Book Description

A brief business novel about combining today's two most powerful quality initiatives

Leaning Into Six Sigma shows managers how to combine today's two most popular continuous improvement methodologies-- Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma--for dramatically improved quality and cycle time.

This concise and fast-paced "business novel" tells the story of how one skeptical company gradually came to understand and implement a Lean Six Sigma initiative--improving quality at all levels of the organization. This engaging story will help employees and managers understand basic quality concepts from Design of Experiments (DOE) to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), while learning how to:

• Implement work cells and preventive maintenance
• Get rid of excess inventory
• Speed up processes

Reviews (1)

Highly Recommended!
Authors Barbara Wheat, Chuck Mills and Mike Carnell use the format of a novel to explain two major quality control mechanisms: Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma, the efficiency approach that has had a broad impact on corporate America. In a sort of parable that shows both of these processes in action, they tell the story of a consultant named Samantha. She helps a business owner named Sid who has made all the wrong choices in setting up his manufacturing operation. Sam uses Six Sigma to help Sid out of his quagmire. The volume goes into greater, more useful detail about identifying and eliminating areas of waste than many other Six Sigma books. The text links the Five S's of Lean Enterprise with the systems problem-solving methodology MAIC (measure, analyze, improve and control). In all, here are the basics of Six Sigma and Lean Enterprise in an easy-to-use volume you can read on a commuter flight. We strongly recommends this book to those who want to begin to improve their firms' efficiency and productivity. ... Read more

Book Description

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Reviews (4)

An Exhaustive Guide For Managing Change
David Hutton has created an outstanding resource for those responsible for managing change within their organizations. This book is not just for Change Agents . . . I recommend it for all leaders in any organization. The subtitle, "A Survival Guide For Quality Improvement Champions" is on the money. This book covers it all!

Best book on process improvement I've ever read
In my opinion, this is the best book on process improvement on the market today. It takes up where so many other books fear to tread and deals with practical issues of organizational dynamics. An excellent companion volume to the CMM, SPICE, or other technical framework.

Essential guide for companies seeking excellent performance
Virtually every company or organization can benefit by engaging in a quest for excellence. David Hutton's book paves the way by explaining the opportunities and pitfalls which will be encountered. Success does not just happen. It must be planned, then plans must be executed, results measured and there must be followup. The Change Agent's Handbook covers it all. David explains the vital role of management and realizes how important it is for them to be continualy engaged. If you plan to make significant strides toward excellence read this book then keep it handy as a reference document. I have worked extensively with David and have watched him place into practice that which he preaches.

So topical and interesting I couldn't put it down.
I came across this book at a time when I was dealing with major changes in my organization. Since I was Vice President level, I had to sell my colleagues on many of the things I thought necessary for our survival all of which meant a change in process and thinking. I was a change agent. This book championed me through the steps required to meet the task. We did very well as we brought about a change in culture and in the way we would "do business". ... Read more

Book Description

Written in clear and understandable terms, this handbook provides a modern and applied approach to the subject of acceptance sampling and inspection.Loaded with numerous examples and illustrations to guide you, The Handbook of Applied Acceptance Sampling: Plans, Procedures, and Principles helps to make many of the mainstream principles and evaluation tools of this quality method straightforward and easy to understand.

The text is written in a clear, lucid style with numerous examples and illustrations to help guide the reader, student or practitioner in these quality techniques, and to serve as a resource for current knowledge on the subject.Using spreadsheet analyzes and their applications for common acceptance sampling problems (complete with the actual formulas used in the principal cells), the book makes many of the principles and evaluations of acceptance sampling understandable and easy to apply using Excel® spreadsheet software. The bonus CD-ROM is loaded with appendices, problem exercises & solutions, tables, and graphs from the text that can be used beyond the applications in the book – making it an excellent practical guide for the student or quality professional. ... Read more

Book Description

Proactive Risk Management provides product development teams and managers with a step-by-step process for managing innovation risk in an effective cross-functional manner. In addition to providing a formula, this book illuminates the rationale of managing project risks allowing project and product development managers to successfully adapt the process to their organizations and projects.

Proactive Risk Management's unique approach provides:

- A model of risk that is scalable to any size project or program and easily deployable as the risk management approach built into any product development or project management life cycle.

- Methods for identifying drivers (causes) of risks so you can manage root causes rather than the symptoms of risks.

- An appropriate quantification of the key factors of a risk that allows you to prioritize risks without introducing errors that render your numbers meaningless.

- A clear distinction between a risk and an issue and the different types of management they require.

- A vast array of supporting tools and strategies that support implementation of an effective project risk management program.

- Guidance on identifying and overcoming the organizational and cultural impediments that can block implementation of your risk management program.

