Pyzdek Institute

What Do We Mean by Quality?

Quality, it seems, is harder to define than one might think. The article’s author, Tom Gaskell. takes yet another stab at defining this slippery term. He begins by presenting the widely accepted, intuitive definition of quality as goodness, luxury, or high priced exclusivity. While this is not incorrect, it is of limited use to those…
Navigating Modern Accounting Practices: Embracing Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing

In a world that’s constantly evolving, some conventional systems risk becoming relics of the past. Accounting methods, for instance, have been grappling to keep pace with advancements in process excellence disciplines like Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and the Theory of Constraints. The result is a potential discord that can hamper the progress of organizations seeking…
Reimagining Strategic Planning: The Power of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing Principles

In any Lean Six Sigma practitioner’s toolkit, batch and queue processing often holds the notorious reputation of a wasteful approach to production. Yet, this method remarkably mirrors the strategic planning process utilized by many organizations today. In this post, we’ll examine the parallels between these two and propose a transformative approach rooted in Six Sigma…
Six Sigma and Innovation: Debunking the Myths

Bold headlines often proclaim: “Six Sigma destroys innovation!” But does it really? We’re here to address this misconception and shed light on how Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing truly interact with innovation. Six Sigma: A Threat or a Boon to Innovation? First, let’s address the myth head-on. Critics claim that Six Sigma, with its structured…
The Truth About Inventory Waste

This is Part 2 of the Pyzdek Institute Lean Concepts Study. To recap from Part 1: We are all fortunate to have the accumulated knowledge of manufacturing industry titans to help us improve processes and reduce costs. In the Lean context, Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo stand out. They taught us much about the process…
The Truth About DOE, Part 2

Part 1 of this series set the stage for a critical look at the way we prepare to run a designed experiment. It also demonstrated the use of control charts to improve the probability of DOE success. Part 2, is a look at the use of Fitted Line Plots to help us toward the same…
Uncovering the All-or-Nothing Nature of Six Sigma

A “toe in the water” approach won’t always tell you if Six Sigma will work. Lately, potential clients have approached me, requesting a sample project to gauge if Six Sigma might work within their organizational structure. I cautioned against this move. Such an exploratory approach only indicates a lack of commitment to the full implementation…
Using the Theory of Constraints to Choose Six Sigma Projects

The theory of constraints helps pick winning projects. If you choose the wrong projects it’s possible to make big “improvements” in quality and productivity that have absolutely no impact on net profit. One approach uses the theory of constraints (TOC) to determine which project(s) to pursue. Every organization has constraints, which come in many forms.…
Human Metrics in Six Sigma

Six Sigma teaches us to view everything as a process. We should take an objective look at the system, measure the values, form a model, enact changes on the process, and observe the effects of these changes. However, we sometimes want to measure objectively something that is intrinsically subjective, the opinions of people. These fall…
Six Sigma: Love It or Hate It?

For a technical topic, Six Sigma tends to generate a lot of strong feelings. As the author of The Six Sigma Handbook I obviously have a few of these feelings myself. Still, on balance, I’m a Six Sigma “lover.” I think that the approach is an excellent way to help organizations achieve their goals by…