Month: December 2010

FMEA — failure mode and effects analysis — is a tool for identifying potential problems and their impact.

“Ensure that every measure of performance is pertinent to the achievement of a goal or value of your organization. Otherwise, you risk misdirecting the organization.” –Peter Drucker, Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices (Harper & Row, 1974) Even in well-managed, global companies, the failure to measure what matters can lead to unintended consequences. Consider the following real-world […]

IC-TAG Solutions, a manufacturer of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, has begun the first phase of its Lean program, which includes a program to reuse and recycle materials and save energy during the manufacturing process.

Utlility vehicle and crane manufacturer Dueco Inc. has appointed Michael Johnson as its new materials manager. With more than 17 years of experience in the materials and operations field, Johnson has had extensive training in the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.

In December 2010, the company announced that it would be ramping up production of its popular 777-series wide-body jet from 5 airplanes a month to 7 per month in 2011, and again to an average of 8.3 a month in 2013. Earlier in the year, Boeing also said it would be boosting production of its […]

Laird Technologies Inc., a St. Louis, Mo., USA-based supplier of antennas for mobile devices, has won the 2010 Great Wall Award for Lean Manufacturing Excellence in China. Laird’s manufacturing facility in Beijing, China, was recognized by the China-based Great Wall Award (GWA) Committee for having the best implementation of Lean manufacturing throughout China.

As the calendar flips to 2011, several technology experts and software providers have made predictions about how Lean Six Sigma and other process improvement methodologies will shape IT departments in the coming year. Collected here are four of their forecasts for the next 12 months.

The Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has promoted Six Sigma Black Belt Zachary Reed to the position of director of neurosciences.

Many people in the private sector are aware that the U.S. Air Force is using continuous process improvement (CPI); however, few may know that CPI is utilized throughout the central command area of responsibility in the Middle East and Central Asia – also known as “the war zone.” War is never easy, and the fog […]

Standard Bank Group – one of the largest financial institutions in South Africa, with more than 1.33 trillion rand (R) (US$200 billion) – recently released a case study about how it deployed Lean Six Sigma methods to reduce waste and errors, and also created a balanced scorecard system to track its progress. As a result […]

The Three Rivers Manufacturing Facility, owned by Detroit-based American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (AAM), has been recognized as one of the 10 best plants in North America by IndustryWeek magazine for 2010.

Most practitioners – even those with successful Six Sigma deployments – need to stand back periodically and reassess their continuous process improvement (CPI) efforts. Does information flow freely among team members? Are conflicts being resolved effectively? Does each team member feel valued? This need for Lean Six Sigma teams to refuel, refresh and recharge is […]

In a recent biannual survey about software development project delivery, most developers who were contacted said they preferred to use the Agile model. However, the results showed that projects using measurement-based models, such as Six Sigma, ITIL or waterfall, were least likely to be discontinued.

Market share depends upon an organization’s capacity not only to acquire new customers, but also to keep them. It makes no sense to invest resources to capture new customers only to lose them to competitors. This is where customer management comes in – a strategy focused on creating loyal customers by providing superior value. Unfortunately, […]

Plastics firm A. Schulman Inc. has hired Greg Agnew as its new director of continuous improvement for the Americas. Agnew, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, will start at Schulman on Jan. 1, 2011, focusing on Lean manufacturing operations, and stronger sales and operating planning processes.

Financial services firm XL Group has appointed Six Sigma Black Belt Fielding L. Norton III as senior vice president, deputy chief enterprise risk officer.

Lean Six Sigma is commonly viewed as a continuous improvement method to enhance quality and reduce costs. It’s better known for its tools than for its philosophy or underlying principles. With only superficial use of the tools, we risk missing the true power and opportunity of Lean Six Sigma as a management method to strategically […]

For the second year in a row, financial services firm Mashreq, based in the United Arab Emirates, took home at least one award at the Continual Improvement Symposium Competition 2010, organized by the Dubai Quality Group.

Winners in the Most Successful Lean Six Sigma Programs and Largest-Breakthrough Improvement and Innovation Projects to Be Revealed in Miami, Feb. 9, 2011.

The holiday season is a time when people count their blessings, celebrate the warmth of family and look forward to a fresh start to the new year. The same holds true at iSixSigma, on both a personal and professional level.

British electronics manufacturer the Seaward Group, based in Peterlee, U.K., has taken the top prize for the Northeast region at this year’s Innovative Working Practices Award, organized by the EEF Manufacturers’ Organization.

A grant from the Tennessee Department of Labor (TDL) will soon help 132 employees at Moeller Marine Inc., of Sparta, Tenn., USA, learn Lean skills to improve the plant’s efficiency.