Proactive Risk Management stands apart from much of the literature on project risk management in its practical, easy-to-use, fact-based approach to managing all of the risks associated with a project. The depth of actual how-to information and techniques provided here is not available anywhere else. _____________________

Advance Praise for Proactive Risk Management:

"The authors present an easy-to-understand model and an easy-to-implement set of steps to successful risk management. This book should be required reading for project and product managers. I believe you can read it one day, implement it the next, and begin seeing results immediately. The model and approach presented here navigates the knife-edge between the obvious babbling and the philosophical musing that seems to dominate the risk management literature." Patrick Neal, Ph.D. PMP, Manager, Project Management Network, Agilent Technologies

"In our fast-paced environment, there is ever-increasing pressure to bring successful new products and services to market faster than before. This means that risk management is strategically important to the success of your project or venture. Proactive Risk Management provides proven techniques for assessing and avoiding risks before they hinder the results of your project. This excellent manual will be my standard reference on the subject from now on." Dr. Peter Maddern, Product Development Manager, Kimberly-Clark Europe

"Successfully managing complex product development projects -- and keeping effected customers, stakeholders and team members connected -- requires clear communication. In my experience as a leader of projects and project managers -- in Defense, Aerospace, Commercial Consumer Electronics, and Medical Devices/Bio Pharmaceuticals -- the most effective basis for that communication is risk identification and management. Proactive Risk Management provides an extremely practical guide to the tools, techniques, and strategies that best enable that risk-based communication. It is clear that identifying and accepting the "right" risks within a project can be a powerful competitive edge. Keep a copy of this book on your desk and in the hands of your teams - I will." Mike Shires, Vice President, Global Program Management, Baxter Healthcare

"This book clearly communicates the challenges of risk management in product development and provides simple, proven methods for addressing them. The authors' experience with managing risk in product development is clearly evidenced in their practical treatment of the subject. They take a holistic view of product development and illuminate the cross-functional nature of risk in product development. They then offer a straightforward procedure for managing risk and suggestions for implementing techniques in the real world." Kent Harmon, Director, Product Development Improvement, HPA Division, Texas Instruments

"You can read Proactive Risk Management, begin implementing strategies, and start seeing immediate results. For survival in these uncertain times, Smith and Merritt offer the straightforward procedures applicable to any product development project." Ruth Carter, Director of Program Management, InFocus Corporation

"Proactive Risk Management provides the right amount of depth and breadth in its discussion of ways to model, predict, measure, and control risks that arise in projects. It is written in a style that is easy to read and understand; a style that makes you eager to apply the knowledge to your own projects. I am sure that I will go back to it repeatedly for insights and tactics." Dr. J.M. Radovich, Director, Research & Development Fenwal Division, Baxter ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Clear and Informative
Over the years, I have encountered nearly every kind of risk in software projects. I found the suggestions in this book for risk analysis and risk management to be simple, clear, and actionable.

If you're a project manager or a team leader, you need to read this book or one very much like it. Otherwise, you're likely to lead a project without knowing or controlling its risks.

If you are not in a leadership position, use the concepts in this book to evaluate your leaders. That way, you can find out early how things are likely to turn out.

best book on prject management risk analysis
I found this book to be the most approachable, and day to day useful text on risk, currrently available. The authors make it easy to understand, provide a progressive example that builds on the model presented, and they provide a useful risk management toolkit.
As a trainer, I found the concepts easy to get across to students. They were also able to retain these concepts because they made so much sense.
Buy it!

Proactive Risk Management
This book is right right on target in its ability to bring risk management down to a practical level that can be easily applied in most businesses. Too many risk management books exist today that are very theortical in their treatment of risk. Preston has been able to bring theory down to a practical level that can be used daily in product development situations. This is what is needed in most businesses today, simple yet effective risk management.

Clear and effective prescription for NPD risk!
"Proactive Risk Management" is by far the clearest and most direct treatment I've found for managing risk within New Product Development projects. Preston Smith has done an excellent job of taking a complex topic (one which has recently become much more important in an unforgiving economic environment), distilling it down to a simple but elegantly powerful risk model, and embedding that model within a proven continuous risk management process.

I'm always delighted to read Smith's articles in the product development journals (e.g. PDMA JPIM, Research-Technology Management). He's hit the nail on the head with this book - his earlier treatments on risk pointed out the need for NPD risk management, but lacked the detail needed to tackle risk in a way that could be immediately implemented. He's now closed that gap, and NPD professionals will find immediate gain from his work.

The book is very well written and organized. The running example, as well as the more detailed case studies, provide the implementation examples that easily moves one from theory to practice. The examples of spreadsheets and risk maps are a snap to replicate, and they work. The graphics and charts are clear and to the point. Smith's direct in-the-trenches experience clearly shows - this is not a theoretical/academic treatment, but instead is an insightful distillation of a great deal of thought and trial reduced to concise practice. As the earlier reviewer points out, there's very little not to like here!

