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Finance Six Sigma & Quality Article Archive
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Quality Spotlight Archive | Management Spotlight Archive | Tools Spotlight Archive Readers' Choice: View All Top-Rated Articles Archives by Year: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 - Turning Judgment Calls into Reliable Data with Gage R&R
One of the biggest challenges in making improvements in transactional processes is getting data which can be relied upon. An often-overlooked tool in the Lean Six Sigma toolbox, Gage R&R, can be of immeasurable help in improving data reliability. Read the full article. December 28, 2005
- Tips for How Black Belts Can Handle Resource Conflicts
For many Black Belts, the biggest challenge is not learning the data tools - it is learning the managerial skills needed to run an effective team. And one of the most difficult of skills is dealing with commitment conflicts that team members face. Read the full article. December 14, 2005
- Continuous Improvement Should Apply to DMAIC Itself
Six Sigma's DMAIC roadmap is a process unto itself that can be - and should be - improved in each organization that uses Six Sigma as a critical component of continuous improvement and quality initiatives. Read the full article. November 30, 2005
- Using DFLSS to Evaluate a New Loan Referral Process
A business can save time and effort by being able to evaluate the feasibility of an idea early on. And that is exactly the capability provided by the use of Design for Lean Six Sigma (DFLSS) to, among other things, evaluating alternative solutions. Read the full article. November 16, 2005
- ‘We Are the Champions!’ – Exactly What That Means
Project Champions ensure that organizational systems are in place to support the Six Sigma initiative. As managers, they provide exposure of the program to their functional reports and endorsement of the program as a management initiative. Read the full article. November 2, 2005
- It’s Not Common Sense…It’s a Sixth (Sigma) Sense
Some thought leaders in corporate America believe the answers to process improvement needs are obvious. Six Sigma proponents say if the solution is truly known, then by all means implement it...Six Sigma is for when the solution is not already known. Read the full article. October 5, 2005
- When Does a Difference Matter? Using ANOVA to Tell
Much of the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology is concerned with finding differences. But often it ends up being more important to learn "does the difference really matter?" ANOVA is an hypothesis testing tool that can be used to help answer that question. Read the full article. September 21, 2005
- Managing the Executives for Lean Six Sigma Success
Deployment leaders must not only manage Green Belts, Black Belts and projects, they have to manage the executives - while allowing the executives to think that they are the ones doing the managing. Read the full article. September 7, 2005
- Managing the Executives for Lean Six Sigma Success
Deployment leaders must not only manage Green Belts, Black Belts and projects, they have to manage the executives - while allowing the executives to think that they are the ones doing the managing. Read the full article. September 7, 2005
- Lessons from T.M.I.T.E. (The Most Ineffective Team Ever)
Effect teamwork does not happen by magic. Becoming a better Six Sigma project team - no matter what the starting point - only takes a little discipline and a lot of practice. Here are some principles help provide the needed structure Read the full article. August 24, 2005
- Learning to Recognize Process Waste in Financial Services
To help Six Sigma practitioners in financial services begin developing a “waste-sensing” ability, here is a description of seven specific types of process waste that someone is doing somewhere in virtually every company right now. Read the full article. July 27, 2005
- Statistics Do Three Things - Describe, Compare and Relate
Fear of statistics -- the language of data-based decisions -- can be a barrier to learning and applying Six Sigma methods. One way to minimize this fear is to remember that only three things can be done with statistics -- describe, compare and relate. Read the full article. July 13, 2005
- Bank Uses QFD to Increase Its Share of Equity Loans
Bank of the Southwest decided it was not getting its fair share of the equity loan business. A project team used QFD to design a new, much faster loan process. The result was an amazing 80 percent increase in bank customer equity loans. Read the full article. June 29, 2005
- Process Owners: The Unsung Heroes of Improvement
Everyone in Lean Six Sigma companies recognize the value of Green, Black and Master Black Belts and Champions, but companies which sustain their process gains have unsung individuals who are doing an exceptional job. They are the process owners. Read the full article. June 15, 2005
- Fast and Intense: Kaizen Approach to Problem-Solving
Kaizens are improvement events where a group completes most or all of a DMAIC cycle on a narrowly targeted high-priority issue in just a matter of days. The model has been so successful that it has been adapted for a wide variety of uses. Read the full article. June 1, 2005
- Manager’s Guide: Fostering Success with Lean Six Sigma
Managers play a key role in building a successful Lean Six Sigma organization. They must create and foster an environment that sets the stage for employee success. Six essential factors can guide managers towards a thriving Lean Six Sigma program. Read the full article. May 18, 2005
- Transforming Is/Is-Not Analysis into Multi-Benefit Tool
The "is/is-not analysis," with some minor modifications, can be one of the most useful Six Sigma project selection or define tools to sharpen a project definition and scope. It can narrow scopes, increase chances for success and accelerate projects. Read the full article. May 4, 2005
- The Warning Signals of a Failing Six Sigma Program
If an organization's Six Sigma program is beginning to fail, there are warning signals. Those signals can be as simple as gut feelings, but many can be compiled into a list of specifics which indicate a disconnection from the core business. Read the full article. April 20, 2005
- Data Management Plans Can Improve Collection/Validation
Understanding data and defining process paramaters (input) or product characteristics (output) is the beginning of data-based decision-making. A data management plan, which outlines the use of data, can be a key document in the Measure phase of DMAIC. Read the full article. April 6, 2005
- Eight Lessons for Success in Lean Six Sigma Deployment
Among the many companies that have embarked on the Six Sigma journey, some have achieved spectacular success while others have failed. What makes the difference? Here are eight lessons learned from some of those successes and failures. Read the full article. March 23, 2005
- Data Management Plans Can Reduce Project Cycle Times
Long project cycle times, frequently cited as an impediment to Six Sigma success, can be accelerated through the use of data management plans. The plan provides project teams with a highly structured planning tool, second only to a good scope charter. Read the full article. March 9, 2005
- Role for Design of Experiments in Financial Operations
The underused DOE tool can be valuable to financial services businesses when they realize the reason it is a favorite in general business environments: It is an extremely efficient way of identifying what matters in a process and what does not. Read the full article. February 23, 2005
- Six Sigma Deployment Planning & Readiness Assessment
To address the common stumbling blocks to Six Sigma deployment, practitioners should consider using two key requirements of a good deployment planning process -- the Six Sigma success equation and a readiness assessment for Six Sigma. Read the full article. February 9, 2005
- VOC Advances: Helping Make Better Design Decisions
Companies which have advanced voice of the customer (VOC) methods are getting a deeper understanding of customer needs, by exploring and utilizing two ideas -- rapid prototyping, and tools for making design trade-off decisions. Read the full article. January 26, 2005
- Reflections on Six Sigma: Eleven Reasons It Has Thrived
It has been nearly 20 years since Motorola executive Bill Smith coined the phrase "Six Sigma." This makes one ponder why it has been so successful. Here are some personal reflections on Six Sigma's success and longevity from a veteran practitioner. Read the full article. January 12, 2005
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