Map Your Process For a Better Understanding
Going to Gemba is the first step in understanding what is going on in the process you’re trying to improve. The next step is to document the process. There are different tools you can use to do this. Here are a few of the more common ones. IPO Diagram A simple IPO (Input, Process, Output) diagram is an easy way to start understanding the outputs of a process and the necessary inputs...
Read MoreUse A Mind Map To Collect Your Thoughts
Have a presentation to make, a speech to give, or a report to prepare; you may want to start by using a mind map to collect your thoughts. Mind mapping is a simple technique for drawing information in diagrams instead of writing it in sentences. All Mind Maps have some things in common. They have a natural organizational structure that radiates from the center and use lines, symbols, words,...
Read MoreGuidelines & Tips for Successful Lean Six Sigma Projects
The following are guidelines and tips that I have found over the years to aid in deploying a Lean Six Sigma initiative. Lean Six Sigma is a management strategy and, like any process, needs to have the necessary resources and commitment allocated to make it successful. Top Management Develop and implement a steering committee to oversee the progress of your lean six sigma...
Read MoreUse a Pugh Matrix to Compare Choices
A Pugh matrix is a business analysis tool used to objectively compare choices. It is a useful technique to identify which concepts are the most important to pursue. The matrix helps you rank concepts or potential solutions, using weighted criteria that are important to your project and/or organization. The attached diagram shows an example. Here we have three concepts that are compared to the...
Read MoreSampling Plans: Choosing The Right One
Determining the appropriate sampling method to use is often confusing for green belts and black belts. Statistical sampling is a highly useful quality tool as long as we follow the basic concepts and understand the various sampling methods. The first three methods we’ll look at fall under the category of probability sampling. They are: Random Sampling Stratified Sampling Systematic...
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