The holiday season is a time when people count their blessings, celebrate the warmth of family and look forward to a fresh start to the new year. The same holds true at iSixSigma, on both a personal and professional level. Last week, in a virtual conference call, the editorial team at iSixSigma held a “reunion”…
iSixSigma often focuses on the continuous process improvement methods used by companies to achieve bottom-line results. However, for much of our March/April 2010 issue, published last week, we look not just at the processes but also at the at the professionals behind the methodology. In keeping with this issue’s theme, “Building a Process Improvement Culture,”…
The scoring is complete and the 2009 Top 10 Best Places to Work for Six Sigma professionals is out. Here is the Top 10 List in alphabetical order: I repeat, alphabetical order. Cardinal Health Inc. Computacenter AG & Co. oHG Ecolab Inc. McKesson Corp. Merck & Co., Inc. Pfizer Inc. Piramal Healthcare Ltd. Starwood Hotels,…
Tomorrow (Wednesday,Sept 30), Ellen Domb, founder of the TRIZ Journal,will be on Steve Wilson’sshow Quality Conversations, hosted by blogtalkradio. Steve has interviewed a plethoraof quality professionals in the past. Guest appearances include Tom Kubiak, Forrest Breyfogle,Mark Graban,Jessica Harper, as well as yours truly. Ellen and Steve will be talking about Six Sigma Trees. Not the…
On Monday, Sept 14, I’ll be speaking with Steve Wilson on his show Quality Conversations, hosted by blogtalkradio. Steve has interviewed many quality professionals in the past, including Tom Kubiak, Forrest Breyfogle,Mark Graban and our very own iSixSigma editor-in-chief, Jessica Harper. I am happy to join the ranks of Steve’s guest list. We’re going to…
iSixSigma is pleased to announce the opening of award nominations for the iSixSigma Live! Summit & Awards in Miami in February 2010. Here’s what we arelooking for: * iSixSigma’s Six Sigma Hall of Fame: iSixSigma will recognize individuals who have significantly impacted corporate growth and shareholder value through the use of Lean Six Sigma by…
Nominations are open for iSixSigma’s second annual Best Places to Work List. If you are working for a top notch company using Lean Six Sigma, go ahead and nominateit to be included in ourlist of Best Places to Work. Last year 10 companies made the list. McKesson took home the #1 spot, followed by Vought…
With a timely theme of ‘Completing the Chain’, the May/June 2009 issue of iSixSigma Magazine mailed last week. The cover story, ‘A Stronger Chain’, focuses on how companies are wielding Six Sigma and Lean to strengthen their supply chains. As companies examine how to get the most out of their efforts, they are reaching outside…
That’s the question that will be answered at one of the anticipated presentations at the Energy Forum for Process Excellence in May (live.isixsigma.com/energy). Presenting will be Steve Wells, Internal Continuous Improvement Consultant at Luminant. The power generation company received the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence last year. The Martin Lake Complex, a lignite-fueled plant and…
Dear iSixSigma Readers, Advertisers, Sponsors and Partners, I have notified the board of Schofield Media Group that I will be transitioning out of my role with iSixSigma during the next several months. Despite current economic conditions, iSixSigma is now a stronger company in many ways than it was just 14 months ago when Schofield Media…
iSixSigma Live! has announced the finalists for the awards that will be given at the Miami Summit in January. The top three finalists for the award, Most Successful Lean Six Sigma Start-up Program, are: Betfair, NewPage Corp., and Unlimited Technology Inc. Finalists for the award, Most Successful Re-energized Lean Six Sigma Program, are: United Services…
The Best Places to Work Competition has wrapped up and the top ten finalists have emerged. Now we’re not going to tell you where the No. 1 place for Six Sigma professionals to work is yet… or what the order of the top ten is…. We’re saving that for the awards ceremony in January….
