The following is a chapter from the fully updated and revised The Six Sigma Handbook, Third Edition. It covers the management systems and statistical tools that are the foundation of Six Sigma. The book's presentation is based on the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) implementation strategy for Six Sigma, with focus on the management responsibilities and problem-solving methodologies.
ASQs Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) certification is designed to introduce the basics of quality to organizations and individuals not currently working within the field of quality. This book and the Body of Knowledge (BOK) it supports are intended to form a foundation for further study and application of proven quality principles and practices worldwide. The book follows the CQIA BoK in both content and sequence. The intent is that this book will serve as a guide to be used in preparation to take the CQIA examination given by ASQ. Each chapter stands alone, and the chapters may be read in any order. Some material reaching beyond the content of the BoK has been added. Supplemental reading suggestions are provided. An online, interactive sample exam and a paper-and-pencil sample can be found on the ASQ website (http://asq.org/cert/quality-improvement-associate/prepare).
This book focuses on complex services, that is, services embodying the knowledge and capabilities of professionals, sought because of the clients lack of knowledge or skills in specialized fields. This book is also concerned with the many organizations, such as hospitals and banks, that provide services requiring a mixture of professional and other services to produce the results that customers or clients need. Professionals, semi-professionals, and technical workers laboring in all spheres of human endeavor, from law to medicine, accounting to engineering, social work to architecture, who are involved or are interested in taking part in managing their businesses, small or large, will find this book an invaluable tool in achieving success. This third edition comes with an augmented value proposition: as you read and try to understand and experiment with the material, you are invited at various points to view video clips, lasting between 15 and 25 minutes, that will clarify, complement, illustrate, or go further than what you are reading.
The most important reference to Six Sigma―fully updated for the latest advances This thoroughly revised, industry-standard guide delivers all the information you need to apply Six Sigma techniques and dramatically improve processes, profitability, sustainability, and long-term growth. Written by two of the foremost authorities in Six Sigma, the book shows you, step by step, how to build the best teams and foster effective leadership while maximizing customer satisfaction and boosting profits. This new edition features a number of important updates, including AI, big data and machine learning, healthcare statistics, and modern supply chain challenges. This hands-on resource also lays out cutting-edge applications for social media data, decision trees, remote technology, and web scrapers. Coverage includes: Six Sigma implementation and management Recognizing and capitalizing on opportunity Data-driven management Selecting and supporting Six Sigma projects Six Sigma tools and techniques The define phase The measure phase Measurement systems evaluation The analyze phase The improve/design phase The control/verify phase
The most complete, current guide to Six Sigma “Best practices in Six Sigma are continuously evolving, just as Six Sigma itself evolved from earlier best practices in quality improvement. ...This fourth edition...(features) expanded materials on innovation, strategic development, Lean, and constraint management. ...You’ll notice many references to free online materials within the text, such as Excel file templates that can be used for analyzing projects, or videos that provide an in-depth narrative on specific topics. Additional links will be added over time to further extend the learning potential offered by the text, so be sure to regularly check back into the online site at https://www.mhprofessionalresources.com/sites/ssh4/.”—From the Preface by Paul Keller The Six Sigma approach is being used to vastly improve processes, profitability, sustainability, and long-term growth at global organizations of all sizes. Fully revised for the latest developments in the field, The Six Sigma Handbook, Fourth Edition, reveals how to successfully implement this improvement strategy in your company. The book explains how to define and deploy Six Sigma projects focused on key stakeholder requirements and carry out data-driven management. This comprehensive resource walks you through the phases of DMAIC and DMADV and demonstrates how to use the statistical tools and problem-solving techniques of Six Sigma with screenshots of Minitab and Excel applications. The new edition has been updated to include: Two online quizzes for Six Sigma certification, one for Green Belt candidates and one for Black Belt candidates Links to five videos that walk you through specific processes, such as Minitab functions, statistical process control, and how to read a Pareto chart Fully incorporated coverage of Lean methodologies Find out how to select the right personnel to train, achieve technical proficiency, build the best teams, and foster effective leadership. Improve the quality of processes and products in your organization, increase customer satisfaction, and boost profits with help from this definitive guide to Six Sigma. Written by two of the foremost authorities on the subject, this authoritative resource delivers all of the guidance you need to successfully implement Six Sigma. Comprehensive coverage includes: Building the responsive Six Sigma organization Recognizing and capitalizing on opportunity Data-driven management Maximizing resources Project management using DMAIC and DMADV The define phase The measure phase Process behavior charts Measurement systems evaluation The analyze phase The improve/design phase The control/verify phase
In today’s global and highly competitive environment, continuous improvement in the processes and products of any field of engineering is essential for survival. This book gathers together the full range of statistical techniques required by engineers from all fields. It will assist them to gain sensible statistical feedback on how their processes or products are functioning and to give them realistic predictions of how these could be improved. The handbook will be essential reading for all engineers and engineering-connected managers who are serious about keeping their methods and products at the cutting edge of quality and competitiveness.
