SSNewby

Gabriel,
 
We have several back-integrated plants that mold for our finishing plants and we have seen the best way to maintain demonstration of part-to-part uniformity is to begin with extensive mold/tool approval measuring every appropriate cut metal dimension on the mold/tool as a pre-installation approval and then at process qualification…[Read more]

Your input is one that I look forward to reading because it is balanced and thoughtful in addition to being knowledgeable.  Most in this forum are not comfortable identifying themselves.  Since you are, out of curiosity, which John J. McDonough are you?  I know of two notable academicians and at least one notable business executive named John J.…[Read more]

I’ll take that as a non-rhetorical question and try to give you my best answer.
I think that Six Sigma is about organizational transformation, e.g., organizational leadership embracing commitment to continuous improvement and walking the talk, everyone speaking the same language, the allocation and assignment of full time problem solvers with…[Read more]

Q Witch,
Re-read McD’s response to you.   It was well written and clear.  You seem to continue to miss the point.   SS is only as good as its capable practitioners and it appears that you have none in your corporation.    Maybe your questions should revolve around how best to get the expertise versus how best to bypass what little SS experti…[Read more]

Quality Witch,
 
Not worrying about the methodology throws into question the bottom line results that you got or think you got.    An on-target selection and execution of methodology is all that assures that you have optimized your results.    Instead of getting, and acting on, input from this forum after briefly describing your concerns, I’d su…[Read more]

Yep, pretty naive, I guess.   What have you done lately?    Still surfing the same wave?

Truly a rubber meets the road question.   Well stated and multi-layered.    Somewhat typical of my plunging in and then considering the ramifications let me think as I go:

 I believe that you’d be a more effective Six Sigma practitioner with formal training
 

You are about to begin an important project. 
 

Would you be better of…[Read more]

Prof. Tom,
 
Is your offer to shadow your Lean Six Sigma program open to non-academicians?   One of my corporate responsibilities is to develop and implement a Six Sigma program (in process) and then to, in relatively short order, follow that up with an effective Lean program, and I’d like to see the program approach that you have developed as…[Read more]

To more fully answer the question I addressed in my previous posting, ASQ can “Certify” you as a Six Sigma Black Belt.   A PhD in a statistics-related field can/will help you understand some of the more technical elements of, and tools used in, the Six Sigma process, and also helps give you research skills and hopefully an analytical mode of tho…[Read more]

Rich and Mike,
 
It’s a shame that, although you’ve chosen to grace us with your presence in this forum, that you can’t take the time to address some of the questions regarding the genesis of Six Sigma that have been bouncing back and forth.  But you can, evidently make shallow criticism of the forum participants and participate in inside joke…[Read more]

At the risk of setting off a cacophony of hysterical responses, you can take the ASQ (American Society of Quality) Six Sigma Black Belt Certification exam and, upon passing it, you are “Certified.”
 Many Six Sigma practitioners disdain the ASQ CSSBB because it does not require extensive (expensive) training and completed project work.   You take…[Read more]

Wow!  That’s great.   I hope I run into you someday.  If I do, prepare for a few hours of questions about Dr. Deming and your interaction with him and perceptions of him.   Undergrad for me was IE, with MBA, and doctorate in operations research and a lot of my career in quality – so there has been much Deming along the way.   It just gets no be…[Read more]

Having had what I thought to be a very knowledgeable and exacting dissertation committee and having benefited immeasurably from their guidance and input, I am truly in awe of your having had Dr. Deming on your committee, what an incredible and memorable experience that must have been.   That is really neat.   What was that experience like?  
 …[Read more]

Buying Colorado football would be an interesting thought.   I understand that they have an especially tactful coach – fully embracing diversity and a fun time for players.

Actually, Dr. Darth, it’s a little more complicated than that.  The way things have worked out over the years, I’m looking for a good university to buy.   Joy and fulfillment come in many flavors.   Right now I enjoy what I’m doing (life sucking though it may be).

Darth,
Trash away.   I was not clear in what I said.   I do have a PhD, I just did not do a post-doc, and then stay in academia, to my more than occasional regret.  But, the plan is to eventually return to teaching once industry has sucked the life out of me  (and that should not take a whole lot longer). 
SSNewby

Yep.  I agree.   Austin.  6th Street.   Bevo.   Lone Star Beer.    Shiner Bach.   The Oasis.   The County Line.   Lake Travis.  Hippie Hollow.   Threadgill’s.   etc.  etc.  etc…….
 Why else would anyone spend 10 years in college?   And then, I was thaaat close to post-doc, then maybe assistant professor, then maybe associate professor, then may…[Read more]

Texas State?   C’mon there…..  As a UT – Austin grad, I’ve got to say something.    It’s NOT “Texas State”, it’s the University of Texas.   I hate to be picky, although we didn’t make the Final Four, we do have some standards.
 Hook’em Horns   (and yes, I’m making the horns hand sign while I try to type)

Rog,
 
I think you are zeroing in on the target, if I could try to adjust the XY coordinates on your scope just a bit (as in elevation and windage), it seems to me that the best Black Belt is a composite of many skills and abilities.  They include project management and leadership in a matrix management environment, process knowledge, s…[Read more]

That was an interesting response to my comments regarding your posting.  
 
Mike Carnell did a good job addressing your thoughts regarding a correlation existing between sarcastic comments expressed in a technical forum with the damage done by the porn industry and also with your equating Stan’s comments with spam, so I’ll leave that alon…[Read more]