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Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma Elevator Speech
I teach that by itself Lean is a way to redesign a value stream according to certain principles to improve flow in a value stream, thereby reducing cycle time and achieving a number of other benefits quickly. Six Sigma has two modes: project and operational. The project mode involves a framework such as DMAIC or […]
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Carbon Cycle Feedback Effect Adjusted Downward
In a letter published in the journal Nature (Nature 463, 527-530 (28 January 2010)) entitled “Ensemble reconstruction constraints on the global carbon cycle sensitivity to climate” the authors discuss the processes controlling the carbon flux and carbon storage of the atmosphere, ocean and terrestrial biosphere. These processes are likely to provide a positive feedback leading to […]
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Healthgrades Identifies Best Hospitals
In a report released today the organization HealthGrades identifies hospitals in the top 5% of the nation for clinical excellence. Healthgrades estimates that 150,132 Medicare lives could potentially have been saved and 13,104 Medicare in-hospital complications could potentially have been avoided if all hospitals performed as well as the top 5%. Lean Six Sigma practitioners […]
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Applying Six Sigma in Airport Security for Efficient Screening
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) faces a significant challenge: effectively identifying potential security threats while ensuring a smooth passenger experience. This challenge brings into play two types of statistical errors, referred to as Type I and Type II errors. Type II error occurs when a true threat goes unnoticed. This is equivalent to failing to […]
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New Publication: The Importance of a Proper SPC Subgroup Sampling Technique
A common error of many six sigma and operations research professionals is not properly selecting the correct subgroup sampling technique when constructing a Statistical Process Control (SPC) chart. Incorrect subgroup sampling technique selection has become worse in the modern computing age – perhaps because most practitioners try to “fit” their data into the GUI template […]
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The Roadmap to a Successful Six Sigma Project
There are many reasons why Six Sigma projects fail. However, these failures can be avoided if you strictly adhere to the roadmap. I have executed numerous projects, with many being highly successful, but some failing. In every instance of failure, we deviated from the proven path to success, the DMAIC roadmap. As simple as these […]
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Lean Six Sigma Lives On After It Disappears
A while ago I was asked by a colleague to recommend a Lean Six Sigma benchmark partner for a large aerospace firm that had been using Six Sigma for quite some time. Upon calling some of my favorite clients I learned that their Lean Six Sigma initiatives had been phased out. I was dismayed to […]
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10 Reasons Why Six Sigma is Fading
The only acceptable reason for not using Six Sigma to improve operations is one that I don’t think is true, at least not yet: A better way to achieve process excellence has been discovered. If there is a better approach to achieving operational excellence, I don’t know what it might be. If you have any […]
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How to Run a Meeting
In today’s business world people spend a lot of time in meetings. As time goes by, it is likely that even more time will be spent in meetings. Meetings can be made more productive by following a few simple rules:
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American Kaizen
In the 1980s it was much in fashion to compare America to Japan. One of the key differences between the two nation’s approaches was that Japanese were much more likely to embrace a strategy of gradual, continuous improvement. Americans more-or-less lurched forward. We would start out with a sizable lead in some area, then wait […]