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Working for a large multinational corporation has given me insight into, and sympathy for, the hearts and minds of department and cost center leaders. Each year they are required by company leadership to find millions of dollars using Six Sigma productivity initiatives – a subtle way of saying “savings.” Some people volunteer, but many are […]

In the fourth quarter of 2010, Fairbanks Morse Engine had to swallow a tough message from its customers: You are too slow and we are not going to take it anymore! After an extensive voice of the customer (VOC) effort, it was clear that our lead times for aftermarket parts were missing customers’ expectations. Although […]

Lean 5S (sort, simplify, shine, standardize, sustain) is about organizing the workspace so we can be more efficient, effective, and productive. All Lean concepts are about how work gets done. There are many benefits Lean 5S can provide including improving safety, decreasing downtime, raising employee morale, identifying problems more quickly, and establishing convenient work practices. […]

As the saying goes, if all you have is a hammer in your toolbox, everything looks like a nail. But if you had a torque wrench or a power drill with a box of bits, you are likely to be much more effective. Design of experiments (DOE) is one of those specialized and sophisticated tools […]

Many years ago I worked in industrial security; I spent many nights patrolling an automotive assembly plant. During this time I would occasionally find flyers written by somebody who called themself the “Sleeping Dog.”

The recent spate of events, such as rogue trading losses, flash trades, and a seeming outbreak of Ponzi schemes, has made many in financial services wary about their existing risk management practices. In post-financial crisis times, financial services companies are already under pressure to cut their operational costs while also being expected to comply with […]

If senior management teams were omnipotent then all decisions would be perfect, market share would increase, sales would spike, profitability would skyrocket and employee morale would be unparalleled. Unfortunately, the reality is that even the most sophisticated company rarely knows its financial position until the end of the month. Even then the metrics that determine […]

The Lean Six Sigma (LSS) toolbox can always be extended with new approaches that enable the harvesting of new opportunities for improvement. Philosophically, improvement in terms of velocity, cost, quality, performance, reliability and widespread customer acceptance remain relevant but also complex. One way of extending the use of these methodologies and tools is by developing […]

The following are selected highlights of the 10th Annual iSixSigma Global Salary Survey. The complete report, with more analysis and extended findings, including results for Black Belts (BBs), Master Black Belts (MBBs), Deployment Leaders (DLs), Champions, Quality Professionals (QPs), Quality Executives (QEs) and Business Professionals (BPs); regional highlights; bonuses; how education and experience affect compensation; […]

Sir Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector and head of the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted), has called on members of England’s early learning educational system to make changes to the way inspections are being conducted among nurseries, pre-schools and babysitters. In a recently launched consultation on changes to the […]

Traditionally, Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training has been delivered in classrooms, provided either by a company’s in-house experts or by a training or consulting firm. In the past 20 years, however, technology has taken training out of the classroom and online. Anyone with Internet access can learn the methodologies and tools of LSS. Now, individuals […]

The Aiken County public school system recently celebrated the success of a cost-saving strategy that led to a reduction in expenditure by as much as $200,000 in a span of two years. In 2010, the Savannah River Remediation (SRR) encouraged schools at Aiken County to reduce their energy consumption by applying Six Sigma strategies to […]

Delay and inaccuracy are the downfalls of any crime investigation unit. It can take hours, days or weeks before a piece of evidence is processed. With a police unit’s workload growing by the minute, getting things done quickly and correctly can be a challenge. Fortunately, work process principles like Six Sigma and Lean manufacturing are flexible […]

Avoid These Hitches When Presenting Your Project For many organizations, Lean Six Sigma certification requires a Green Belt or Black Belt to present and defend their project to a panel of experts. Through this presentation they demonstrate their ability to use the methodology and its tools to deliver sustained results. Whether you are preparing for […]

DreamWorks’ latest animated feature “The Croods” hit big with a $44.1 million opening on March 22, 2013. While the theme dates eons back in time, the technology and processes involved in making this film happen is cutting-edge. Normally, it takes years for an animated feature to be completed, involving dozens of specialists and over half […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: Kevin Madden (888) 744-6295 Toronto (April 8, 2013) – SigmaXL Inc., a leading provider of user friendly Excel Add-ins for Statistical and Graphical analysis, announces the release of SigmaXL Version 6.2.  New features include: Compatible with Excel 2013, 32 and 64-bit versions and Mac Excel 2011 New Statistical Templates: Minimum […]

