• Six Sigma Overkill

    Six Sigma Economics | Product Design and Development. I’m all for spreading the word about Six Sigma, but some authors get a little bit silly about it. This article is a case in point. The article is a very interesting analysis of the news that the stock market, as measured by various indexes, has improved…

  • My Prescription for the Healthcare Crisis

    Inspired by some questions not asked in health care debate – BizTimes. Like many, I am concerned about healthcare in America. The above story outlines a number of issues with our system The author discusses the fact that Six Sigma has only recently been introduced in American healthcare, and then only on a limited basis. He…

  • GM and Toyota Call It Quits at NUMMI

    Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Friday it would consider liquidating its stake in a California-based joint venture with General Motors Corp (GMGMQ.PK) after the U.S. automaker pulled out of the venture. The venture started 25 years ago and it was originally set up in an attempt to help GM learn  more about Toyota’s Lean…

  • What Is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt?

    Over the years the bodies of knowledge used to certify Lean Six Sigma Black Belts and Lean Six Sigma Green Belts has become relatively standardized and stable. To be sure, there is still a good deal of variability, but it is decreasing. The same can not be said for Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt…

  • Surface Temperature Data Quality Suspect Casts Doubt on “Global Warming” Hypothesis

    The Obama administration has proposed, and the House of Representative has recently passed, sweeping legislation to deal with the problem of climate change or, more specifically, global warming. The problem is supposedly that human activity is releasing CO2 and this in turn is causing catastrophic increases in global temperatures. This hypothesis is supported in part…

  • A Quality Lexicon

    In the deployment of Six Sigma, we usually begin by defining our terms. I must admit to negligence in this regard, because I haven’t yet defined for you what I mean when I write about “quality.” As this definition is at the root of all of our discussions in one way or another, it deserves…

  • The Six Sigma Knowledge Gap

    Statistical probability should be used only when we lack knowledge of the situation and cannot obtain it at a reasonable cost. I recently attended a presentation using a control chart. The control chart showed a process in statistical control at about an 8-percent reject rate. The presenter noted that the process was stable and went…

  • Six Sigma: 5 Reasons Why Big Business Is Going Geek

    Six Sigma: 5 Reasons Why Big Business Is Going Geek

    Businesses always want to cut down on costs, improve profits, and drive the bottom line. Yet, increasingly companies are learning that the traditional practices just won’t cut it anymore. They are turning to Six Sigma, which applies statistical practices to management, to get their answers. But Six Sigma is little more than a geek’s approach…

  • P.F. Chang’s Simple Recipe for Profits

    Newsweek Voices – Daniel Gross | Newsweek.com. Newsweek reports that P.F. Chang’s has bucked the trend of other restaurants by not only opening new stores, it has also increased its profits by 38 percent compared to first quarter 2008. According to Co-CEO Rick Federico, P.F. Changs has done this by focusing its attention on identifying…

  • City Uses Six Sigma to Promote Efficiency

    Spokesman.com | City adds job to promote efficiency | May 27, 2009. Spokane, Washington has acted to be smart in its cost-cutting efforts by hiring a full time change agent to look at how Lean Six Sigma can help them make smart cuts. Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that has proven itself in countless…

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