Articles

Six Sigma Strategic Objectives

Be a Trailblazer with Six Sigma Strategic Objectives

It isn’t just individual projects that can benefit from some Lean thinking. You can make serious traction when defining strategic objectives for your company. In Six Sigma practices, strong leadership and team-based effort are important. But without strategic objectives to give your team and organization direction, the results can often fall short of your intentions. […]

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Lean Certification Levels: Explained

Lean Certification Levels: Explained

We now look at levels for Lean certification. This certification verifies the knowledge that an individual has concerning Six Sigma and Lean methods. The levels include Black Belts and Green Belts. Before we go into details lets remind ourselves that Six Sigma includes tools and techniques for process improvement and reduction of defects. With Six […]

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Root Cause Analysis (RCA)– Important Steps

Let’s look now at an important tool used in continuous improvement efforts. The tool is Root Cause Analysis (RCA). We will cover steps you can take when using this tool to help solve problems and resolve issues. We should note that Root Cause Analysis is a way of finding a fundamental cause for a problem, […]

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Root Cause Analysis: Most Important 5 Whys

Root Cause Analysis: Most Important 5 Whys

Asking “why” constantly is not child’s play. In fact, it is a favorite technique used in conducting Root Cause Analysis (RCA). This tool is used in identifying the root cause of the problem. What makes it great is that it does not require one to do hypothesis testing, data segmentation, or even use advanced statistical […]

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Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for Beginners

What is Root Cause Analysis (RCA)? Root cause analysis usually referred to as RCA is an approach used to analyze serious problems before trying to solve them, by which the main root cause of a problem is isolated and identified. A root cause is defined as a factor which by removal would prevent the occurrence […]

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Lean Six Sigma – Beginner’s Guide

What is Six Sigma? Six Sigma is firstly introduced by Bill Smith, Motorola’s engineer in 1986 as a multi tools and techniques for continuous improvement. Then used as a central business strategy in 1995 at General Electric. Since then it is widely used in various industrial and services sectors. Six Sigma main goal is to […]

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Business Benefits of Lean Consulting

Six Sigma in Education: Apply Lean Principles to Your Sector

Six Sigma and Lean principles drive change, allowing businesses to seek out and eliminate waste, cultivate process improvement, and transform profit margins. But the question is, can they be used in the education sector? And how will their application benefit you? Today we answer these questions as we look at how you can apply vital […]

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Root Cause Analysis tools

What Are Common Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Tools?

What is Root Cause Analysis? When you encounter a problem, it is always advisable to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible. In the business environment, the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a technique that allows people to determine the reasons why a particular problem has occurred. This technique identifies the source […]

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Techniques for Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Cause and Effect Diagram, Fishbone Diagram or Ishikawa diagram, is an widely used tool to help users to find the roots causes of the problems they are investigating. The approach combines brainstorming and a concept map. The process has four major steps: identifying the problem; working out the major factors involved; identifying possible causes and […]

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Root Cause Analysis Tool – The Fishbone

Introduction to Fishbone Diagram Problems are natural and they are inevitable in processes. Problems multiply or tend to exist intensively if they are not figured out at first and with their root cause identification. Strategists today describe root cause as nonconformance, something which is invisible and is more important to be identified than anything else […]

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Root Cause Analysis (RCA): 5 Whys

Root Cause Analysis (RCA): 5 Whys

One of the tools of continuous improvement, the 5 Whys technique can help, for example, with root cause analysis (RCA) when determining how to solve problems. With 5 Whys you look at the relationship of cause and effect. Your goal is to repeat the question “why?” enough times to get to an answer that will […]

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Can I Use Six Sigma to Run Efficient Software Projects?

Six Sigma is a practice the modern business simply cannot do without. Employed in companies around the world, Six Sigma is transforming business projects for the better. But what types of project is Six Sigma useful for? Can Six Sigma be used for software projects? Software projects are not quite the same as product and […]

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Top 10 Mistakes When Managing a Six Sigma Project

Whether you are a new practitioner or seasoned pro, mistakes are inevitable in complex projects. In fact, the saying goes that you aren’t a true project manager before your first catastrophe. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t learn from the mistakes of others (Lessons Learned, to those in the know!). Below are the top […]

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Six Sigma RCA Training - Decision Trees

How to Create a Decision Tree for Root Cause Analysis

Root Cause Analysis is an invaluable skill to have in your Six Sigma toolkit. But how do we use Root Cause Analysis to the best effect? What tool is most helpful for this task? That would be the Decision Tree. This method involves branching between causes and outcomes to illustrate the consequences of your choices. […]

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Step up with Six Sigma Blackbelt

What is the Career Path of a Six Sigma Black Belt?

Six Sigma Black Belts are the lynchpin of many Six Sigma projects. You may know one such person, or maybe you are that person. What about life after the project? What additional opportunities does an SSBB background grant you? Which prospects are best for your career development? Having Black Belt certification listed on your résumé […]

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Avoid complacency and leave your comfort zone!

How to Avoid Complacency and Continually Improve with Six Sigma

Complacency is an epidemic. It kills productivity and can negatively affect your performance. Studies have shown that complacency comes from a lack of engagement, and affects up to 70% of the US working population. This means around three-quarters of American employees are not fully committed to their everyday workplace tasks! As an employer, this should […]

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Six Sigma, Kaizen, or Lean

Six Sigma, Kaizen, or Lean? What is the Difference?

Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Lean. You might have heard of them. People throw these terms around a lot nowadays, often interchangeably. But what do they mean? What makes them different? And are they so similar? Remember, each tool solves specific, specialized problems. This article will help you get to the bottom of this mystery so you […]

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Go! Manage your Six Sigma project

Go: Guide to Running a Successful Six Sigma Project

This article is the third in our three-part series to help you achieve the best results using Six Sigma. You can read the previous two articles here. Now, go! You’ve made your plans and assembled your team, but what comes next is not always as easy (or as difficult!) as it may first appear. The […]

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Lean in with Six Sigma

Lean In: How to Gather Support for Six Sigma in Your Company

Are you prepared to advocate and fully support Lean Six Sigma? If yes, how do you know? If no, how you reach that stage? These questions can be tiresome and their answers difficult to pin down. We’re here to make things easy for you. Today we will help you get ready for Lean Six Sigma (or recognize […]

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