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When you know your process yield (percentage of a process that is free of defects), you can use this yield to sigma conversion table to easily determine your process sigma level, as well as your process defects per million opportunities.

This article will introduce you to control limits. You will learn about the role of control limits, how they were designed, and the role they play in process improvement.

How are companies leading Agile teams? Agile is a methodology with quite a bit of buzz, thanks partly to its rapid adoption in software development. Primarily intended as a software development approach, Agile emphasizes the use of distinct phases that are meant to iterate upon one another. The approach itself has caught on […]

In today’s competitive business environment, maintaining a high level of quality has become vital to a company’s success. It is imperative that suppliers provide quality parts that meet customer requirements the first time and every time. 

Six Sigma is a data-driven approach to quality, aimed at reducing variation and the associated defects, wastes, and risks in any process. This article explores the basics of Six Sigma process quality – definition and measurement. Defining Standard Deviation In a set of data, mean (μ) and standard deviation (σ) are defined as: μ = […]

DMAIC refers to a data-driven quality strategy for improving processes, and is an integral part of the company’s Six Sigma Quality Initiative. DMAIC is an acronym for five interconnected phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

There are three measures of central tendency for data. One is the mean or x-bar, and the others are the median and mode. When you’re diving into statistical analysis, these are basic components. Most practitioners should have encountered these in grade school, but a refresher never hurts. Let’s dive into what it means. Overview: What […]

One of the most famous sayings in the Star Wars films is May the Force be with you. This saying may also apply to making changes in your organization. Let’s see what forces you need to identify and deal with when using a force field analysis to manage change.

TQM, or Total Quality Management, is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. This approach encompasses the culture, attitude, and organization of a company. Further, it helps to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. However, the culture requires quality in […]

Full factorial DOE is one of the most powerfully designed experimentation statistical tools for understanding the impact your process inputs have on your process outputs. 

Control charts have two general uses in an improvement project. Undeniably, the most common application is as a tool to monitor process stability and control. A less common, although some might argue more powerful, use of control charts is as an analysis tool. Throughout this guide, you’ll have the various control charts identified. Accordingly, you’ll […]

Takt Time vs. Cycle Time: when do you choose what to use? Regardless of your processes’ efficiency, you will have to measure the time eventually. Now, if you’re a new Six Sigma practitioner, you might be wondering about Takt Time vs. Cycle Time. Both of these metrics are important to understanding and refining your processes. […]

Startups operate in a fast-paced environment where resources are scarce, time is of the essence, and the margin for error is slim. To thrive, startups need to streamline operations, improve quality, and deliver value to customers efficiently. Lean Six Sigma (LSS), a methodology traditionally associated with large corporations, can be a game-changer for […]

With ever more complex products, processes and services the potential for high impact failure modes increases. Risk management is crucial for business success and the calculation of Risk Priority Number with mitigation and correction actions is an industry standard methodology that helps achieve your quality goals.

Residual, standardized residual, studentized residual — what do they mean, and how do I use them? 

ANOVA will tell you whether there is a statistically significant difference in the population means of three or more groups of data. But which means are different? Tukey’s will tell you that. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is used to determine whether the population means of several sample data sets are statistically different or not. If […]

Data analysis is a fundamental process in any project. However, data can be lumped into different types, with categorical and continuous data seeming almost opposed at first glance. That said, mastering these data types and understanding when and where to use them can lead to far more precision during data analysis as a whole. What […]

What are the best tools for supporting change management? Change management is a principle that helps guide organizations and projects through periods of change. On the surface level, it is an entirely separate discipline from project management. That said, you’ll want the right tools to make the most of your efforts. The best […]

How do you enact lasting organizational change in a digital environment? Much of what is written about organizational change existed before the advent of the far-reaching digital transformation we’ve experienced in the last five years. However, you can still impact this concept by keeping pace with other organizations. Understanding the changing environment is […]

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global operations, forcing organizations to reevaluate traditional business practices and adapt to an unpredictable environment. Lean Six Sigma (LSS), a methodology focused on reducing waste and improving quality, has proven to be a critical tool in navigating these challenges. By emphasizing data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, and flexibility, Lean […]

So what is the real difference when looking at Cpk and Sigma Level? If you’re new to Six Sigma, there is no shortage of acronyms and calculations to keep in mind as you work on your knowledge base. Both Cpk and Sigma Level are valuable tools when looking at your processes and production. So, let’s […]

Creating and mapping business process models can sound like a daunting task with little tangible value. With input-process-output models, we debunk these myths and introduce a versatile, straightforward methodology that can be used to transform your business.

Critical of quality is the path to customer satisfaction. Learn how Critical to Quality impacts the ability to satisfy your customer, the benefits of addressing CTQ related issues, and see an example.

Throughout any project, you’re going to gather up quite a bit of data. Now, this can be broken down into two categories: variable and attribute data. Understanding the difference and learning how it is applicable during the analysis stage can be crucial for future decision-making. So, with that in mind, let’s take a deeper dive […]

Are you confused yet? Is it the 6 Ms? Is it 5 Ms and a P? How about 4 Ms, 5 Ms or 8 Ms? Let’s explore some of these and figure it out.

Whether you are talking about the F-value, F-test, F-statistic or F distribution they all revolve around the same concept of using variances to make statistical decisions about your data.

The seven basic tools in my home tool chest are a hammer, screwdriver, wrench, saw, drill, pliers, and duct tape. What basic QC tools do you have in your continuous improvement tool chest? Let’s check it out.

