Business Improvement Strategy, Masteries and Metrics

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Many organizations that deploy Lean and Six Sigma eventually hit what is referred to as the “performance measurement wall.” These organizations begin with the right intentions, however, the bottom-line results from their Lean and Six Sigma initiatives are often illusionary because they are focused on the wrong targets. One of the major reasons for this […]

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Up Close with J.D. Sicilia

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In an interview with iSixSigma, J.D. Sicilia, director of the Department of Defense Lean Six Sigma Program Office, shares about the purpose of the office, his deployment strategy and how the office will interact with the services.

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Scorecard: Linking Strategy to Performance Objectives

Scorecard: Linking Strategy to Performance Objectives

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By using a performance measurement system, like a balanced scorecard, an organization can assess, monitor and course-correct performance all while aligning employee efforts with key objectives.

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Improving the Value of the IT Service Delivery Process

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While most information technology (IT) organizations are constantly struggling to demonstrate cost savings, too few are focusing on ways to add value to the business. Alignment with the business is where the emphasis should be for IT departments. CIOs today are actively involved in divesting business processes, and partnering with new offshore providers in countries […]

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Eight Workable Strategies for Creating Lean Government

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Lean government. The very idea sounds implausible. Even to the seasoned Lean practitioner, the idea of a Lean government sounds far fetched. Governments are traditionally seen as the epitome of bureaucracy, and the guardians of red tape, incomprehensible forms and endless queues. But there are workable Lean strategies for governments seeking to reduce waste and […]

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Healthcare Quality Initiatives: The Role of Leadership

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A distinguished panel of healthcare executives recently shared their thoughts on the importance of leaders taking an active and visible role in their organization’s quality initiatives. They also agreed on the need for organizations to develop the right management systems and structures to adequately support their quality efforts, measure outcomes and encourage accountability. Speaking on […]

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Hoshin Planning: Making the Strategic Plan Work

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Hoshin planning, which focuses on achieving a vital annual stretch goal, has been used successfully by Toyota and other companies in Japan since the 1960s and some top-tier companies in the United States and elsewhere. However, interest in using Hoshin planning now appears to be growing. Bank of America, for example, has made a very […]

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Start Software Testing With All Five Essentials in Place

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Five essential elements are required for successful software testing. If any one of the five is missing or inadequate, the test effort will most likely fall far short of what could otherwise be achieved. Exploring these five essentials can help improve the effectiveness and efficiency of any software testing program. Here are the five essential […]

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Seeing Red: Integrating Balanced Scorecard and Six Sigma

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The journey to organizational improvement involves a major investment. Any executive deploying Six Sigma within their organization can describe the plethora of time, effort and money spent in bringing such an initiative to life. There are questions about organizational dynamics to consider: Who will serve as Champions, Master Black Belts, Black Belts and Green Belts? […]

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Basic Strategies for Avoiding and Overcoming Resistance

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The pattern is so predictable as to be universal. A leadership team announces to a company that they are going to launch Lean Six Sigma. The next few months are a blur of activity with executives and their direct reports scrambling to conduct an assessment, plan the deployment and determine how to recruit and allocate […]

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Understanding the Purpose and Use of Benchmarking

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Benchmarking is a way of discovering what is the best performance being achieved – whether in a particular company, by a competitor or by an entirely different industry. This information can then be used to identify gaps in an organization’s processes in order to achieve a competitive advantage. Thus it is important for Six Sigma practitioners […]

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Six Sigma Proves Its Value in Funds Management

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Six Sigma is a systematic data-driven approach that works across most processes, products and industries. It focuses on improving process performance to enhance customer satisfaction and bottom-line results. Yet, some organizations take a look at Six Sigma and conclude that it will not work for them. Why? Because the organizations know that Six Sigma was […]

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Marketing Function Is Different in a Six Sigma World

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Six Sigma is changing the way the marketing function in an organization operates today. Consider the following marketing scenario at a company which manufactures consumer-packaged goods: During an emergency marketing meeting, the market research division discloses that its Brand X, which has recently lost market share, is rated a poor value by consumers in the […]

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Wrestling with IT-Six Sigma Integration Survey Results

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Readers may be familiar with the results of a survey on the integration of Six Sigma and information technology (IT) published by iSixSigma Magazine in its May/June issue. The survey, conducted and analyzed by Michael Marx, research manager of iSixSigma, revealed four important truths which provide meaningful insight to any organization attempting to apply Six […]

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Importance of Assessing Readiness to Implement Strategy

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Major changes in the business environment are forcing organizations to revisit and revamp business strategy on a more frequent basis. To stay competitive 20 years ago, a six- or eight-year strategy cycle may have been sufficient. Today, thanks to globalization, increasing shareholder pressures, enhanced corporate governance, shorter product and service lifecycles, and the exponential growth […]

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Using Six Sigma DMAIC for Creating Business Strategy

Using Six Sigma DMAIC for Creating Business Strategy

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The Six Sigma DMAIC roadmap can provide a disciplined process for creating and executing successful business strategies.

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A Leadership Roadmap for Managing with Metrics

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Nine practical steps that focus on facts and data can provide a roadmap for business leaders at all levels on how to use the Six Sigma method to drive strategy implementation. 1. Start at the Finish Line: Define Strategic Objectives By far the worst use of Six Sigma is on non-strategic issues. Chartering projects with […]

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In His 100th Year, Juran Still an Advocate for Quality

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Dateline: Stamford, Connecticut (USA), May 6, 2004 The man whose ideas led to corporations adopting Six Sigma and other quality management strategies warns that U.S. companies are moving too slowly in improving the quality of business procedures, products and services. The nation’s position in the world economy is at risk, according to Dr. Joseph M. […]

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