Lean Six Sigma Bursts

I've been helping set up a webinar series with support from the Iowa Sustainable Business Forum and the Iowa Lean Consortium. There are two webinars you can choose from, or sign up for both. I will be presenting the first webinar,  Lean Methods for Sustainable Organizations . I will introduce those in sustainability roles to Lean methods, which have become some of the most popular improvement...

In this episode, I answer another question in one of my Six Sigma classes. The student said they were having supplier issues, but the data wasn't very good. There is a plan to implement a data collection system, but it might not be ready for a few months. Should she wait until the system is ready and then start her project, or start now and collect the data manually. Links ⁠⁠ Lean Six Sigma Pr...

In this episode, I answer a question in one of my Six Sigma classes. The student said they were not sure if their project could be used, because it alreadys mentions some solutions to the problem, and the training said no solutions can be defined at the beginning of a Six Sigma project. He wanted to know how to handle this situation, which is very common. Links ⁠ Lean Six Sigma Project Coaching Pr...

In this podcast, I discuss the Taguchi Loss Function again, this time using some real-life examples. I discuss hotel pool temperatures, solar eclipses, and fruit ripeness. I originally talked about this topic in Episode 37, explaining how an increase in variation away from the target value (even within specification limits) leads to an exponential increase in customer dissatisfaction. This is diff...

In this episode, I go through TIM WOODS, which is an acronym to describe the 8 types of waste in a process. As an example, I discuss how the 8 wastes apply to recent camping trips I've been making with my wife this summer and fall. Hopefully, this gives you some ideas on how to see waste in your daily activities and work tasks. Sorry for the length of this podcast, I guess I had a lot to talk...

In this episode, I discuss some common criticisms about Six Sigma that I've been hearing about over the years. These tend to make their rounds on LinkedIn every few months or years, so I wanted to take each one and go much deeper in the podcast than I can online. Let's start with one of the biggest ones, the 1.5 sigma shift, also called the Motorola Shift. If there are others you have hear...

In this episode, I discuss my work with a client that is trying to improve their sustainability score. One of the next steps is to establish a goal for electricity reduction, since it is a large contributor to their carbon footprint. I explain how to apply process mapping to heating and cooling a building, and why regression modeling and analysis can be helpful in focusing your electricity reducti...

In this episode, I discuss an interview and discussion I had with Climate Change Professional and former Quality executive, David Saunders. We talk about how to leverage your skills of process and quality improvement to improve the environment and help mitigate climate change. Links Full interview with David Saunders: Video | Audio Podcast Need help in your organization? ⁠⁠⁠ Let's talk! Schedu...

In this episode, I share some audio from a presentation I gave to Lean Portland for their July Happy Hour. I discussed Statistical Process Control (SPC) and how to detect out of control conditions. I'm sharing two questions that were asked at the end of the talk: 1) For office applications of SPC, what software package would be recommended to make control charts? 2) What control chart do you u...

In this episode, I share the audio from a presentation I gave to Lean Portland for their July Happy Hour. I discuss Statistical Process Control (SPC) and why it's not seen very much in Toyota facilities anymore. I also include a question that was asked related to the transition from monitoring outputs to inputs. The full presentation can be watched at the link below. Links 8 Nelson Rules for D...

In this episode, I discuss the Washington State Department of Ecology Lean and Green program that I've been supporting the last few years as a consultant. The audio is an interview with the program administrator and my contact point at Ecology, Hugh O'Neill. He shares how this program can help businesses save money, reduce their environmental impact and engage employees. If you are a busin...

In this episode, I discuss how to measure variation in a process, using Range and Standard Deviation. Variation is an important concept to understand how to improve a process. This was audio from a recent Six Sigma Yellow Belt course I taught. You might have heard of these concepts before, but hopefully it will be a good refresher for you. Links OpEx Learning Yellow Belt Course Need help in your o...

The following topic was taken from one of my recent Yellow Belt courses, explaining how to use Mean (or average) and Median to measure the middle of a set of data, whether it is solar panel production, calories eaten per day or electricity consumed per day. Links OpEx Learning Yellow Belt Course Need help in your organization? ⁠⁠⁠ Let's talk! Schedule a free support call ⁠⁠ Podcast Sponsor: Cr...

For one of my clients, we conducted a survey of their employees to understand if daily huddles were helping them be more engaged in their work. The results of the 7 questions found a statistically significant improvement in scores after the huddles were implemented. Listen to the episode to learn more about the questions and the Paired T-test analysis. Links Article: Survey Shows Daily Huddles Imp...

In this episode, I share some audio about DMAIC from a recent class I taught, and I thought you'd find it helpful. I express the importance of ignoring improvement ideas in a DMAIC project until after you go through Define, Measure and Analyze first. You will get pressure to jump to Improve before you're ready, so resist that urge and trust the process. Links What is DMAIC? Need help in yo...

In this episode, I discuss an improvement I made at home, that saved time in my personal life, and why small improvements are worth pursuing and not overlooking. I also discuss how small sample sizes are not a barrier to running statistical tests of significance or hypothesis tests. Links 2 Second Lean with Paul Akers Need help in your organization? ⁠⁠ Let's talk! Schedule a free support call...

In this episode, I discuss the importance of the Control phase in a Six Sigma DMAIC Improvement project, including the key considerations to make before closing out your improvement activity. Create a system and/or process to monitor the results Update any documentation of the processes and procedures Update any training of the processes Create a response or mitigation plan in case there is a drop...

In this episode, I share the audio from a panel discussion I was asked to participate on Wednesday this week. The discussion was focused on Lean Manufacturing, but we also discussed Six Sigma quite a bit. The event was hosted by the Texas Chapter of the Women in Manufacturing Association. They are the only national and global trade association dedicated to providing year-round support to women who...

In this episode, I provide some tips on how to close out a project or improvement effort, when the primary metric may longer than a year before you might be able to see tangible results. I also discuss other things you can do to prove in the short term that your improvements will be effective in the long run. Links Need help in your organization? Let's talk! Schedule a free support call BIZ-PI.com...

In this episode, I discuss a project I'm really excited about, the 2nd book release in the Lean Six Sigma for Good book series. This is the 2nd collection of real-life experiences and stories from Lean and Six Sigma practitioners who have spent time at the "gemba" with not-for-profit organizations. They have generously offered to write a chapter about lessons learned and tools they have applied. T...

In this episode, I discuss two acronyms to help you remember ideas on how you can improve a process. ECRS stands for Eliminate, Combine, Rearrange, and Simplify. SPACER stands for Standardize, Parallel processing, Automate, Consolidate, Eliminate and Re-arrange. I also mention SCAMPER, which is similar to these, and stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Purpose, Eliminate and Reverse. Lin...

In this episode, I discuss Action Priority (AP), a newer method for determining which risks from an FMEA should be addressed. Traditionally, the multiplication of Severity, Occurrence and Detection was used to calculate a Risk Priority Number (RPN). Any number over a certain RPN threshold required action to reduce the risk.  Action Priority gives three possible outcome for each risk identifie...

In this episode, I explain a new virtual coaching program I'm launching in January of 2023.  If you or your team would be interested in completing some online Lean or Six Sigma training, completing a kaizen event or a Six Sigma project, and obtaining a certification, I have three approaches that might work for you at different price points: Do It With Me (Coaching) – We work closely with you...

In this episode, I explain what a " single-stall production system " means, and why it is superior to the traditional single piece flow assembly line. Single-stall is a method of work where one highly skilled worker is trained to perform all steps of the process by themselves (often in one stall to reduce floor space), instead of handing off the work to multiple workers in an assembly line. It can...

In this episode, I read off an article I just wrote, based on my 20+ years of teaching Lean concepts and principles. These are the topics that get the most attention, solicit the most questions, or are the most eye-opening for my students and clients.  I also announce the launch of a new Lean course I helped create, called Lean Fundamentals. You can access the FREE Lean Introduction course (f...