There are a few different ways you can improve a process in your business. Before you get to work with implementing these changes, it does help to visualize the entire thing. A SIPOC diagram is a highly useful tool for mapping out the steps of a process. Processes and projects are complex, but a SIPOC […]

How do you track change management initiatives? The modern business relies on data to guide many of its actions. However, when enacting something as wide or broad as change management this can be difficult. That said, you aren’t without recourse when looking at your change management initiatives. There are some ways to track […]

FMEA — failure mode and effects analysis — is a tool for identifying potential problems and their impact.

What are the top automation tools in use today? Automation is one of the hot buzzwords of modern business, but how it is implemented differs from industry to industry. There isn’t necessarily a universal approach to how an organization should use it to gain the best results. That said, some stellar tools can […]

Which industries benefit the most from automation? Automation is a hot topic in business, with many organizations opting to automate something. This is partly understandable, as you can simplify more grueling or tedious tasks by having them handled from the get-go. However, not every industry is suited to automation. Being aware of where […]

What change management models are in constant use today? Change management is one of the vital components needed for enacting lasting, viable change. However, it always helps to have a guideline or framework within which to operate, hence the need for models. That said, there is more than one way to approach change […]

Background A large national producer and distributor of canned instant ground coffee faced a significant challenge with product weight variation on their primary production line. The company’s specifications for fill weight included both an Upper Specification Limit (USL) and a Lower Specification Limit (LSL) to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and customer satisfaction. However, 13% […]

Introduction Lean Six Sigma and Agile are two powerful methodologies widely used to improve processes and deliver value. While they originate from different domains, Lean Six Sigma focuses on reducing waste and improving quality, and Agile emphasizes flexibility and iterative development. Their integration offers organizations a dynamic framework for process improvement. Together, they […]

In today’s business environment, sustainability has become a critical focus for organizations aiming to reduce their environmental footprint while maintaining profitability. One of the most effective frameworks for achieving this balance is Lean Six Sigma (LSS), a methodology rooted in continuous improvement, waste reduction, and efficiency. By integrating Lean Six Sigma principles with […]

Is change management important for digital transformation? We’re present for an interesting time in the business landscape. Many traditional organizations are modernizing, joining with the times as it were. In part this is thanks to the advent of more advanced technological developments. Some companies embrace them as a matter of their foundation, but […]

What are the remote-first companies that made it work? There are plenty of success stories throughout the history of business. However, little has been said about the remote companies that are making a mark on the landscape of business right now. If you’re looking to lead your remote team, some organizations can serve […]

Background In a highly competitive market, a plastic parts company leveraged Lean Six Sigma methodologies, particularly Process Capability Analysis (Cpk and Ppk), to analyze supplier performance and strategically improve their product offering. By selecting the most capable supplier and tightening component specifications, the company not only outperformed competitors but also created value for its customers, […]

What are the best tools for remote teams? You can often skip several of the latest and greatest software tools for in-person positions. However, remote teams have specific technological needs, partly thanks to the distance between employees and the workplace. As such, tools come in handy for managing time, communicating, keeping track of […]

The workplace landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation with the widespread adoption of hybrid work models. This shift, accelerated by the global pandemic, combines remote and in-office work, offering employees flexibility and autonomy while enabling organizations to reduce operational costs. However, this model also presents unique challenges, particularly in communication, collaboration, and process […]

What does the future of remote work hold? The shift to remote work has been rather abrupt. While it seems somewhat gradual in retrospect, the numbers behind it don’t lie. That said, the future seems promising for remote work. While we don’t have access to a crystal ball here, we certainly have no […]

How do you maintain company culture when your entire team is remote? Going hybrid or fully remote doesn’t mean you have to forego maintaining a company culture. Some organizations realize and maintain a vibrant company culture despite the challenges of remote work. It is a matter of simply balancing and planning how to […]

What are the common challenges of remote work? Remote work itself has become a regular part of many offices. However, there are some drawbacks to this hands-off workflow. When remote work started becoming more prevalent at the start of the pandemic, these drawbacks weren’t given much thought. That said, you give anything significant […]

What tools can boost productivity in remote teams? Finding the right workflow for remote teams is paramount to their continued success. As such, planning to use the right tools and developing a solid workflow is a great way to ensure your team stays on track. Finding the right blend can be challenging, but […]

How does an organization build a high-performing remote team? Remote work has become all the rage over the last few years, with organizations without a heavy need for on-site personnel switching to the model. The benefits have been discussed ad nauseam, like the lower rent for many organizations and reduced overhead. However, little […]

How does design thinking apply to cross-functional teams? We’ve spent a fair bit of time here discussing the benefits and reasons why you want to use design thinking in product design. However, little has been said about how it applies to cross-functional teams. Thankfully, this approach benefits from multiple disciplines and specialties collaborating. […]

Background In a bustling corporate office, Sarah, a finance manager at Apex Financial Solutions, was tasked with optimizing the collections process. With a portfolio of clients from various industries, the company’s success relied heavily on its ability to recover overdue payments. Sarah suspected that the effectiveness of the phone scripts used by collections associates varied, […]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has proven to be a transformative force, reshaping industries, enhancing productivity, and opening doors to innovation. While it has brought benefits to many sectors, the rapid evolution of AI also threatens some industries, particularly those reliant on repetitive tasks, manual labor, or human-driven decision-making. A recent article was published on […]

What are the 5 phases of design thinking? Design thinking is a human-centric approach to product development. However, it operates in five distinct phases when broken down into its core elements. As this is an iterative approach, some phases bear repeating, provided the product hasn’t met its design specifications. So, with that in […]