This book discusses the integrated concepts of statistical quality engineering and management tools. It will help readers to understand and apply the concepts of quality through project management and technical analysis, using statistical methods. Prepared in a ready-to-use form, the text will equip practitioners to implement the Six Sigma principles in projects. The concepts discussed are all critically assessed and explained, allowing them to be practically applied in managerial decision-making, and in each chapter, the objectives and connections to the rest of the work are clearly illustrated. To aid in understanding, the book includes a wealth of tables, graphs, descriptions and checklists, as well as charts and plots, worked-out examples and exercises. Perhaps the most unique feature of the book is its approach, using statistical tools, to explain the science behind Six Sigma project management and integrated in engineering concepts. The material on quality engineering and statistical management tools offers valuable support for undergraduate, postgraduate and research students. The book can also serve as a concise guide for Six Sigma professionals, Green Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt trainers.
Streamline data analysis with an intuitive, visual Six Sigma strategy Visual Six Sigma provides the statistical techniques that help you get more information from your data. A unique emphasis on the visual allows you to take a more active role in data-driven decision making, so you can leverage your contextual knowledge to pose relevant questions and make more sound decisions. You'll learn dynamic visualization and exploratory data analysis techniques that help you identify occurrences and sources of variation, and the strategies and processes that make Six Sigma work for your organization. The Six Sigma strategy helps you identify and remove causes of defects and errors in manufacturing and business processes; the more pragmatic Visual approach opens the strategy beyond the realms of statisticians to provide value to all business leaders amid the growing need for more accessible quality management tools. See where, why, and how your data varies Find clues to underlying behavior in your data Identify key models and drivers Build your own Six-Sigma experience Whether your work involves a Six Sigma improvement project, a design project, a data-mining inquiry, or a scientific study, this practical breakthrough guide equips you with the skills and understanding to get more from your data. With intuitive, easy-to-use tools and clear explanations, Visual Six Sigma is a roadmap to putting this strategy to work for your company.
The public health industry has recognized the value of continuous improvement. Quality Improvement (QI) teams are engaged across the country in identifying root causes of the issues which prevent us from providing the best public health services to communities and individuals. The tools of quality, when used effectively, will truly make a difference in the public’s health. It is time to take a more advanced approach for cross functional and long-term improvements that will achieve the systems level results the public deserves. The purpose of this book is to introduce the concepts embedded in Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Lean Six Sigma to help Public Health professionals in their implementation of quality improvement within their agencies. The tools and techniques of QFD and Lean Six Sigma can help problem solving teams by providing insight into customer needs and wants, the design and development of customer centric processes, and mapping value streams. Both QFD and Lean Six Sigma focus on doing the most with the resources we have. The methods in this text are the next step to harness the energy, enthusiasm, hard work, and dedication of our public health workforce to make a lasting difference. By effectively expanding the use of QI tools and techniques, we can, and will, improve our nation’s health and the health of the many communities we serve.
With the growing business industry there is a large demand for greater speed and quality, for projects of all natures in both small and large businesses. Lean Six Sigma is the result of the combination of the two best-known improvement methods: Six Sigma (making work better, of higher quality) and Lean (making work faster, more efficient). Lean Six Sigma For Dummies outlines they key concepts in plain English, and shows you how to use the right tools, in the right place, and in the right way, not just in improvement and design projects, but also in your day-to-day activities. It shows you how to ensure the key principles and concepts of Lean Six Sigma become a natural part of how you do things so you can get the best out of your business and accomplish your goals better, faster and cheaper. About the author John Morgan has been a Director of Catalyst Consulting, Europe's leading provider of lean Six Sigma solutions for 10 years. Martin Brenig-Jones is also a Director at Catalyst Consulting. He is an expert in Quality and Change Management and has worked in the field for 16 years.
