Change detection in time-related data is a common application of statistical methods. For example, we may want to detect if the consumer preferences have changed over time, if a piece of equipment has deteriorated and requires maintenance, or if a manufacturing process has drifted, increasing risk of producing defects. In my teaching, consulting, and general… Continue reading Improving Change Detection
Category: Operations
Lean Six Sigma Training for Continuous Improvement
Have you provided Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training to your employees? What was your goal? How effective was it? Over 15 years ago, I received my LSS Black Belt (BB) training sponsored by my employer. It was three weeks of classroom training delivered over three months by external consultants. It kick-started my Continuous Improvement (CI)… Continue reading Lean Six Sigma Training for Continuous Improvement
Project Management Skills and Capabilities
We are in a project economy. “The Project Economy is one in which people have the skills and capabilities they need to turn ideas into reality.” — The Project Management Institute (PMI) When people fail to turn ideas into reality or when businesses fail to turn strategies into results, a common root cause is that… Continue reading Project Management Skills and Capabilities
Continuous Improvement is More Than Projects
In my June blog Achieving Improvement, I discussed what makes a project goal achievable and emphasized that it should not be set based solely on the desirability to improve performance. We must identify a specific opportunity that can be reliably and effectively converted into results using a proven, systematic approach. Unfortunately, most continuous improvement (CI)… Continue reading Continuous Improvement is More Than Projects
Understanding Process Capability
Process capability is a key concept in Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI). For people not familiar with the concept, process capability is a process’s ability to consistently produce product that meets the customer requirements. Conceptually, process capability is simple. If a process makes products that meet the customer requirements all the time (i.e. 100%), it… Continue reading Understanding Process Capability
Achieving Improvement
In my blog Setting SMART Goals, I made the point that having a measurable goal in an improvement project is not enough — we have to know how it is measured and interpreted to make it useful. What makes a goal achievable? In my work as a Continuous Improvement (CI) coach and consultant, I have… Continue reading Achieving Improvement
Revisiting the DMAIC Stage-Gate Process
The DMAIC framework, with its Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control phases, is the most common method used in Six Sigma projects. Most Green Belts (GBs) and Black Belts (BBs) are trained to execute Six Sigma projects using this framework. Following the DMAIC steps, the project team can think rigorously and approach the problem… Continue reading Revisiting the DMAIC Stage-Gate Process
Improving Life Science Productivity
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused unprecedented disruptions in the world economies and societies. It has been apparent that our ability to limit its damages hinges on the speed of developing and delivering effective vaccines to reduce widespread infections, safe and efficacious medicines to treat patients, and rapid, accurate tests to diagnose the disease. Despite… Continue reading Improving Life Science Productivity
Six Sigma Project Management
Six Sigma projects are different from traditional projects in one important aspect – the solution or the path to success is unknown at the start. In contrast, building a new house, for example, is typically a project with a known path. Its time, budget, and resources can be planned with reasonable accuracy. While there is… Continue reading Six Sigma Project Management
Can You Trust Your Data?
Data is a new buzzword. Big Data, data science, data analytics, etc. are words that surround us every day. With the abundance of data, the challenges of data quality and accessibility become more prevalent and relevant to organizations that want to use data to support decisions and create value. One question about data quality is… Continue reading Can You Trust Your Data?