One of the biggest points of this book is that risk does not reside only within the technical realm, but must be managed across functions (marketing, manufacturing, support, etc...) and over the complete span of the development and delivery effort. This holistic view provides the framework to true product success.

(The reviewer is currently corporate NPD manager at a major semiconductor firm, previously managed Technology Strategy at a Fortune 100 company, and is PDMA NPDP certified.)

Risk Management applied to Product Development
There's very little about Proactive Risk Management not to like. It has an excellent format, with an executive summary chapter up front, then detailed how-to chapters. I especially liked the analogy to FMEA's (Failure Modes Effects Analysis). Comparison with FMEA's puts it in perspective, which is such an everyday tool for many engineers, it's easy to understand how it is risk management also, just with a very narrow scope. This book can be either skimmed fairly quickly initially, with Caution, Key Idea, and Example markers easily focusing concentration on key points and items to refer back in the future. However, the detailed chapters allow the book to also be used as a "how-to" manual. There are many examples throughout the book, most from actual product development uses of Risk Management, and a chapter devoted to two case studies, plus a hypothetical running example used in several chapters.

There is a good discussion about how risk management fits into the overall product development process. I also liked the frequent comparisons of issue vs. risk, I can see the confusion arising on this, and I thought these were well clarified. As I read the book, I went back and forth on whether there should be more discussion of broader use of risk management than pure product development- i.e. starting up a new manufacturing plant. Fortunately, one of the case studies touched on this exact scenario.

I highly recommend Proactive Risk Management. I think there's little doubt that usage of this tool will continue to increase, and this is as thorough, yet easy to understand and apply, of a book on the subject that one could hope to find. ... Read more

Book Description

This title is a substantial revision of one of the leading textbooks designed for the statistical quality control course taught in departments of industrial engineering, operations research and statistics . While maintaining its already successful writing style and pedagogy, this title has also incorporated key organizational changes in order to reflect recent trends in the field. The text features large quantity of examples and student problems and a strong introduction to the proper use and misuse of control charts. In this edition several chapters were streamlined, and consolidations and profitability were brought forward in the text. There is new material on experimental design, a reduced emphasis on acceptance sampling, and enhanced attention to the managerial and organizational aspects of quality control. Free SPC expert software is packaged with the text for use as a statistical and graphical tool. Text plus 3.5" diskette. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Undisputably the best for practitioners in this field!
This book has been around for about half a century, yet it is still the very best among just about as many similar titles in SQC. It is full of statistical and practical insights into all that a quality practitioner needs to know about the subject. I used the book as a student, and am still using it as a professor, and as an Academician of the International Academy for Quality.

Undisputably the best for practitioners in this field.
This book has been around for about half century, yet it is still the very best among just about as many similar titles in SQC. It is full of statistical and practical insights into all that a quality practitioner needs to know about the subject. I used the book as a student, and am still using this book as a professor, and as an Academician of the International Academy for Quality.

A Qaulity Control Engineer's desk reference
It has not been easy to find a book on Quality Control which covers all the basics and depth on this subject. This is ONE book which I strongly recommend to all readers who wish to analyse the different methods in Statistical Quality Control. Many readers, will be surprised, just like me on the depth of the material. The organisation and presentation of the material is first class. Although this book is usable in college level teaching in this subject, but I find it much more meaningful as a practicing guide. The writers have demonstrated their wealth of knowledge in this book. I guarded it as a MUST read book for practioner in SQC. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Consulting Drivel
Imagine this: a consultant that sells project management offices writing a book to tell us about how great they are. Kind of like a 1990s stock analyst boasting about how great a telecom company's stock is just after his buddy in the investmant bank did the IPO.

This book is nothing more than a white paper selling PMOs. The findings paint a rosy picture for project managers, but it does not actually approach strategy credibly from a VP's point-of view, let alone that of a CEO (i.e. the people who develop strategies).

Furthermore, this book has no substance nor credible analysis behind its findings. Just because a company puts credence behind its PMO does not make it "strategic," regardless of where it's located in the corporate hierarchy. Strategy is the material of Michael Porter, Clay Christensen, Peter Drucker, Dave Teece, etc., and they're not talking about PMOs. The material presented in the book may be of some interest for rank-and-file project managers, but it's definitely not a book about developing and executing strategy.

