Lean Six Sigma Source

The Politically Incorrect Definition of Change Management

Posted on 12. Jul, 2010 by Monique.

Change management is defined on Wikipedia as:
Change management is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. In project management, change management refers to a project management process where changes to a project are formally introduced and approved.
While that is a fairly accurate statement, you [...]

Continue Reading

Are You a Professional Nag?

Posted on 05. Jul, 2010 by Monique.

The event is over. 
You have tons of papers from your gigantic post it notepad of the things to do.
Some of them you can easily do yourself, but other items you need other people to do.  How do you feel?
Knowing that you will need to request the assistance of others can be a challenge in [...]

Continue Reading

How To Use SigmaXL for Design of Experiments (DoE) [VIDEO]

Posted on 16. Mar, 2010 by Monique.

Design of Experiments (DoE) – SigmaXL Demo
this video tutorial will show you how to use the statistical software package, SigmaXL, to design a 3-factor experiment for a catapult competition.  You may recall this exercise that is commonly used as a learning project in statistical quality control courses.  Our goal is to identify the process drivers [...]

Continue Reading

Thanks SigmaXL and Other News

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by Monique.

Continue Reading

Are Your Technical Service Goals in Sync?

Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by Monique.

Are you accomplishing your goals for your team?  Have you designed an organizational structure with unnecessary competition and red tape?  If you feel like your wheels are spinning fast, but you are still moving in slow motion then take time to consider what you can do to breakthrough and encourage technical service excellence.
 [Audio clip: view [...]

Continue Reading

Made To Order Products Deliver Made To Order Stories [VIDEO]

Posted on 08. Jul, 2009 by Monique.

When evaluating your current enterprise strategies, do you consider your custom product more of a hassle than a goldmine? Are you have trouble going from maybe on time to just in time? Stay the course and consider the inherent value that your made to order products deliver to your customers?
In the midst of economic opportunities, [...]

Continue Reading

Travel Light? Enter to Win Apple Macbook Air!

Posted on 27. Jun, 2009 by Monique.

Breaking News!  John Traveler of EightHourJourney.com wants you to travel light.  He’s giving away an Apple Macbook Air! 

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to win this ultra-light, super-sleek Apple laptop.  I’m entered to win. . .Are you entered?
Well, you have no time to waste - Contest ends June 30th, 2009 at Midnight EST
Winner will be announced July [...]

Continue Reading

Why Your Business Needs a Continuous Improvement Blog

Posted on 11. Jun, 2009 by Monique.

Sharing online can be the source of tremendous rewards for many businesses and organizations.  A blog is an excellent way to connect with people outside your facility, location, department, or division.  Whether you decide to share via the internet or intranet, there is no better way to chisel away the walls of communication.
Here are four [...]

Continue Reading

FMEA: How To Perform a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Tutorial

Posted on 04. Jun, 2009 by Monique.

FMEA
stands for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. This DMAIC tool is used to evaluate risk in a process. FMEA will help to improve the quality and safety of work tasks. Using this SigmaXL template will allow you to document a baseline for improvement and provide compelling data to confirm a need for [...]

Continue Reading

The Misuse & Abuse of the Term – Efficient

Posted on 27. May, 2009 by Monique.

If you are following me on Twitter, you might remember that Monday I sent out a series of tweets expressing why I feel the term “efficient” is often misused and abused in regard to business process performance.
This morning the most recent entry in my Lean Six Sigma news feed was the following Spokesman Review story:
City adds job [...]

Continue Reading

How to Use Twitter for Developing Valuable Business Relationships

Posted on 25. May, 2009 by Monique.

Are struggling to figure out how Twitter fits into your business model?  Have you read or heard that twittering is good for your business, but you are frustrated because you are not getting the results you want?
Well, if you have had this experience I would invite you to reflect back on the reason why you joined Twitter. 
Why [...]

Continue Reading

RUN CHART: What is a Run Chart?

Posted on 17. May, 2009 by Monique.

A Run Chart
is a time-ordered series data plot used to observe the performance of a process. Run charts are often shown on daily visual management boards to track key performance indicators. Recording daily trends can help identify abnormalities or variations in your process. You will want to record data in a run [...]

Continue Reading

Are You Sick of Chronic Complainers?

Posted on 04. May, 2009 by Monique.

As a change agent, we lead groups of cross functional teams from all levels of the organization.  Soft skills training is invaluable to effective leadership. This training will enable you to direct the change adoption process.  For every change there is usually some form of resistance.  CAVE dweller will seem to be lurking in the shadows [...]

Continue Reading

Creating Process Maps: Key Ideas for a Team Facilitator

Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

If your company is planning to start a Six Sigma or Lean project for business process improvement, chances are that some form of process maps will need to be created.  And a crucial variable leading to the success or failure of the team involved in that effort is the effectiveness of the team facilitator.

What if [...]

Continue Reading

Process Mapping: Creating Business Success

Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

Process Mapping
as a tool for creating business success has been around in one form or another for quite a long time.  The earliest forms of flowcharts were developed in the 1920′s and 1930′s as part of industrial engineering.  Since then, highly sophisticated Process Mapping tools and techniques have been developed.  Helping to drive the development [...]

Continue Reading

Process Flow Chart: Tried and True

Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

A Process Flow Chart
is a visual diagram describing a process, and it is one of the oldest process improvement tools still in general use.  As such, it sounds simple but can be more challenging than you might think to create one. 
The Process Flow Chart shows inputs, outputs, and all activities in between.  The chart must [...]

Continue Reading

Process Capability: Is Your Process Up To The Task?

Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

Process Capability
is a measure of how well your process performs — that is, the proportion of in-specification items that is produced by the process — when it is in statistical control. 
Note that this is not a measure of your process’s actual current performance on producing items in-spec.  (That’s batch performance.)  It is possible that your [...]

Continue Reading

Value Stream Mapping: Get To Know Your Process

Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

Q:  When you start a project of business process improvement, what’s one of your most useful and versatile tools? 
A:  Value Stream Mapping. 
Value Stream Mapping
is a tool of Lean Thinking which enables you to identify the activities of a business process and their associated costs.  VSM is a great way to create and communicate process changes, [...]

Continue Reading

Fishbone Diagram: Root Out Those Causes

Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

The Fishbone Diagram
, also called the Ishikawa Diagram, was developed by quality management pioneer Kaoru Ishikawa.  It is also sometimes referred to as the Cause-&-Effect Diagram — because that’s what it focuses on. 
This is a tool used in brainstorming sessions during a Lean Six Sigma project.  It can be used in either the Analyze or [...]

Continue Reading

Lean Management: The Art of Asking the Right Questions

Posted on 26. Apr, 2009 by carolesf.

How is Lean Management distinct from Lean Manufacturing and Lean Office?  If you have Lean Manufacturing, don’t you automatically have Lean Management?  If Lean is all about cutting out wasted time, then shouldn’t Lean Managers act quickly and decisively?  The faster a decision, the better — and more Lean — it must be, right?
Well, not [...]

Continue Reading