The SixSig Roundup


Posted by: meikah | 11 July 2011 | 2:26 am

SixSig Roundup

Almost a year after my last roundup, I’m bringing back again the link-loving and see what other blogs are saying about Six Sigma, Lean, Lean Six Sigma and other quality improvement processes.

Let’s start with Mark Graban of Lean Blog, who compiled Dilbert’s strips that touch on Six Sigma or Lean. The strips are amusing and at the same they make you think hard about quality strategies. Check out A Collection of Dilbert Cartoons on #Lean and/or #SixSigma!

Over at Huntington Post, Aaron Hurst shares an interview with Ellen Lambert. the Executive Vice President of the Merck Company Foundation. Ms. Lambert talked about how they are using Six Sigma at Merck to make their processes more efficient and effective. Check out The Positive Side of Negative Space: An Interview With Merck’s Ellen Lambert!

Motley Fool reports that 3M used to lead in the area of innovation. In the recent years, however, 3M appears to have lost its innovation magic when it launched Six Sigma. Perhaps, many of you will disagree but this observation seems to be valid. Check out The Innovation Magic is Gone at 3M!

At PharmaExecBlog, there is an article there that is a good follow up on the case of 3M. Kevin Duffin, senior fellow, translational sciences at Eli Lilly – and a Six Sigma practitioner was asked during the Drug Information Association panel if Six Sigma indeed stifles innovation. Some believe so, others don’t. Weight it out for yourself by checking out DIA: Does Six Sigma Stifle R&D Innovation?

An article on Vision Systems Design, even automated systems to improve inspection processes need Six Sigma. How? Find out at how software seeks to minimize false positives in machine-vision inspection systems.

Filed under: 3M, Lean, Lean Six Sigma, Pharmaceuticals, Quality, Six Sigma, Six Sigma News, Software/Technology

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Six Sigma Conference 2011 in Manila


Posted by: meikah | 21 June 2011 | 1:19 am

Fierra De Manila brings you the Six Sigma Conference 2011 in Manila on August 4-5, 2011 at Hotel Intercontinental Manila.

KEY CONFERENCE TOPICS
Day 1, August 04, 2011, Thursday
  1. Creating a Six Sigma Culture Through Operational Excellence
  2. The Holy Grail of Six Sigma, Lean, and BPM
  3. Metrics for Successful Six Sigma Projects
  4. Using Six Sigma Approach for Fixing Performance Issues in Balanced Scorecard Model
  5. Unlocking Six Sigma for Managing Process Variation
  6. Six Sigma Project Presentation in Financial/Banking Sector
  7. Six Sigma Project Presentation in BPO Sector
  8. A Case Presentation of Continuous Improvement (CI) Implementation Program
  9. Panel Discussion
Special Break-Out Sessions
  1. Guidelines and Criteria in the Selection of Potential Six Sigma Projects
  2. Starting Your Six Sigma Projects the Right Way  92-2751

Find out more and register now!

Filed under: Six Sigma, Six Sigma Conferences, Six Sigma Organizations, Six Sigma Professionals, Six Sigma Team, Six Sigma Training

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Quality Quiz from PQ Systems e-Line


Posted by: meikah | 19 June 2011 | 9:16 pm

PQ Systems through it’s Quality eline newsletter brings us another quality quiz by Professor Leary.

For this month’s quiz, and a chance to win a copy of Quality Gamebox, submit your response by June 24 to be entered in the drawing.

Here’s the quiz:

Nadha Klu, manager for Xcelent Xtrusion, is intent on securing the best price for a plastic part used in an assembly item for Zero Defects Company. He has been negotiating with Ben N. Jayle, a salesman from No Warranty No Worry Manufacturing. Ben has demonstrated a mock-up of a plastic part that his company has produced, based on engineering specifications provided by Nadha’s purchasing department. “I can save you money,” Ben urges, adding that “a part’s a part” when it involves such a small component in the process.

Continue on with the quiz…

Winners of last month’s quiz who will get a copy of Quality Gamebox:

Richard Copley (Anaxas)
Terrance Kieswether (Eaton Corporation)
Chidananda Puttarevanna (ERC Services Pty. Ltd.)
Kristen van Bergen (Littleton Regional Hospital)
Patricia D. Welch (Parker Hannifin Corp.)
Congratulations!
Filed under: PQ Systems eLine, Quality, Quality Quiz, Zero Defects

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Dow Chemical Company Shares Six Sigma in Kuwait


Posted by: meikah | 15 June 2011 | 9:19 pm
Last month, ‘A Breakthrough Strategy for Performance Excellence’ conference was held in Kuwait. Participants from Dow Chemical Company went and shared their experiences in Six Sigma and how Six Sigma can make a difference in business operations.
“The conference was a great forum for Dow to share its Six Sigma journey, and it was a great learning opportunity for companies considering starting their own journeys. The overwhelming theme of leveraging Six Sigma’s values of continuous improvement and innovation are ideally suited to address the significant needs of businesses in Kuwait and the GCC”, said Kevin McCarron, Six Sigma Leader from Diamond Value Chain Consulting (DVCC).
Filed under: Dow Chemical Co., Six Sigma, Six Sigma Conferences, Six Sigma News

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Innovation of the Week: Depositing Checks Through Your Mobile


Posted by: meikah | 13 June 2011 | 9:13 pm
sixsig innovation of the week
Click on the  image to know more about Innovation of the Week.

This week’s edition of innovation update features USAA Bank‘s check deposits through mobile, called remote deposit capture.

Check out the video now!

Filed under: Innovation, Innovation Update, USAA Bank

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Quality Quiz from PQ Systems e-Line


Posted by: meikah | 11 May 2011 | 4:57 am

PQ Systems Quality E-Line

PQ Systems through it’s Quality eline newsletter brings us another quality quiz by Professor Leary.

For this month’s quiz, and a chance to win a copy of Quality Gamebox, submit your response by May 27 to be entered in the drawing.

Here’s the quiz:

As Nadha Klu, manager for Xcelent Xtrusion, examined the Purchasing Department’s performance, he noticed a pending order for 200,000 units of a plastic part used in making an assembly to be shipped to the Zero Defects Corporation. Purchasing agent Val Cano was buying the part from the Center of Spec Company at a cost of $0.25 per unit, but an accompanying bid from the In Spec Company showed $0.24 per unit.

Continue on with the quiz…

Winners of last month’s quiz who will get a copy of Quality Gamebox:

Karen Amos (Mercy Hospital for Women)
Jim Craig (Campsie Industrial Estate)
Josh Hurley (Chrysler)
Randy Johnson (Quest Aircraft Company)
Kerry Olson (Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital)
Congratulations!
Filed under: PQ Systems eLine, Quality Quiz

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Webinar: The New Rules of Lean Six Sigma


Posted by: meikah | 4 May 2011 | 7:08 pm

In this Webinar you will learn how to:

  • Avoid the common pitfalls of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) initiatives and ensure all aspects of your organisation’s behaviour and culture are carefully considered
  • Combine LSS tools and techniques with a blend of programme and change management techniques
  • Implement training and capability development to ensure the development of a continuous process improvement culture
  • Get started with a range of options from a pilot improvement project to an organisation wide process transformation programme.
  • Plus, hear how one financial services organisation benefited firsthand from the “game changing” results of this powerful approach.

This webinar presents an alternative cost and service improvement option using a LSS approach for Financial Service processes.

Filed under: Lean, Lean Six Sigma, Six Sigma, Webinar

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Husqvarna Goes Lean Six Sigma


Posted by: meikah | 14 April 2011 | 9:33 pm
Husqvana, the world’s largest producer of lawn mowers, power tools, and trimmer, implements Lean Six Sigma to expand production.

In recent years, Husqvana had to deal with increased demand for thier products. So to increase production capacity, this is what the company did:

According to David Rucker, the Beatrice production line features multiple equipment models, each requiring unique assembly methods and different amounts of dedicated assembly time from the operators. Using Lean principles to balance production flow, Rucker’s team created a more visual and flexible assembly line, delivering only the next two hours’ worth of raw materials. Rucker is president of Rucker & Associates whose team specializes in finding industrial and operational efficiencies.

Continue reading…

Filed under: Lean Manufacturing, Lean Six Sigma, Six Sigma

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Quality Quiz from PQ Systems e-Line


Posted by: meikah | 13 April 2011 | 1:41 am

PQ Systems Quality E-Line

PQ Systems through it’s Quality eline newsletter brings us another quality quiz by Professor Leary.

For this month’s quiz, and a chance to win a copy of Quality Gamebox, submit your response by April 29 to be entered in the drawing.

Here’s the quiz:

Last month, we saw Anna Nutherthing, quality assurance manager for Melt & Mold Industries, as she tried to enhance her career opportunities by teaching SPC to her entire staff. One of these, Jan U. Wari, insisted that the best way to make good products would be to adjust machines so all data points would fall between the control limits. Her rule: if a point falls above the X-bar, adjust the operation of the machine downward to compensate for the distance between the data point and the X-bar. If a data point appeared below the X-bar, on the other hand, she would adjust the operation upwards to compensate. “It’s important to assure that all data points fall between the control limits,” she said. “After all, that’s what they’re there for.”

Continue on with the quiz…

Winners of last month’s quiz who will get a copy of Quality Gamebox:

Sabrina Bledsoe (Anderson Hardwood Floors)
Ron Kajewski (Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Pty. Ltd.)
Mark Rogers (Hill Country Memorial)
Ray Salim (Arnold Magnetic Technologies)
Eddie Stanley (Federal-Mogul)
Congratulations!
Filed under: PQ Systems eLine, Quality, Quality Quiz

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Innovation of the Week: Steve Jobs and iPad2


Posted by: meikah | 30 March 2011 | 7:51 pm
sixsig innovation of the week

This week’s edition of innovation update features Steve Jobs and his latest gadget iPad 2. To be featuring Steve Jobs shouldn’t come as a surprise. The man has been churning in innovation one after another.

Business Insider reports that Steve Jobs and iPad 2 is a result of the power of innovation and passion.

Steve Jobs’ decision to return from medical leave long enough to unveil a barrage of new iPad 2 features wasn’t just savvy strategic marketing. It was a genuine display of entrepreneurial passion that, sadly, is all too scarce in corporate America’s upper echelons.

Continue reading…

Filed under: Apple, Innovation, Innovation Update, Technology

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