Six Sigma
Six Sigma Tools Most Implemented Incorrectly
Most abused Six Sigma Tools Every week, various LinkedIn discussions pop up in professional groups meant to bring debate, and (hopefully) then clarity, to their audiences and members. In particular, I spend a lot of time in the Lean Six Sigma group, and a particular topic caught my attention this week. Lee Duncan, a Six…
Tony Ferraro | October 24, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma
Change Acceptance – How to Affect Positive Paradigm Shifts
Better Productivity with Old Paradigms is Difficult Resistance to change amongst your workforce and business structure is an issue that’s been beaten to death by guru after guru, article after article, and website after website… and for good reason. Change management is one of the hardest things to correctly influence in the workplace, in part…
Tony Ferraro | September 30, 2014 | Safety Solutions | Six Sigma
Lean Six Sigma And Change Management
Lean Six Sigma Working Together Lean and Six Sigma, often used together, are two tried and true methodologies for identifying problems in a process and, to an extent, working to correct those problems as well. Indeed, Lean is touted under the banner of “continual improvement” more often than not. Of course, continual improvement means making…
Tony Ferraro | September 25, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma
Why Does Six Sigma Projects Often Fall Short of Expectations
Six Sigma Blues One all-too-common problem in the Lean Six Sigma arena stems from the fact that it’s hard to be a believer in a system when it simply doesn’t work for you. When it comes to Lean, the reasons for a project not coming to a successful completion or meeting expectations are numerous, but…
Tony Ferraro | August 29, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma
LinkedIn Discussion – The Most Important Lean and Six Sigma Tools
LinkedIn Discussion Unravels Important Lean and Six Sigma Tools Lean and Six Sigma methodology both work together toward the common goal of getting your business into its best shape possible. When conducting Lean operations, you’re looking at ways to reduce waste and variability and, ultimately, to make a work floor or overall business more productive…
Tony Ferraro | August 18, 2014 | Lean | Lean, Six Sigma
Executive Acceptance of Operational Excellence – Not Just A Pretty Rhyme
Introduction to Operational Excellence For most of us, Lean is a common concept by now. By extension, we’re also familiar with the idea of continuous improvement; the way we run our business should ultimately be reflective of a chain of efforts to change for the better and reach more perfect efficiency. That’s all well and good,…
Tony Ferraro | August 11, 2014 | Safety Solutions | 5S, Safety, Six Sigma
What We Can Learn From Lean Project Tracking Software
Tips & Tricks for Efficiently Tracking Lean Projects Recently, we wrote about a couple of problems facing many Lean practitioners. These were problems that hindered their learning process and often caused overconfidence. Amongst the advice to help combat these problems arose the need for detailed tracking and note taking with regards to practice and progress.…
Tony Ferraro | July 30, 2014 | Lean | Kanban, Six Sigma
Lean Six Sigma Project Closure – A Guide To Seeing Efficiency Improvement Through to the End
Completing Six Sigma Projects Lean six sigma strategies and principles have dominated the industrial workplace for roughly half a century, and for good reason. To put it simply: Lean works, and Lean “blackbelts” or experts improve the flow and efficiency of (primarily but not exclusively) production-based businesses using tools that are time-proven in their effectiveness.…
Tony Ferraro | July 24, 2014 | Lean, Safety Solutions | Lean, Six Sigma
Lean Six Sigma – The 3 Most Important Tools for Beginners
A Discussion About Methods and Tools That Are The Most Useful In Lean Six Sigma Lean Six Sigma has absolutely revolutionized the way workplaces and production facilities alike are managed and laid out. Since the mid 20th century, transformations toward making businesses more efficient and less wasteful – measured in time, money, and more –…
Tony Ferraro | June 6, 2014 | Lean | Lean, Six Sigma
Using Lean Six Sigma to Solve Workplace Production Issues & Inefficiencies
When a problem arises in the workplace it’s only natural to want to fix it as soon as possible. The most common response to a lapse in efficiency or production is to find the most immediate and apparent cause of an issue and implement steps to correct it. While this approach is not inherently wrong,…
Tony Ferraro | December 4, 2013 | Lean | Six Sigma
Chaku Chaku & Other Lean Terms You Should Know
We’re constantly told that change is a good thing, and, depending on the details of your current operation, most lean experts would also agree with that sentiment. Take the concept of Kaizen, for example. Kaizen is the environment of constant improvement and elimination of waste – in both time and materials – that lean operations…
Tony Ferraro | November 11, 2013 | Lean | Chaku Chaku, Kaizen, Lean, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma
Talking Kaizen and Lean with Mark Hamel
Mark Hamel In this week’s interview, we are highlighting the expertise of Mark Hamel, a leader in lean and six sigma implementation, as well as an established author and blogger. He authored a book entitled, “Kaizen Event Fieldbook” and is an avid blogger for kaizenfieldbook.com. In this interview he answers questions related to Kaizen and Lean…
Tony Ferraro | August 12, 2013 | Kaizen | Continuous Improvement, Healthcare, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma
Going Lean: Five Common Misunderstandings
The practice of implementing lean is becoming increasingly popular and it looks like lean might be here to stay. However, it is important to remember that lean isn’t just a quick fix or “extra” program. Instead, implementing a true lean mindset takes time. When lean is done correctly, it will help your business to grow…
Tony Ferraro | July 29, 2013 | Lean | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Healthcare, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma
10 Continuous Improvement Strategies that Work!
Continuous improvement is the task of frequently seeking out ways to improve processes, products, or services. However, it is important to remember that persistence and perseverance are vital when it comes to the ongoing and ever-changing task of continuous improvement. For instance, when cell phones first came out they were oversized, bulky, offered less than…
Mike Wilson | April 17, 2013 | Safety Solutions | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace, Six Sigma, Tool Organization
Catchball
Catchball may sound like a game of throwing and catching a ball, and in Japan it is a game just as that. However, catchball is also a common business practice used in lean businesses during the strategy deployment phase of Hoshin Kanri or simply Hoshin Planning. Needless to say, it does not include the use…
Mike Wilson | March 29, 2013 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma