Category: Methodology

Deming’s 14 Points provide a roadmap to transform American Business and increase productivity and competitive position.  Without W. Edwards Deming, modern quality improvement might not exist. If you have never heard of Dr. Deming or his 14 Points for Management, welcome aboard. If you have, get ready to reacquaint yourself.   Overview: What are Deming’s 14 […]

DMEDI stands for: Define, Measure, Explore, Develop, and Implement. This differs from the basic Six Sigma methodology of DMAIC which stands for: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. Both methodologies are designed to improve your processes and products. Whereas, DMAIC is designed for incremental improvements of existing processes, DMEDI focuses on more robust improvements for […]

Efficiency and effectiveness are vital elements of any successful organization, but in the realm of Lean Six Sigma, there is another crucial concept that holds the key to achieving optimal results: efficacy. Efficacy goes beyond simply measuring efficiency or effectiveness; it encompasses the ability of a process or methodology to consistently deliver the desired outcomes […]

There are several metrics you can use to measure how well your process is performing. Let’s look at three of them and discuss how they are calculated and related. The three are DPMO, Sigma Level and Cpk. Convert DPMO/Sigma to Cpk  Before discussing how you can convert DPMO (defects per million opportunities) to sigma level […]

Cost models provide a wealth of vital information about the overall state of a business as well as details of specific operations, which makes them a powerful tool for any streamlining agenda.

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.

While you may be familiar with Lean Six Sigma as a methodology for improving your processes, have you heard of the Business Process Management System (BPMS)? If not, this article will provide lots of information on what it is and how to use it. Business Process Management System (BPMS) Business Process Management System (BPMS) is […]

In any business arrangement, it is necessary to know who exactly has the power to make decisions. This is true for everything from approving a sale to granting the request for a change in a process be implemented. Just being in a position of power does not make you a great leader. A lot of […]

Average incoming quality is a simple, effective and accessible metric that indicates input quality within a process. Accurate assessment of average quality depends on several other factors, including an established framework for evaluation and consistent screening techniques. Overview: What is average incoming quality? In the context of lean manufacturing and business management practices, average incoming […]

There are all types of business metrics. Some examples would be sales revenue, customer retention rate, and net profit. Each of these and others helps provide you with a fuller picture of how your business is doing. Overview: What are business metrics? Business metrics are metrics that are quantifiable and utilized to assess the performance […]

You are probably familiar with the term 5S in the context of Lean Six Sigma. But, what about the term 5Z. Let’s learn a little more about what that means. The 5Z’s provide the principles and guidelines for achieving 5Z Accreditation. The 5Z process uses the Genba (Gemba) Kanri principles to maintain, evaluate, promote, and […]

Most people know what it means to improve a process, but which improvement methodology is best for your organization: Lean, Six Sigma, theory of constraints (TOC), PDCA (plan, do, check, act) or another framework? Joe De Feo, CEO of the Juran Institute, has worked with thousands of organizations to implement every process improvement methodology from […]

In my prior post, I introduced the concept of program leadership in the Lean Six Sigma context and articulated the value that I saw as part of the process of certifying Master Black Belts. Based on some of themes that emerged in correspondence, I thought it might be beneficial to articulate a few more thoughts […]

How long did it take to finish your last project? Do you feel like you never have enough time to do your current project because so much else is going on? When I meet with my mentees, I often hear them apologizing for not having made much progress since we met last time. Obviously they […]

Many consider the “Design” in DfSS to be the product design, but that is not the only entity that a producer of products delivers to its customers. When I refer to the “design” in Design for Six Sigma, the context is more comprehensive than simply the product design. The “design” in DfSS can be anything […]

There is obviously the classic dictionary type definition such as: Design for Six Sigma (DfSS) is an emerging business process which involves a highly disciplined methodical approach to integrating the principles of Six Sigma as early as possible into the design and development process. It is a customer-driven business strategy that creates robust designs that […]

In his standing-room-only breakout session “The Heart of ROI: Project Identification, Selection, Tracking and Replication”, Steven H. Jones of Siemens IT Solutions and Services educated iSixSigma Live! Summit & Awards attendees on methods to overcome several key Lean Six Sigma deployment challenges. The session took place in the “A Solid Investment” track on Wednesday, Feb. […]

By Paul V. Arnold, Editor-in-chief There’s a tried-and-true reason that organizations adopt Lean Six Sigma. It’s a proven set of principles, problem-solving methodologies and tools that fundamentally improve the business. But simply because an organization is doing Lean Six Sigma doesn’t mean it’s successful. Is your organization achieving a return on investment that rivals that […]

By Paul V. Arnold, Editor-in-chief Jason Gerros’ Master Class Workshop, “The Best Metrics for Your Organization,” held Monday, Feb. 7, at the iSixSigma Live! Summit & Awards in Miami, provided an excellent look at better understanding and utilizing performance metrics. More than 30 conference attendees, nearly all of them holding Black Belt or Master Black […]

As expressed in my first blog, learning and practicing Lean Six Sigma helps me communicate with more clarity and consistency. In my opinion, one of the barriers to continuous improvement is the use of words without clearly defined and mutually agreed upon meanings. It’s common to see project charters include vague statements like these: improve […]

DMAIC is a very powerful method and provides a framework for leading business improvement projects. The consistent rigor has led to many great results. However, I have also seen less successful DMAIC projects that took too long and/or generated little improvement. As mentors, we all have seen inexperienced belts struggle with various tools. However, my […]

A new project team forms to solve a business problem and asks the simple question, “What is the current process?” A little digging around yields a dusty old process document, but it is so out-of-date. The project team (in their element) run a brown paper process mapping to get the true current process. Detailed analysis […]

In the midst of a complex organizational structure and multiple frameworks, a process owner is often faced with the challenge of providing the biggest “bang” for the lowest “buck” in the shortest time. At the same time, organizations want to optimize the investment a process-improvement drive demands and strive for a common approach that can […]

The most famous example of right-to-left planning I can evoke is – That the United States should set as a goal the “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth” by the end of the decade Powerfull stuff, no messing around, but with a budget of $19.6bn you get a […]