Here’s some news you may not have heard yet… iSixSigma will be serving up some sweet awards at a breakfast ceremony during the iSixSigma Live! Miami conference. All the details on each award can be found at: http://live.isixsigma.com/awards/default.html The iSixSigma MVP awards are my favorites… We’re looking for the: Most prolific poster on iSixSigma discussion…
Breaking news…iSixSigma Live! Summit and Awards is now accepting award nominations. That’s right. You can nominate people, companies and projects for one of the many award categories: Six Sigma Hall of Fame Best Places to Work Most Successful Lean Six Sigma Start-up or Re-energized Lean Six Sigma Program Largest-Breakthrough Improvement Projects (in eight categories) Additionally…
Do you work for a great Six Sigma company? If you think your company is one of the best places for Six Sigma folks to work, nominate them to participate in iSixSigma’s Best Places to Work competition. In a nutshell, we’re looking for places (companies, government organizations, associations, nonprofits) that: * Foster a supportive culture…
Yesterday, I attended a Minitab Webinar showcasing the top 8 reasons Six Sigma projects fail. Presented by Lou Johnson & Cate Twohill. Lou took care of the project failure segment (which was the vast majority) and Cate talked a bit about Minitab’s Quality Companion. First off they did a fantastic job. Lou’s history and experience…
Minitab Webinar Top Eight Reasons Why Six Sigma Projects Fail April 23, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Eastern Next week Minitab is going to present a free Webinar naming the top eight reasons why Six Sigma projects fail. This is sure to be great information for all Six Sigma practitioners.But why stop at eight?…
Finally, an international Six Sigma certification to set the standard. MoreSteam.com recently announced a new high tech Lean Six Sigmacertification. Read the Press Release for the details, or go right to the online certification website and get certified. “MoreSteam.com announced today a new strategic partnership with ISSISSIPPI.org to apply advanced technology to elevate the Lean…
Thank you to all who attended iSixSigma’s premier webcast. We had a great time delivering it live from Boston last week. If you missed it though…it is now available online for your viewing pleasure. Follow the link below to get started: http://spotfire.tibco.com/events/webcasts/detail.cfm?id=7231 Gary Cox drew a special Cox-Box just for the event. The only place…
I’ve received a decent number of emails and calls from people who wanted to see our premiere webcast, but couldn’t attend for one reason or another. Rest assured, we will be releasing a recorded version of the webcast soon. We’re still finalizing the recording, landing page, etc. Stay tuned to the iSixSigma Blogosphere for an…
In a previous post I mentioned that our webcast tomorrow was heading for a record. Well, as of this morning we’re up to 850 registrants. If you haven’t registered, please do so immediately! http://goto.spotfire.com/isixsigmawc/ Michael Marx, our research manager, will be going over the 5th Annual iSixSigma Global Six Sigma Salary Survey and highlighting some…
Well, we might be getting close to the largest Six Sigma Webcast in history! If you haven’t seen Michael Marx’s previous post, iSixSigma is planning our premiere webcast event next Tuesday, March 4. It will be given by Michael (research manager for iSixSigma and iSixSigma Magazine) and feature his insights and explanations for salaries around…
Mark your calendars… Tuesday March 4th, at 11 a.m. Eastern… The iSixSigma Global Salary Survey webcast. Attendance is free of charge. Just register to attend with your name and an email address. I’ll be your host along with Brad Hopper of Spotfire. Together we’ll dive into the Fifth Annual iSixSigma Global Salary Survey. This year we’ve…
I am pleased and excited to announce that CTQ Media, owner of the publishing brands including iSixSigma, Real Innovation, BPM Enterprise and Sourcingmag, is on the verge of a new era of growth and expansion. This is because we have just been acquired by Schofield Media Group, a leading international business-to-business media company (https://www.webxmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Schofield-Media-Group-Announces-Latest-Acquisition-CTQMedia-Feb2008.pdf). Not…
If you haven’t secured your own 2008 Cox-Box Wall Calendar, it may be too late. Get them now at https://www.isixsigma.com/calendar/
In his Rough Type blog, Nicholas Carr — contrarian author of the book, Does IT Matter? — comments on Microsoft’s plans to build a data center in Siberia and upcoming completion of the world’s largest data center in Chicago. Construction of these facilities costs hundreds of millions of dollars, and each will hold tends of…
Yes, the Six Sigma community has its own cartoon strip. We even have our share of corporate M&A excitement with recent acquisitions (Accenture and Oracle). But where are the good old fashioned MTV music and videos for the Six Sigma community? If you love mullets and buck-teeth, you’re going to love “The MiniTab Song” by…
It didn’t take long for Robert (Bob) Nardelli to land on his feet… You’ve all probably heard by now, Bob Nardelli has been picked to run Chrysler. For those of you that may have forgotten or were not aware of all the details: Bob Nardelli came from GE, where he started in 1971. In 1995…
iSixSigma just announced a new marketplace called iSixSigma Publications (https://www.isixsigma.com/pubs/). The marketplace sells Six Sigmaresearch articles and project examplesas well as training materials and templates. Not only does iSixSigma Publications sell their own publications, they also have a partner programwhere independent authors can distribute their own works. If you write it, develop it, or build…
Big news for the Six Sigma consulting community. Accenture has agreed to acquire George Group. The news hit the PR wires yesterday: The acquisition will expand and enhance Accenture’s ability to help clients become high-performance businesses through the addition of George Group’s specialized expertise in process improvement techniques including Lean Six Sigma, which combines process…