A successful Lean Six Sigma (LSS) project will produce either breakthrough performance – a shift in the mean or median – or variation reduction – a shift in the standard deviation or variation. How do you know your project has undergone a shift in the process that benefits the business? If there has been a […]

Mike was a newly hired Black Belt (BB) at a roofing shingle manufacturing plant who was going through Six Sigma training. Tim, the general manager of the plant where Mike worked, brought Mike into his office and explained that Mike’s Master Black Belt was on the speaker phone. The Master Black Belt, Robert, shared with […]

Baseball teams with high batting averages win championships. And they produce more entertainment for baseball fans, which usually generates more revenue for owners. So why do teams not undertake innovative training to hit better, and why have we not seen a .400 hitter in baseball in more than 70 years? Roger Hart applied the DMAIC (Define, […]

The following are selected highlights of a corporate leadership profile of Jabil. The complete article – with more details about its training program (including a snapshot of practitioners and projects, and how Lean Six Sigma is deployed) and an award-winning project example – is available for purchase on the iSixSigma Marketplace. Electronic products maker Jabil grounds its […]

This three-part case study focuses on improving customer satisfaction at two of the company’s diagnostic clinics – Centers A and B. In Part One, the company worked at Center A to reduce patient turnaround time, a defining component of patient satisfaction. In Part Two, the chain’s improvement story focuses on increasing patient delight at Center […]

This three-part case study focuses on two of the company’s diagnostic clinics – Centers A and B. In Part One, the company worked at Center A to reduce patient turnaround time, a defining component of patient satisfaction. Part Two of the chain’s improvement story focuses on increasing patient delight at Center B. Part Three revisits […]

The following is Part One of a three-part article. Click here to read Part Two. Click here to read Part Three. A chain of medical diagnostic clinics was developed from the ground up. After two years of hectic expansion marked by acquisitions and setting up greenfield clinics across a number of cities, it became clear […]

A multinational paper company wanted to reduce its cost of poor quality. The company recognized an opportunity to use Six Sigma concepts to minimize variability in its processes.

It is time for iSixSigma’s 10th annual Global Six Sigma Salary Survey! Every year iSixSigma analyzes information in its Job Shop database to produce a Six Sigma-specific salary report. Please note: All responses will be kept confidential and data only will be used in the aggregate. To participate in the survey all you need to […]

In the cable industry, faults (or defects) are often measured by technician visits to a customer’s home to address a problem experienced by that customer. Each such visit typically costs the company in the range of $120 to $150 – not counting the cost of the harm to their brand. Cable Industry Basics Especially problematic […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Michelle Matschke [email protected] (203) 267-3445 Southbury, CT (February 1, 2013) – Juran Institute is pleased to announce that Chuck Aubrey has joined the team as a Consultant and Executive Coach. Mr. Aubrey will be responsible for leading process improvement efforts as well as the development and delivery of […]

A recent visit to the local Starbucks near Penn Station was a wonderful illustration of Eliyahu M. Goldratt’s theory of constraints – and a great example for how important real process management is. What was intended to be a reward (a medium café latte with an extra shot of espresso – or in Starbucks lingo, […]

Most process improvement practitioners have been a part of in-person learning and many have also participated in online learning. But when it comes to your Lean or Six Sigma program, is one method better than the other? Or would blended learning most benefit your business or organization? In this interview, you will learn how companies […]

Efficiency is in everyone’s interest. However, achieving it is heavily dependent on the quality and timeliness of crucial performance data. Live, real-time information is crucial for any manufacturing business. Waste benefits nobody, whether it is a waste of materials, time or energy. … One of the things that I have learned in manufacturing is that the […]

Many factors play a role in the success of a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt: support of top management, a well-defined and properly scoped project, a solid project team and more. One element that may be overlooked is the qualities of the candidates themselves. Everyone can contribute to continuous improvement efforts, but the Green Belt […]

What will be the hot topics and areas of interest for operational excellence in 2013? We asked Lean Six Sigma (LSS) leaders for their predictions. Thank you for big picture predictions, personal proclamations and strategies to consider in the year ahead. Forrest W. Breyfogle III, CEO and President Smarter Solutions, Inc. Lean Six Sigma, big […]

In 2010, the finance department of a Fortune 500 company established a quality audit (QA) system for the company’s operations. Toward the end of 2011, the general feeling on the floor was that the QA system was effective and the quality of work in the department was improving. The metrics, however, were not improving. A […]