The Strategic Project Office - A Guide to Organizational Per
I thought I had a pretty complete library on Project Management and the PMO. However, this is the most authoritive volume I have encountered. There are step by step instructions and direction on establishing a PMO and best practices within that organization. There are also many of the pitfalls and minefields associated with starting this type of office. The chapters are easy to read, and concise. The information is well organized and presented best suited to a mid-level professional involved in PMO or Project Management activities.
I wholeheartedly recomend this to those who have never setup a PMO or best practices organization. Those who have much experience in this fields may be looking for other specialized topics. ... Read more

Book Description

Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) builds upon kaizen, TQM, TPM, and other strategies to use speed for competitive advantage. The difference between QRM and other time-based programs is QRM involves the entire organization--from the shop floor to the office, from purchasing to sales.

Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) is an expansion of time-based competition (TBC) strategies that use speed for a competitive advantage. Essentially, QRM stems from a single principle--to reduce lead times. But here's the key difference that successfully sets QRM apart from other time-based programs: Quick Response Manufacturing is an approach for the entire organization--from the shop floor to the office, from reorganizing production to new product introduction, from accounting to performance measures, from purchasing to sales. In order to compete on speed, you must change the management mind-set and reduce lead times throughout the organization.

And for those of you who have invested in lean manufacturing programs, QRM does not require that you scrap these programs. Instead, Quick Response Manufacturing builds upon the ideas of kaizen, TQM, TPM, and others, making it an expansion of your company's quest for competitive strategies. So discover the power of speed. Quick Response Manufacturing is a broad and powerful corporate strategy that holds tremendous benefits for your entire organization.

Here's what You Get:

15 specific steps to implement a successful QRM program.

Case studies of seven companies--including John Deer, Horicon Works, and Ingersoll--that successfully use QRM.Hundreds of tools and examples to show you why QRM succeeds.120 tables and figures to illustrate QRM.Formulas to measure lead times.Two quick fixes to adjust your existing accounting systems to enable QRM efforts.Discussion on cells, teams, and the need for employee empowerment.Now you can discover what other top companies already know: Quick Response Manufacturing is a truly tested way of implementing and achieving a powerful competitive strategy based on speed. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good manufacturing strategy book
QRM is a manufacturing strategy that focuses on speed throughout the manufacturing process. All efforts are focused on lead-time reduction. Unlike other lean manufacturing clones, QRM distinguishes itself with some unique approaches. While I'm not willing to accept everything the author is pushing, I certainly found some valuable insights.
The author does an excellent job of explaining the concepts, providing enough detail and examples to ensure the reader does not go away confused.
I thought this was a really good book and would recommend it to anyone involved in manufacturing, but even more so to anyone involved with engineer-to-order or make-to-order manufacturing.

Complete Book for Improving Manufacturing
It was hard to put this book down when I first read it. As a manufacturing manager, it almost seemed as if Prof. Suri had spent time in my plant. Most of the topics he addresses in QRM are relevant to the issues I was struggling with. He writes about reducing lead time in all aspects of operations, even product development. His concept of POLCA to create a pull system for low volume, high mix manufacturing is innovative.

I recommend this highly to anyone who is trying to understand a manufacturing operation and how to improve it. It is easy to read and understand with concepts that work.

A "Must Read" Book
Like a lot of manufacturing books, this one tries hard to separate itself from all others by showing why every other system is so bad, and then claiming to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. If you can get past all the posing, this book has some fantastic ideas that are suprisingly simple and effective. It is a must read for manufacturing professionals (much like "The Goal"), and if you are in a job shop or custom fab facility, you have to get this book now! Warning: It is a very dry read so expect many long nights filled with coffee and more coffee, and more coffee. Because, typical of most mfg books, Suri feels he has to explain everything to the Nth degree, along with every related issue he can think of. This book could have been done in about 50 pages, so lets hope he comes out with a work-book that does just that... but it the mean time the information here is way to valuable wait for.

Cheers, Al.

Common Sense Ideas That Result In Radical Improvements
This is the best book on manufacturing strategies that I have read since The Goal. Suri's concepts are well thought out and presented logically. I was especially pleased with the topic of how to use ERP softwre to accomodate the QRM strategy instead of having to throw out the entire system and start over (as so many new methodologies require). The book was well written and is extremely easy to read for a book on such a technical topic. It motivated me to find out as much as I can about how to reduce lead times in any area of a manufacturers business operations. ... Read more

Book Description

This text presents a comprehensive treatment of statistical process control methods; including unique modern data analysis techniques.Dr. Alwan is a leading figure in this discipline, he has written several papers on the subject and is seen as a pioneer of many "cutting edge" techniques.The text includes a brief history of the quality movement, a review of basic statistics, and then moves into a thorough coverage of control charts and other data analytic techniques for controlling and analyzing processes.Modern techniques are applied to a wealth of real data examples from manufacturing settings as well as services, and Minitab is used throughout the text for analysis. Each chapter includes detailed illustrative examples as well as a complete set of assignment problems. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Bit wordy but a must SPC reference
With dozens of cookie cutter SPC books out there, I was skeptical that Alwan's book would be much different. I was pleasantly surprised. The author spends a great deal of time impressing upon the reader that control charts are potentially useless when processes don't behave like textbook examples. So, there is a data analysis approach taken with time spent on dealing with issues of nonormality and autocorrelation and time patterns. This is pretty different and not found in other SPC books that I have run across.

The time-series analysis is on the elementary level, e.g., using OLS regression to fit an AR(1). The book doesn't go deep into ARIMA models.

There is an interesting discussion on p charts and c charts. Basically, the author is dealing with the issue of overdispersion though he does not say the term. This is not to my knowledge covered in other SPC books but it is clearly an issue in reality.

The chapter on CUSUMs is particularly done well and is quite comprehensive.

If there is one negative point, the book is a bit too wordy to my liking. I think he could have shorten up his prose a bit. But, for folks that are leary of statistics, the extra text might help get the point across.

Most folks will recognize Montgomery's Intro. to Stat. Quality Control as the main player in the field. Given its longer history, I don't think that will change but Alwan's book is definitely an add-on to any decent SPC collection of reference books.

Unique approach to SPC
This book is great! Through numerous real-world examples, it takes high-level ideas and makes them understandable. I highly recommend this book for anyone using SPC. ... Read more

Book Description

"In The Six Sigma Revolution, George communicates the principles of Six Sigma to audiences at every level and enables an immediate understanding of what is for many an intimidating field."–Ross Leher, Chairman and CEO RWI Interactive Information Services

"The Six Sigma Revolution is a powerful profit-building tool and an indispensable resource for leaders wanting to drive lasting improvement."–Mike Delaney, Senior Vice President Marketing and Strategic Planning Unifi, Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Highly Recommended!
George Eckes' experience in quality control includes an instance where he had the temerity, just out of college, to ask W. Edwards Deming, then an octogenarian, to elaborate on his views about quality. "Those are the most stupid questions I have ever heard! Go read some of my books," the cantankerous quality czar responded. No one reading this volume can doubt that Eckes has done his homework ever since. His blend of experience, theoretical expertise and common sense make this a very effective Six Sigma manual, although it is a little light on case studies. One of the book's most valuable elements is Eckes' keen analysis of the pitfalls that can flush all your best Six Sigma intentions down the tubes, even as a row of consultants tell you it is a panacea for all your woes. We recommend this book to anyone who is about to call a consultant and venture into the Rasputin world of Six Sigma.

Powerful and Understandable
This book was not only helpful in understanding what Six Sigma is, but how to practically implement the initiative. George Eckes takes what could be a cumbersome and difficult concept of quality improvement and makes it understandable and down right exciting. The "Six Sigma Revolution" is certainly a must read for anyone who desires to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their organization.

5 Stars= Six Sigma
Having read or attempted to read an assortment of books on Six Sigma, I must say this one was an easy, informative read. The book reads like what it is, written by a person who has taught people Six Sigma skills for years. The author seems to have used Six Sigma tools on his teachings. He has found out what areas people have had trouble comprehending and has come up with easier ways of explaining it or provides examples.
Could you read this book and come away knowing everything about Six Sigma there is to know. No, but this book will keep you interested, give you an excellent start. You could accomplish quite a bit with the tools provided here.
I would strongly recommend this book to anybody interested in Six Sigma. If you are in business today and aren't aware of the ideas of Six Sigma you are missing out.
I do have to admit to being a follower of W. Edwards Deming management methods for years and have always had a problem with Six Sigma "gurus" not admitting to using many of his ideas. I'm sure it helped win me over to see George Eckes giving Dr. Deming credit where credit is due.

The best book on Six Sigma
I like the explanations and the format of this book. Sometimes authors try to help by including strange diagrams that confuse you. This book is simple and to the point, from a person who knows how to explain things. Other books I have seen just describe what Six Sigma is or try to show why the discipline works but nothing more. I would have liked a bit more technical definitions and procedures. I hope this author makes an expanded 6Sigma book with more technical stuff, clear color charts , better paper quality, and to follow a project though from begining to end. Another great book (although with similar limitations) is Design for Six Sigma, by Subir Chowdhury.
Buy them both and compare the two disciplines.

Real-Life Success Stories are Through-Out the Book
The six sigma benefits are process management, improvement, and measurement implemented daily. Top company leaders recognize the six sigma is synonymous with constant reinvention of their business and gain success through sustained customer satisfication both internally and externally. Six Sigma business are held the highest standards of 3.4 defects per million opportunities. The belief that tool usage used for measuring results should be easy and simple. The silo-breaking effort produces strong communication and collaboration throughout the company. Core competence is improved as the company makes a strong commitment to learning and training as the standard. The six sigma way involves increase expense for training, resource, and employee time allocation; but numerous case studies suggest the end result is increase productivity. Increased productivity can apply effectively to both service and manufacturing businesses.