MoreSteam.com is at it again. First with their April Fool’s Day press releaseand now with their Independence Day press release… We Hold The Data To Be Self-Evident: that all men and women are not created equally as instructors; that some are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable teaching abilities, and that others are not;…
Yes, we’re hiring again!We actually have two new open positions. We’re looking for a sales manager to lead our sales effort for iSixSigma (including iSixSigma.com, iSixSigma Magazine), BPM Enterprise (bpmenterprise.com) and Real Innovation (realinnovation.com): https://www.isixsigma.com/preferred.asp?ID=8034 We’re also looking to expand our recruiting service, helping to place the best Six Sigma candidates at the Six Sigma…
The QualPro vs. Six Sigma debate is hot again. Forrest Breyfogle has written an article on iSixSigma.com poking holes in Charles Holland’s research of 58 Six Sigma companies…. For those unfamiliar with the debate sparked by the July 2006 Fortune article and subsequent Dilbertcartoon, go ahead and read up. Forrest isn’t the only one who…
Jessica Harper (managing editor of iSixSigma Magazine), Michael Marx (iSixSigma’s research manager) and I will be in warm Scottsdale, Arizona, May 7-10. If you’re looking to escape the weather and be (almost) guaranteed warm days and sunny skies, then consider joining us in Scottsdale for the ISSSP Six Sigma Leadership Conference. This year I vowed…
This could be you! Are you a small or medium-sized business that’s seen great results with Six Sigma or process improvement tools? Do you rely on “Six Sigma thinking” to improve the customer experience? We’re looking for a company that would be an inspiration to other small and medium-sized businesses to feature in an article…
Wiley Publishing, Inc. was kind enough to send me a few copies of the new Lean for Dummies book, hot off the presses. It’s written by Natalie J. Sayer and Bruce Williams, two lean and Six Sigma practitioners and experts. Billed as “the simple, continuous improvement approach transforming organizations of all sizes worldwide,” this book…
I was cleaning up my office today and found two extra copies of The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook written by Michael George, David Rowlands, Mark Price and John Maxey of George Group, published by McGraw-Hill. It’s rated 5 out of 5 on Amazon.com and is a great compendium of every Lean Six Sigma tool…
TAGSYS has announced what they are billing as the RFID industry’s first quality of service guarantee for pharmaceutical manufacturers. This new guarantee — what TAGSYS is calling the “Six Sigma Performance Program” — promises fewer than four failures in one million read opportunities in the item-level track-and-trace process. Read their entire Six Sigma guarantee.
We have recently become aware of fraudulent emails and telephone calls from a person claiming to be from iSixSigma which was sent to multiple people, including some of our readers. The fraudulent email, which was sent by Aditi Raisurana and may be personally addressed, tells recipients that iSixSigma is “in the process of promoting our…
It seems that no sooner does Hyperion start the transition from the acquisition of Decisioneering to the process of integrating Crystal Ball with their products, when Hyperion announces that *they’ve* now been acquired by Oracle! The deal is in cash for $52.00 per share, or approximately $3.3 billion. In an email I received today from Jim…
Some of the biggest news to be announced yesterday and circulated around the IQPC Six Sigma Summit in Miami is that Hyperion is acquiring Decisioneering. For those of you not aware of Hyperion, they are one of the leading enterprise-wide BPM (business performance management) software applications in the world. As the press release on Decisioneering’s…
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starting to feel a little “winterized” already (or is that “non-winterized”?). The Seattle rainy season has hit multiple records this season and I’m looking forward to a break later this month by visiting warm — and hopefully dry — Miami for the IQPC Six Sigma…
Okay, okay. I know this has already been covered to death in other blogs and various discussion forums. But I am nonetheless compelled to offer my own take on the Wall Street Journal’s article concerning the departure of Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli. And more specifically on the comments within that article suggesting that this…
Some vendors have recently expressed concerns about the review of project tracking software programs that was published in the November/December 2006 issue of iSixSigma Magazine. I would like to share with you a statement regarding this article that will be published in the January/February 2007 issue. It was written by magazine editor Erin Ducceschi, and…
The TRIZ Journal (www.triz-journal.com) is now a division of CTQ Media LLC (www.ctqmedia.com) and a channel under www.realinnovation.com (which will launch November 15th). TRIZ – a Russian acronym meaning the theory of inventive problem solving – is, as the full name suggests, a systematic methodology for solving problems that call for creativity and innovation. The…
Six Sigma Academy has announced that Mikel J. Harry, author of Six Sigma: The Breakthrough Management Strategy Revolutionizing the World’s Top Corporations, and founder of Six Sigma Academy, will rejoin the firm as Vice Chairman & Chief Knowledge Officer. This is big news for the Six Sigma community and as well as a strategic move…
Pictured at right: Liam Atwood (8 months old), iSixSigma Magazine’s youngest reader. Thanks, Jon, for passing along the picture. I can’t tell you what Mia did with her copy… well, perhaps over drinks ;). See you at the ISSSP Leadership Conference in May.
I love the iSixSigma discussion forum not just for the knowledge sharing that goes on between experts and those needing advice around the world, but also for the trend spotting. In recent days The Independent, and many subsequent television news shows, have reported how Pope Benedict XVI has created a stir in the Vatican (and…
If you get Executive Decision magazine, check the recent issue (July/August 2005)on page 35 (article: “Don’t Let Company Growth Stall: Innovation is the key factor in charting a course of long-term sustained growth”).
iSixSigma-Editorial
Randy Woods
Michael Marx
Jessica Harper
Michael Cyger
Charles McKinney
Andrew Downard