The PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) is an iterative four-step approach for managing and improving products and business processes. Today we will discuss how the PDCA approach is used by sports teams, with an eye toward how this same thinking can be applied to improving the performance of business processes and products. The Plan Phase begins with […]
In our Black Belt program, we make extensive use of Minitab statistical software. The software performs the actual mathematical calculations, relieving the student of the burden of knowing how to do them using paper and pencil. To use Minitab effectively, students must be able to choose the appropriate test or analysis to perform for a […]
One of my Black Belt students recently submitted an interim project report. The goal of her project is to reduce the time it takes to complete a certain transaction. The project Y metric is success rate, where a success is defined as completing the transaction in 24 hours or less. The goal after improvement is […]
In the Improve phase of a Six Sigma project, we typically need to choose between two or more potential solutions to a problem. There are several tools to help in making this decision, one of which is pairwise ranking. Pairwise ranking is used by individuals or teams to qualitatively prioritize a list of alternatives. There […]