Recently added articles from ASQ Six Sigma Forum Magazine:
Rigor and Rigor Mortis
May 01, 2008; ... About six months ago, I provided mentoring and coaching to an organization that was just beginning its lean Six Sigma (LSS) journey. My assignment did not involve supplementing the services being provided by the Black Belts (BB). Instead, the focus was on helping team members evaluate their ...
Remembering Juran
May 01, 2008; ... A giant has left us. Earlier this year, Joseph M. Juran passed away at age 103. He led an incredible life, and his contributions to modern quality management are legendary. Countless articles and books have been written about his life, including the best piece, his autobiography, called ...
VOICE OF THE READERS
May 01, 2008; ... THE RIGHT ALGORITHM? I read the article "Maximizing Product, Minimizing Costs" (Marina Lopez, Mary McShane-Vaughn, February 2008, pp. 18-23). I'm surprised how the authors can use the Derringer and Suich (DS) method using Excel Solver. The individual desirabilities for the ...
Using Canonical Correlation Analysis
May 01, 2008; ... INDIVIDUAL ANALYSIS MIGHT NOT REVEAL UNDERLYING ROOT PROBLEMS Statistical analysis in Six Sigma's define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) strategy often involves the use of an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression.1 An ANOVA is normally conducted ...
Digging for the Root Cause
May 01, 2008; ... DEFINING THE TERM IS THE FIRST STEP TO KNOWING WHEN YOU'VE FOUND THE ULTIMATE REASON FOR A DEFECT The expression "root cause" is somewhat misleading. Many people, including Six Sigma practitioners, use it without realizing its larger context. Asked what root cause means to them, some ...
Dissecting DoE Software
May 01, 2008; ... PINPOINT YOUR EXACT NEEDS BEFORE COMMITTING TO A SOFTWARE PACKAGE Statistical techniques not only contribute to many disciplines throughout the business world, but they are also widely used in Six Sigma.1 Design of experiments (DoE) is a key tool in the Six Sigma method. But this ...
Full Speed Ahead
May 01, 2008; ... SIX SIGMA WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AS COMPANIES USE IT TO IMPROVE THE WAY THEY DO BUSINESS Since its inception about 20 years ago, Six Sigma has evolved at a breakneck speed, and there's no question it will continue to adapt to the ever-changing business landscape in years to ...
Innovation and Six Sigma
May 01, 2008; ... You often hear people discuss Six Sigma and innovation as if they are opposing strategies for gaining competitive advantage. Such discussions are misguided. The two concepts are intimately related, and it is important to appreciate Six Sigma's role in innovation. Good for the ...
Inside-Out vs. Outside-In Innovation
May 01, 2008; ... Innovation, at long last, is receiving the increased attention it deserves. Yet we find that many companies, particularly technology companies, are rightly proud of their histories of innovation but can't imagine that there are other ways to approach innovation. Other companies, knowing they ...
Conjoint Analysis Brews Up Satisfaction
May 01, 2008; ... The inside front and back covers of the new edition of Statistics for Experimenters has a number of aphorisms relating to design of experiments. One of our favorites is the painfully obvious, "To find out what happens when you change something, it is necessary to change it." Along those ...
FEATURED ORGANIZATION: Froedtert Hospital
May 01, 2008; ... SIX SIGMA REDUCES ERRORS, IMPROVES PATIENT SAFETY Six Sigma Quality Initiative Reduces Errors: In 1999, to reduce medical errors and improve operational efficiency, Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) adopted Six Sigma. That same year, Froedtert and MCW formed a ...
Six Sigma and the Media
Feb 01, 2008; ... During my year as president of ASQ, one of my responsibilities has been to respond to questions from the business media, including many about innovation and Six Sigma. This opportunity in Six Sigma Forum Magazine will allow me to present my answers to common questions completely and in ...
How Much is Enough?
Feb 01, 2008; ... In his keynote speech at the recent Institute for Healthcare Improvement National Forum, Don Berwick raised a critical question: When do you have sufficient proof of success to implement what you feel is a positive change? The authors of a recent article in a medical journal reported on ...
Six Sigma Receives USPS Stamp of Approval
Feb 01, 2008; ... METHOD DELIVERS RESULTS FOR THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has a number of tools at its disposal to ensure that letters and packages get from Point A to Point B on time and in one piece. Web tools and other technological advances allow for easier shipping ...
Isn't That Special?
Feb 01, 2008; ... Master Black Belts are positioned at the top of the Six Sigma achievement ladder. These leaders possess a deep knowledge of requisite methods and tools. They have acquired extensive experience with the appropriate application of these tools to reveal the secrets that are necessary for ...
Little's Law, Single-Phase Queuing Systems and Variability
Feb 01, 2008; ... HOW CHANGES TO THE SYSTEM IMPACT OPERATIONAL MEASURES Many operational systems involve queues in which entities have to wait for their turn to be processed. For production systems, the entity is often work-in-process, while for many service systems people have to wait. Critical ...
Healthcare Department Reduces Cycle Time and Errors
Feb 01, 2008; ... PROJECT ADDS REVENUE OF ABOUT $202 PER PATIENT In early 2005, North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System in New York identified key financial opportunities related to improving revenue cycle, charge capture and coding. These issues would form the basis for the system's next wave of Six ...
Lean Six Sigma's New Look
Feb 01, 2008; ... For years, Dell Inc. has been the model for efficiency and shrewd use of customer information. In recent times, however, Dell has faced some difficulties. It missed significant shifts in the consumer market as a whole, lagged behind competitors in international sales and lost the profit edge it ...
Combining Innovation With Six Sigma
Feb 01, 2008; ... Six Sigma is a highly disciplined, data based problem solving mediod used to increase customer satisfaction and dramatically enhance the bottom line of an organization. Six Sigma teaches employees how to improve the way they do business to near-zero defect levels and how to maintain the ...
FEATURED COMPANY: Sun Microsystems
Feb 01, 2008; ... CUSTOMIZED SIX SIGMA FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS Defining Sun Microsystems' Sun Sigma: Sun Sigma is Sun Microsystems' implementation of die Six Sigma business philosophy. It is a proven, rigorous, data-driven methodology that keeps Sun focused on meeting customer requirements. Sun Sigma is ...