Is there Six-Sigma in your Fireworks?
Posted by: meikah | 4 July 2007 | 7:05 pm
Happy Fourth of July!
Celebrations like these are not complete without the fireworks. But are your fireworks safe, free of defects?
You wouldn’t want to imagine what could happen if you get defective fireworks.
In the same breath, I’m worried about the quality of blasting that students are making at University of Missouri-Rolla. Yesterday, I read on NYTimes Online about the summer camp activity that Rolla engineering school offers to students. They even call it “Summer Explosives Camp.” Here’s the drill:
Students with a passion for all things explosive and proof of United States citizenship pay a $450 fee that covers food, lodging and incidentals like dynamite. In the course of a week, the 22 students at this session set off a wall of fire, blasted water out of a pond, blew up a tree stump and obliterated a watermelon. They set off explosive charges in the school’s mine and finished off the week by creating their own fireworks show for their parents. Read more…
I’m sure the thrill of blasting and being able to blast off a wall will attract a lot of students. I just hope that their gadgets or materials are foolproof. Better yet, I hope their program undergoes Six Sigma. 
Filed under: Training, Events/Announcements, Entertainment
No Comments » |
Innovation of the Week: Windows Vista Speech Recognition
Posted by: meikah | 2 March 2007 | 3:28 am
I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about Bill Gates’s latest baby, the Windows Vista. Among the many interesting things about it is the speech recognition feature.
Indeed to me and as the tag line of Vista, “the “Wow” starts now.” The strength of Windows is its being user friendly, but this one takes the easy-does-it phenomenon to the next level. You can now tell your computer what to do without probably lifting a finger.
David Pogue talks about Speech Recognition of Windows Vista on his blog, Pogue’s Post, at New York Times Technology.
Speech Recognition lets you not only control your PC by voice–open programs, click buttons, click Web links, and so on–but also dictate text, a heck of a lot faster than you can type.
The first time you open Speech Recognition, you arrive at a very slick, very impressive full-screen tutorial/introduction, featuring a 20-something model in a white gauzy room that appears to be heaven.
Click your way through the screens. Along the way, you’re shown the basics: how to dictate and how to operate buttons, menus, windows, programs, and so on.
Filed under: Software/Technology, Entertainment, Innovation Update, Communication, Bill Gates, David Pogue
No Comments » |
Six Sigma News Round-up
Posted by: meikah | 20 February 2007 | 11:52 pm
Here’s your round-up of Six Sigma news this week.
At Six Sigma Zone, Jim Hogg has been named hotel manager of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. With Hogg’s experience working in the company and his Six Sigma background, he will surely contribute a lot of wonders to Disney.
The InterContinental Hotel Group bounces back after the tourism downturn due to 9-11. The group is working with Xerox Global Services to implement a range of managed services to cut down on IT spending on helpdesk, deskside, and server support. The methodologies are Six Sigma and eventually to Lean Six Sigma.
Over at iSixSigma, Montgomery Alger, a certified Six Sigma master black belt, is now the vice president and chief technology officer of Air Products. Alger had extensive training at GE and at Air Products he will help execute the company’s growth strategy. Exciting things are indeed coming up at Air Products.
Heritage Valley launches its fully automated clinical laboratory, a first in the health system in the tri-state area. This laboratory will help reduce variation in the laboratory process. And according to officials this is in line with Heritage Valley’s Lean and Six Sigma initiatives. Read also about how Heritage improves its customer service.
Sources:
Six Sigma Zone
iSixSigma
Filed under: Manufacturing, Services, Lean Six Sigma, Software/Technology, Healthcare, Events/Announcements, Entertainment, Travel
No Comments » |
Six Sigma in Reel Life
Posted by: meikah | 13 November 2006 | 8:44 pm
Michael Marx of Six Sigma Companies blog got an interesting entry where he shares a story about Six Sigma being mentioned on 30 Rock, an American sitcom show on NBC.
The show stars Alec Baldwin who plays Jack Donaghy, a new network executive, who interferes with and bullies Liz Lemon, the headwriter of one show, into convincing another character, Tracy Jordan, a wild and unpredictable movie star, to join the cast.
How did Six Sigma figure in the sitcom? Donaghy talks about Six Sigma with his staff writers. Really amusing!
Check out Mike’s blog and read the other links about this story, and view a YouTube clip from the show there.
*Photo Credit: MorgueFile.com