What is six sigma? 1. A focus on the customer 2. Fact based management style 3. Process focus and improvement 4. Proactive management 5. Boundaryless Collaboration 6. The drive for perfection but tolerance of failure 7. 3.4 defects per million opportunities performance standard.

What is the improvement Cycle? DMAIC (define,measure, analyze, improve, and control) 1. Identify the problem and define requirements 2. Redefine the problem and measure key steps 3. Analyze the root causes of the problem 4. Develop improvement ideas to remove root causes and create standards of performance measurement. 5. Establish control measures to maintain performance and correct problems as needed.

How does a company determine whether six sigma is right for them? The authors expand that six sigma is a company cultural change. Case studies indicate the change can be profitable but requires tremendous commitment, resources, and time to implement effectively. The authors assess readiness with three questions: 1. Is change a critical business need now 2. Can the company come up with a strong rationale for applying six sigma to their business 3. Will the existing improving systems be capable of achieving the change needed. A deeper understanding of what six sigma can do for the organization is requested. Scope analysis answers the question of what is feasible in terms of resources, attention, and acceptance. A timeframe analysis answers the question of how long will management be willing to wait for results.

Where to go from here. 1. Develop a strong rationale supporting six sigma methodology in your organization 2. Management plans and actively participates in implementation 3. Create a vision and market plan 4. Become a power advocate of the process improvement cycle 5. Set clear objectives 6. Hold yourself and others accountable 7. Demand solid measurements of progress and results 8. Communicate results and setbacks to the organization. 9. Organize roles (black belts, green belts, and master black belts) 10. Select the project with the biggest impact on the organization.

In short, The six sigma way is a big improvement over Total Quality Managment. It signifies a much higher standard of quality and connects management closer to the improvement effort. A ranking structure of black belts and master black belts brings the best expertise to facilitate improvement in the project. Accountablity and communication increase learning, cooperation, and leverage creativity and focus, in the problem solving stages. Because management is actively participating training, resources, and individual talent is effectively configured. The focus on the customer helps identify how to bring value and increase competitiveness. ... Read more

Book Description

Finally, a book is available that makes root cause analysis accessible to any employee in all types of organizations and business sectors. Other books on the market are written primarily for the quality manager interested in understanding root cause analysis within the larger concept of TQM and continuous improvement. Root Cause Analysis: A Beginner's Approach starts from scratch and builds gradually toward presenting the most-needed basic root analysis skills. These tools are described, and their purpose and typical applications are outlined. Procedures for applying the tools are included, as is a checklist, to ensure that the tools are applied correctly. Business examples and cases help support root cause analysis learning. The text also contains forms and templates that can be copied from the book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great hands-on root cause analysis tools
After looking through many books on root cause analysis, I came across this books published by the American Society for Quality (ASQ). While most books on root cause analysis go deeply into the theory and the concepts of the topic, this book presents, as the subtitle states, simplified tools and techniques that can be easily applied to any organization. At my employer -- a medical device company --, we have trained over 100 employees using the Andersen/Fagerhaug book to solve technical as well as staffing issues. I highly recommend the book for use at all levels of an organization. ... Read more

Book Description

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO STRIVING FOR PERFECTION IN AN IMPERFECT WORLD

Six Sigma in many organizations simply means defining and measuring quality; a working system designed to identify that elusive goal, perfection. Companies such as GE, Microsoft, and 3M have used this approach to eliminate product defects, reduce cycle time, and improve customer satisfaction. Six Sigma may sound intimidating, but the fact is that you don't have to be a high-level executive at a giant corporation to use—or understand—this concept. It is simply a way of improving quality.

Getting Started in Six Sigma is designed to show you, step by step, how Six Sigma works and how it can be used most effectively. Whether you're a manager trying to change your approach to problem solving or an employee in a corporation with a Six Sigma program, this book will clearly lead you through each step of the process. Definitions within the margins—placed at points of discussion—will help you to quickly master Six Sigma terminology as you read along.

In a straightforward and accessible style, Getting Started in Six Sigma will familiarize you with:

• The real meaning of Six Sigma—technical and philosophical
• The importance of both internal and external customers
• DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control)—the tactical approach to Six Sigma projects
• Product and service defects and how to reduce them
• Effectively improving process systems
• Striving for consistency

Filled with numerous examples, checklists, and graphics, Getting Started in Six Sigma will help you gain a firm understanding of the topic and illustrate how this idea can make any organization function better. ... Read more

