Month: January 2011

The Green Grid, a global consortium that promotes energy efficiency in business computing systems, has named Six Sigma Black Belt Mark Monroe as its new executive director.

In another article published by iSixSigma, I proposed that implementing an integrated approach of Lean Six Sigma and theory of constraints (TOC) can lead to greater success for an organization than the use of an independent Lean Six Sigma approach. Since that article was published, I have received multiple queries about how to apply this […]

Recruitment has always been a good indicator of how the wider economy is faring. Since the global downturn, many recruitment companies have been squeezed. The rise of Internet-based recruitment, including social media tools, has added to their problems. Employers are watching their costs and they understand the alternative routes to new employees. As a result, […]

Most organizations are emerging from largest recession and slow recovery since the Great Depression. Unfortunately, the reactionary and inconsistent leadership responses to the meltdown have become the new cultural norm in organizations, taking culture backwards and destroying their ability to improve anything. Organizations have placed a “freeze” on improvement when they need it the most. […]

Soon after announcing its $3.5 billion takeover of St. Louis-based box maker Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., paperboard company Rock-Tenn said it plans to expand its Lean Six Sigma program to the new acquisition.

RS Precision, a manufacturer of a wide rnge of machine-tooled parts, has hired Allan Brill, a certified Lean expert and Six Sigma Black Belt, to the newly created position of continuous improvement manager.

The “Great Indian Bazaar” – the rapidly growing and evolving Indian retail market – presents special and daunting distribution challenges for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) products, such as groceries, toiletries and other items that are used up and must be replaced in a short amount of time. For a typical producer, about 100 stock keeping […]

I have a new saying for the new year: There’s an “L” before lean, and it’s Leadership. I’ve been saying this because I want to emphasize that lean is not the magic bullet that will cure disgruntled employees, overwhelmed staff, and broken processes… without effort from leaders. Over the years, as I have given lean […]

In its January/February issue, iSixSigma Magazine focuses on “Enhancing the Customer Experience.” What better way to explore that theme than through a look at retail giant Best Buy? In this profile, find out how the company is using Lean Six Sigma to satisfy both internal and external customers. The issue also offers how-to advice for […]

Based in Bardon, Leicestershire, U.K., Benson Group is one of the country’s largest carton suppliers, producing packaging for both the food and pharmaceutical industries at its 130,000-square-foot facility. The Bardon plant produces sheets of printed cardboard that is then cut and glued for use in the food industry as containers. With the adoption of Lean […]

Paul V. Arnold has joined iSixSigma, the leading provider of content for the Lean Six Sigma community, as Editor-in-chief.

During a Six Sigma project at an information technology (IT) department, there are many good reasons why a process or a system needs to change. There also are a few bad reasons – bad, but unavoidable. It’s up to the practitioners to decide how to transform bad reasons into good ones, and how to prevent […]

Circuit board maker EE Technologies (EET) is planning to add a fifth production line at its Emplame, Sonora, Mexico, facility and adopt Lean techniques to help meet rising demand for its products.

Onity, a provider of electronic locking systems, has announced that it has appointed W. Laird Hamberlin to the position of president. Laird, who is a certifed Six Sigma Black Belt, will be based in Onity’s global headquarters in Duluth, Ga., USA.

My son played football in high school, and one of the things that “football parents” were asked to do was to work at the stadium concession stand a few times during the season. Lucky me, I got to work at the cash register. This included filling orders for candy, gum, and drinks as well as […]

Mike Higgins of Molex will lead January 27 session on maximizing Lean Six Sigma value

When a company has multiple types of customers, a key factor in generating accurate voice-of-the-customer (VOC) data is the development of a unified VOC collection process. In my article, “Nice Doing Business With You” (iSixSigma Magazine, January/February 2011), I discussed various methods to ensure that all types of customer information is gathered from various departments […]

Hilco Appraisal Services, based in Northbrook, Ill., USA, has hired Master Black Belt James D. Glickman as the company’s chief marketing officer.

MoreSteam.com, the leading global provider of online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training and Blended Learning support technologies, has expanded its international offerings with the release of three new foreign-language versions of its 80-hour Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

How many times have you heard the saying, “Work will expand to fit the time available”? Even in industries where capacity expands and contracts depending on how much work there is to do, teams can still appear to be working hard all of the time. In value stream mapping exercises, Lean Six Sigma practitioners often […]

LaBarge Inc., a St. Louis-based manufacturer of electronic componenets, has named Black Belt Charles Metheny as the new operational excellence site leader for the company’s Berryville, Ark., USA, operation.

Running a call center is like handling a job interview: First impressions are critical. Good intentions do not make up for tardiness, ill-fitting clothing, dirty shoes, the inability to reasonably pronounce the interviewer’s name or ignorance about what the company does. The primary purpose of a call center is to increase the profitability of the […]

When the core of your business is about running more than 1,000 upscale hotels around the world, you learn a thing or two about meeting the needs of demanding customers. In 2001, Starwood Hotels and Resorts – owner of such famous hotel brands as Sheraton, Westin, W and Le Meridien – embarked on a Six […]