Not since the crash of 1929 has the business power of the global markets come to a screeching halt. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced business to rethink every aspect of operations and how things will move forward afterward. There is little doubt that once the pandemic has subsided, global industry will return to life. It […]
In my last article, we talked about breaking down silos in business operations. They are devastating to the health and success of any organization. Six Sigma project teams frequently are faced with challenging silos and removing them to ensure and more efficient and effective business practice. When challenging those silos, trust becomes a significant factor with […]
In my last article, I spoke to the importance of properly implementing Six Sigma programs. For a program to be successful, things all begin with a strong foundation. It requires commitment, focus, and vision across the organization, especially from the leadership and key stakeholders. No matter how well we plan, structure, and support a robust […]
In my last article, we discussed Strategic Planning and Six Sigma. This process begins with stakeholders, board members, and senior leaders identifying long-range plans for the organization. Within that planning process, we discussed crucial elements for the strategic plan, which incorporates the Six Sigma methodology. Once a strategic plan is completed, it then lays out […]
Strategic planning is crucial to the success of any organization. It is that roadmap that leads the organization on the journey to success. When developing a strategic plan, Six Sigma methodologies should be woven into every aspect of the plan for continuous improvement and success. The process of strategic planning is a way to focus […]
Well, we have come to the exciting conclusion of my business improvement series! Last month, we discussed challenging rules and assumptions and thinking outside the box to solve problems during the Improve phase of the DMAIC methodology. Today, we’re going to discuss the final step, the Control phase, and how you can set up your […]
As part of my business improvement series, I last discussed how we gather data during the Measure phase of the DMAIC methodology. During this phase, we established what needs to be measured in our project. From there, we understood that the Analyze phase is the most crucial of all the phases, as later actions will […]
Continuing from my business improvement series from last month, I discussed how we gather data during the Measure phase of the DMAIC methodology, which establishes what needs to be measured in the project we’re tackling. The DMAIC methodology is a proven problem-solving tool used in Lean Six Sigma. DMAIC stands for: Define Measure Analyze Improve […]
Continuing from our series last month, I discussed last month how defining the problem is a critical first step when seeking improvement on an internal business problem. I outlined the Define phase and how understanding your customer, your organization’s support team and its process, available resources, and your ultimate goal are all critical in the […]
Last month, I discussed internal business problems and identifying, or defining it as the first step in making a critical change. Creating a roadmap through using the DMAIC methodology is an easy to follow template that many businesses and organizations use in getting started. What is the DMAIC methodology? It stands for: Define Measure Analyze […]
Who is Jenny? Our company frequently receives certification and course completion requests from hiring professionals. One recent inquiry is listed below. The following inquiry came from a Captain in the US Army. After reviewing the certificate and the related website the Army officer sent to me, I replied: “So, if you think that $99 will […]
As business people, our job is to solve the problems of our customers. After all, it’s why we’re in business right? We come up with solutions and services that help people run their lives or businesses more effectively, and if we do it right we’re able to sustain a healthy business that profits from this […]
Comparing the data from one year to the next year without further context over a number of years is misguided at best. Two point comparisons can be misleading. Looking at the Reported Hate Crime data overtime is the best way to understand what the data can tell us. Certainly the news headlines published after the […]
It is all about the context of two data points. Should we be asking “What Happened?” or “What is Happening?” If “What Happened?” is correct, this suggests a specific change has occurred and we would like to know the cause. If “What is Happening?” is correct, this suggests a systematic problem that we need to […]
This presentation is the Basis of Statistical Thinking with the emphasis on how to chart business data. Peter Peterka has presented this seminar numerous times over the years. The presentation follows the teaching of Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Heero Hacquebord (a student of Dr. Deming) and Dr. Donald J. Wheeler. Peter Peterka originally presented this […]