In my previous blogs, I discussed some challenges in deploying continuous improvement (CI) methodologies in organizations and made recommendations, such as Understand the reason to bring in the methodology and assess organization’s readiness (Starting Lean Six Sigma) Select the right projects and leaders and provide training and coaching (The First Six Sigma Project) Pay attention… Continue reading Approaches to Lean Six Sigma Deployment
Improving Change Detection
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
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
The Missing Information in Business Metrics
Modern businesses generate and consume increasingly large amounts of data. Information is needed to support operational and strategic decisions. Despite the advent of Big Data tools and technology, most organizations I have worked with aren’t able to take advantage of the data or tools in their daily work. While greater awareness of human visual perception… Continue reading The Missing Information in Business Metrics
Understanding Variation
Lean and Six Sigma are two common methodologies in Continuous Improvement (CI). However, neither has a precise definition of what it is. Many disagree on the definitions or even the value of these methodologies, and I won’t join the debate here. What I care about is the underlying principles used by these methodologies – whatever… Continue reading Understanding Variation
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
The Practical Value of a Statistical Method
Shortly after I wrote my last blog “On Statistics as a Method of Problem Solving,” I received the latest issue of Quality Progress, the official publication by the American Society for Quality. A Statistics article “Making the Cut – Critical values for Pareto comparisons remove statistical subjectivity” caught my attention because Pareto analysis is one… Continue reading The Practical Value of a Statistical Method
On Statistics as a Method of Problem Solving
If you have taken a class in statistics, whether in college or as a part of professional training, how much has it helped you solve problems? Based on my observation, the answer is mostly not much. The primary reason is that most people are never taught statistics properly. Terms like null hypothesis and p-value just… Continue reading On Statistics as a Method of Problem Solving
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
Projects on Schedule
Are your projects on schedule, delivering on time? Project delays are common. I heard many executives concerned or frustrated with projects missing critical dates. Many organizations train project leaders in project management (PM) or even hire professional project managers to ensure that projects will meet the milestones. Project management certifications, such as Project Management Professional®… Continue reading Projects on Schedule