thinking could be reduced to a set of pre-determined rules or steps? This concept is the basis for the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, or TRIZ -- a methodology to teach people to solve problems of all types. Read the full article. February 9, 2004
- Integrating SPC and SQC to Overcome Weakness in Either
SQC and SPC are two powerful tools, which have different goals and requirements for successful application. By using a methodology that combines the strengths of both approaches, it is possible to overcome the individual weaknesses of each one. Read the full article. February 2, 2004
- Tips for Getting the Most from Six Sigma Surveys
Many surveys fail to achieve their goals. A few tips may provide some help. And the real-life examples of survey mistakes cited here are caution lights for those involved in gathering information by survey for Six Sigma projects. Read the full article. January 19, 2004
- Six Sigma for Sales: Truth About the Customers' Needs
A successful sales strategy is to determine what things have the greatest leverage, and focus scarce resources on them. One way to accomplish this is to close the gap between what customers value and what you provide using the Six Sigma methodology. Read the full article. January 12, 2004
- Insider Views on Selecting a Six Sigma Consultant
You decide to hire a consulting company to help you implement the Six Sigma methodology. But whom do you hire? Representatives of two consulting companies and two client companies offer views in a virtual discussion on how to make the best choice. Read the full article. January 5, 2004
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