Book Description

As we begin this millennium, the ISO 9000 family of quality management system standards has been updated to reflect a more modern understanding of quality. Originally the ISO 9000 standards were thought to be primarily a technical discipline. Today, an increasing interest in these quality standards by more non-traditional organizations has created the need to revise ISO 9000 to ensure that the needs of users around the world are met.ISO 9000:2000 represents the first major revision to the quality standards since its initial issue. Written by individuals that actually contributed to the development of the revisions, ISO 9001:2000 Explained, Second Edition is the perfect companion to the new standard.Featuring the exact text of the ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001-2000 standard, it will help clarify the changes in presentation, terminology, format, and requirements to quality professionals in any industry. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Worked for me
I went to the library to screen for authors and bought this book along with some others. I work in the Chemical Process Industries
and found it gave me tips on how to apply the standard in my situation. It seemed like the reasonably lengthed prose had depth. Reading the whole thing tipped us off to weakeness that sure-n-nuff the audit pointed out. It the books I've handed to my employees.

ISO 9001:2000 Explained
Quality managers, people considering implementing a Quality Management System and those who simply want to learn what ISO is and what it means, will find this book invaluable. It contains the newly adopted ISO 9001:2000 standard text and clear explanations of the requirements of each clause in practical terms. The authors provide examples of the application of the clauses for manufacturing, hardware, software and service organizations. They also clarify where additional requirements have been added or requirements deleted.

The audit checklists that follow the explanation of each clause will be useful to everyone: to those implementing a new system and to those with a system certified to the 1994 standard who may want to get a quick read of what they will need to do to transition to the 2000 standard. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Loaded with excellent information
Just having done a QM implementation without consultants, I know how much detail there is to wade through. This book would have been invaluable during that time, and has since allowed me to make several enhancements to my implementation. it touches on nearly every aspect of the QM module, and gets fairly in depth in many areas. The process maps from SAP to the ISO/QS standards alone were worth the price of the book. if you are thinking about sap qm, don't do it without this book. ... Read more

Book Description

The Baldrige process helps drive organizations to be more competitive and achieve performance excellence. This book provides anyone who uses the Baldrige Criteria with a better understanding of the linkages among elements and how to leverage their improvement initiatives. Authors John Vinyard and John Latham take the criteria and make them understandable to the novice. At the same time, they provide a breakdown of the same criteria to help the most experienced Baldrige user make connections that previously were not obvious. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting integration of two major quality frameworks
This book is also available as an e-book (see ISBN B0000AJ68G). Regardless of which format you choose, the content is one of the best descriptions of ISO 9001:2000 and the CMMI - and how to use them as an integrated approach to achieve a high level of capability maturity.

The authors provide a summary of process improvement approaches, including frameworks and interrelationships among them. There is excellent background information on the CMMI and how it evolved from the older CMM. This also includes early work by the FAA with its iCMM approach.

In the parts of the book dealing with ISO 9001 the authors show the key differences between ISO 9001:94 and ISO 9001:2000, and provide a context and value proposition for them. The significant changes between the 1994 and 2000 versions of ISO 9001 are covered in detail. W

Another key feature of this book is the section on making the transition from legacy standards. This is where the differences between CMM and CMMI, and ISO 9001:1994 and ISO 9001:2000 are clearly highlighted. If you are currently operating under either the older CMM or ISO 9001:94 framework, this section of the book also provides clear guidance for making the transition to the CMMI and ISO 9001:2000. This guidance is in the form of a five-step approach for either implementing anew, or making the transition from a legacy framework - (1) initiating, (2) diagnosing, (3)establishing, (4) acting, and (5) learning. The authors also provide ISO 9001:2000->CMMI and CMMI->ISO 9001:2000 document mapping, which will cut through the maze and show how to reduce unnecessary documentation by integrating documentation where possible.

The authors have produced a book that is exceptionally well written, clarifies two complex frameworks, and shows how they can be used in conjunction with one another.

delivers what it promisses
the book brings together two recently updated, important standards for (software) quality management: CMMI and ISO 9001.
the book is thoroughly set up and structured, easy to interpret and navigate with all the necessary mappings and tables, and
systematic considerations of process improvement approaches.
also of interest for people only focussing on the CMMI and not ISO. well done! ... Read more

