Category: Concepts

There are some set characteristics that make something what it is. We look for common characteristics that make a door a door. We look for certain characteristics in order to be able to call a type of vehicle a car. There are set characteristics for most common things that, when looked at together as a […]

Finding the center point of your data set can be deceptively simple. There are a few different methods that you should be aware of when determining the central tendency, which come into play depending on the nature of your data. Determining the center point of your data set can be helpful in a variety of […]

Lean Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology that uses data to identify and solve problems in business processes. One of the main tools used in Lean Six Sigma is the process flow diagram, which is used to map out the steps in a process and identify where waste occurs. The diagram can be used […]

Early on in our educational development, most of us received a simple worksheet that explained cause and effect. The importance of what causes are and the effects that come from them did not end in childhood but is important as an adult too, especially in the business world. Knowing what the causes are for the […]

Does your organization have a centralized department or function that monitors and tracks the performance of your operations relative to your customers? If you do, let’s see what it might be doing. The term “Customer Operations Performance Center” is not a widely recognized or standardized term, so its exact meaning may vary depending on the […]

Good communication is one of the most important qualities to have if you want to succeed in business. For various reasons, this quality is often overlooked. None of us exist in a bubble. All of us find it necessary to communicate with others in our business lives at some point or another. Communicating well is […]

This is what I want! This is what I need! This is how I want it to perform! You need to embark upon a process to take your customers’ qualitative wants and needs and translate them into specific customer requirements. 

Organizations love to talk in terms of averages. They talk about average sales, average units produced, or the average time to complete an invoice. But, is that adequate? Let’s explore other measures of central tendency and answer that question.

Businesses need structure in order to operate properly. This need for structure extends into nearly all aspects of an organization, including who holds the decision rights. In your organization, it is necessary for the procedures behind how processes and projects are implemented to be clear and definitive. Choosing the appropriate owner of the decision rights […]

There is only one way for businesses to stay relevant in today’s world, and that is to constantly seek for opportunities for change. This concept can get and keep you in that mindset.

The capability maturity model (CMM) was conceived during the 1980s as a way to improve the way US government departments interfaced with technical contractors. The rapid onset and development of computer technology forced many agencies, including the Department of Defense, to develop a new model to adapt to the more demanding and fast-paced nature of […]

Finding bugs during the testing phase of software is paramount to making sure customers receive a product that works as it is intended to.Having bugs in software is not uncommon. It is, however, extremely important to do rigorous testing to find them ahead of the release of the software or product to the public. Overview: […]

Will being a Black Belt help you beat up your competition? In a way, yes. A skilled and experienced Lean Six Sigma Black Belt will help your organization improve all you do. Let’s see how.

During the Six Sigma Improvement Stage of DMAIC, you will need to develop strategies and ideas for improving your process. There are three steps to coming up with viable improvement solutions. These steps are idea generation, organization, and assessment.  Brainstorming can be defined as a structured method of generating unconstrained ideas/ solutions and gaining engagement/involvement […]

Balanced experiments are a common class of designed experiment where the factors that are manipulated are set at levels that occur equally within each level of the other factors. This setup provides several advantages, including the need for few experimental runs, lack of correlation between factors, and simplicity.

Concept engineering is how you measure twice and cut once. It’s how you learn from mistakes before you make them. This practice is a way to consider problems and possibilities that may emerge from initial design to final production.

See Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Such is the case with a box plot. This simple graph can be used to describe many things about your data. Let’s see how.

Blocking doesn’t always refer to football. It can also apply to Design of Experiments. Let’s explore how that works.

In the context of Lean Six Sigma, we can talk about bias in the context of measurement and statistics. Minimizing or eliminating bias in your measurement data and statistical analysis should be a goal. Let’s explore the many types, sources, and impact of bias. 

Data collection doesn’t always have to be a complex process. A simple check sheet can allow you to capture relevant data in a graphical format for initial interpretation of your process or for in-depth analysis later.

All decisions carry some risk of being wrong. The management of that risk will reduce your downsides. Beta risk is one of the risks associated with hypothesis testing. Let’s learn a little more about it.

With any business, it is important to be able to separate yourself from the competition to gain an advantage. This can be anything from running your operations with greater efficiency to being able to differentiate the attributes of your product from those of your rivals. Having a competitive advantage and being able to maintain it […]

Bar charts are one of the most common ways to display information in a visual format, so it’s a popular choice in all kinds of media. Most business presentations have at least one of them in the mix and they are scattered throughout most high school textbooks. That’s why the ability to comprehend and use […]