The best of iSixSigma 2012 features the highlights of this year’s content – as determined by our readers. Most Popular A Plan for a Five-day Kaizen Grabbing Hold of the GRPI Model Optimize Attribute Responses Using Design of Experiments Using the R-Squared Statistic in ANOVA and General Linear Models Most Comments How to Develop a Lean Six […]

One of the most popular search terms on iSixSigma.com is total quality management (TQM). The best TQM references on iSixSigma can be found at the following links: Comments of – and on – Dr. James Harrington Debating the Origins of TQM Definition: Total Quality Management Introduction and Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) Newspaper Aims […]

Inspections are one of the most common methods of review performed in software teams. The goal of code inspection is to identify software faults early in the software development lifecycle. Teams are faced with the challenge, however, of determining whether those inspections are effective. One way to quantify this is by predicting the total number […]

The following are selected highlights of a corporate leadership profile of FLEXcon. The complete article – with more details about Lean application and how the company avoided layoffs during the recession – is available for purchase on the iSixSigma Marketplace. FLEXcon positions itself for growth by embracing Lean at every level More than 50 years […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Educational Gathering of Lean Six Sigma and Process Improvement Leaders on January 17, 2013 Columbus, OH (December 7, 2012) – On Thursday, January 17, 2013, MoreSteam.com, the leading global provider of online Lean Six Sigma training and Blended Learning technology, and Magic Hat Consulting, a niche consultancy specializing in process improvement, […]

The following is excerpted from Chapter 2 of I Took Control: Effective Actions for a Diabetes Diagnosis. William Howell shares his experiences after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Using his Six Sigma training, he tackled the disease by approaching it as a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) project. Click here to read Part […]

The intent of any organization’s process improvement efforts is to improve the effectiveness (e.g., reduce defects) and efficiency (e.g., cost cutting per transaction) of the business process. What one often does not see as part of the effectiveness definition, however, is the expectation that the newly redesigned or improved business processes need to reflect the […]

I found a new Six Sigma infographic thanks to Google Alerts. It connects nicely to this week’s new article on iSixSigma.com, an updated assessment of the ideal Black Belt Body of Knowledge. Via The Christian Post.

The following is excerpted from Chapter 2 of I Took Control: Effective Actions for a Diabetes Diagnosis. William Howell shares his experiences after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Using his Six Sigma training, he tackled the disease by approaching it as a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) project. Click here to read Part […]

As Six Sigma’s DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology has spread across diverse industries, there has been much discussion about what the body of knowledge should contain for Black Belts. It is common to see different “flavors” of Black Belt certifications created within the same company:  transactional Black Belts, manufacturing Black Belts, etc. Each […]

Not all variation is created equal. Planned variation, like that in an experiment, is a process improvement strategy. Unplanned variation, however, is nearly always bad. Two types of variation concern a Six Sigma team: Common cause variation – All processes have common cause variation. This variation, also known as noise, is a normal part of […]

The following is Part Two of a two-part article. Part One follows the first two phases of a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) project at Kahiki Foods. Part Two follows the completion of the project – the Analyze, Improve and Control phases. Analyze During the Analyze phase, the monitoring of the average amount of […]

The following is Part One of a two-part article. Part One follows the first two phases of a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) project at Kahiki Foods. Part Two follows the completion of the project – the Analyze, Improve and Control phases. Kahiki Foods, a family-run Asian foods manufacturer with about 200 employees in […]

If you are leading any type of process improvement program, you have probably felt at times like your efforts were yielding less-than-expected results. It is no wonder: the list of possible hurdles to overcome – restrictive organizational structure, politics, stagnant organizational culture, power trips – goes on and on. This interview with Lee Pollock, the […]

In a previous article, “Kaizen – ADHD Therapy Using Continuous Improvement: Tools to Keep Employees Continuously Occupied,” we discussed what a Kaizen event is, focusing on how to organize and scope the event. This article looks at some common tools and techniques for planning a successful Kaizen event, and identifies some pitfalls to avoid. Data, […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Melissa Watts [email protected] 800-777-3020 Dayton, OH (October 18, 2012) – A new release of GAGEpack from PQ Systems features a redesigned add-on module called GAGEmail that serves as an automated email gage alert system. An improved, flexible “To do” list and new reporting capabilities are among other highlights  […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Daring goals, data-driven innovation, inspiring leadership, and employee engagement are the keys to success. Rochester, NY (October 16, 2012) – A book by Vele Galovski, a veteran corporate executive, promotes a practical approach to innovation designed to help organizations achieve breakthrough results. The book—The Perpetual Innovation Machine—describes a holistic approach to management […]