Book Description

There are some very good books available that explain the Lean Manufacturing theory and touch on implementing its techniques. However, you cannot learn "how to be" lean from merely reading the theory. And to be successful in the real-work environment you need a clear comprehension of how lean techniques work, rather than just a remote understanding of what they are. You need to know what does and does not work in different situations. And you need the benefit of practical experience in their implementation.Lean Manufacturing: Tools, Techniques, and How to Use Them gives you the benefit of author and practitioner William Feld's 15 years of hands-on experience - and the lessons he's learned. Feld provides insight into the appropriate use of assessment, analysis, design, and, most importantly, deployment of a successful lean manufacturing program. Packed with practical advice and tips but not bogged down in theory, this book covers how, why, when, and what to do while implementing lean manufacturing. It equips you with the tools and techniques you need along with an understanding of how and why they work. Feld explores why an integrated approach is so much more beneficial in securing sustained improvement. He focuses on the interdependency of the Five Primary Elements: organization, metrics, logistics, manufacturing flow, and process control. He describes a proven, applied approach to creating a lean program using these elements. To keep up globally, and even locally, your manufacturing operation must be responsive, flexible, predictable, and consistent. You must continually improve manufacturing operations and cultivate a self directed work force driven by output based, customer performance criteria. By applying what you learn from Lean Manufacturing: Tools, Techniques, and How to Use Them you can build a workforce - and an organization - with the capacity to satisfy world class expectations now and into the future. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great start to lean implementation
Everyone is looking for the lean cookbook. Sorry, but it doesn't exist. However, if you're looking for a good solid start, here it is. I've been doing lean consulting for nearly a decade, and found this book to be one of the best. Forget theories and potential benefits: here's where the rubber hits the road. The deployment plan presented is sound and can be easily adapted to most operations. The case study at the end helps to make the process more practical. While there is still no "Lean For Dummies" book out there yet, here is a good solid place to learn how to do it.

Disapointing and confusing
After reading Womack's books on lean, Feld seemed to be coming from a completely different perspective. The intriguing title and description suggested to me this book would be helpful in furthering my understanding of lean concepts (as described by Womack) and how to implement them. While I found a few bits and pieces to be helpful, overall it suggested a much different and confusing approach. In addition the way ideas were presented seemed to come more from a "how things might be done" rather than "how things were done that lead to success."

Lean Manufacturing: Tools, Techniques, and How to Use Them
This book was very refreshing as it took a very detailed approach at Lean manufacturing and made it not only easy to understand but easy to implement. This is a step by step, "holistic" approach to LT. If you ever get a chance to meet the author Bill Feld, and talk to him one on one you should jump at the chance. He is obviously one of the most knowledgable in North America on the sublect of Lean Manufacturing. ... Read more

Book Description

Process mapping gives you an accurate picture of work flow and customer-supplier relationships, which in turn helps you make the right improvements. The Basics of Process Mapping introduces process mapping and shows you how to use it in your organization.

Two levels of process mapping are detailed:

Relationship mapping, which gives a "macro," aerial view of work relationships and the flow of work, and highlights customer-supplier interactions.
Cross-functional process mapping, which gives a closer view of work as it is really performed, across functions, showing where specific process steps fall.

The book contains a case study of both levels of process mapping and guidelines for when to use each type. It also explains the relationship of process mapping to flowcharting.

This book is great to use as a hands-on team resource, a training supplement, and a reference. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

High level book
Very good but high level and not geared towards any specific type of processes. Good for beginners. very thin book...

It is just real "Basics" for non-engineer.
This book is just good for the one who've never experienced with process mapping before, it just provided the real basics, for anyone who want to get start. The author used examples from transactional process ( sale order), engineer who read and would like to see engineering process map example would not get from this book..

The book focused on 2 types of process mapping methods. I like the points that author brough about the applicaton of process mapping in various areas that highlighted in chapter 6.

Overall I would rate this book for 2, as in engneering expectation.

I'd give it 5 Stars if ...
... it's not much of a book. It's more like apamphlet. It has helped me though, and can make it easier to draw"correct" process flow diagrams. But anyone who has had experience in Process Mapping doesn't need this book! Visio has more information about Process Mapping than this book. AS I said, it is very basic but helpful to glace at, It'd be a lot better if the price was at least half.

A very basic introduction to processes
I was looking for a book to help me broader my knowledge of processes. I didn't want a complete encyclopedia, just something usefull for begineers. This book is fine if you just want to have a general idea of mapping processes but it's quite simple. So, if you are looking for something more than just knowing the diferent ways to map a process and basics rules I think maybe there are better options. Anyway, for a very general knowledge could be a good option.

I would not recommend it to an associate.
The books attempts to give the reader a short introduction or insight into process mapping. Yet, it would go to in-depth for the basics. In addition, the author guises the reader by using different terminology for maps, such as deployment flowcharts, and IDEF models. The astonishing fact about the book is that in the end it attempts to tell you how to analyze a business. Readers are better off reviewing rengineering books. ... Read more

Book Description

The Internal Auditing Pocket Guide prepares those new to auditing to conduct internal audits against quality, environmental, safety, and other specified criteria. From the audit assignment to analyzing results to following up on action items, this guide summarizes all the steps necessary to complete an internal audit. Throughout the guide charts, graphs, and illustrations are used to demonstrate the process. Whether you are learning the basic auditing conventions to qualify as an internal auditor or using this book for self-improvement, both you and your organization will benefit from the new skills you acquire through this easy-to-use pocket guide. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Steps through the basics
This book is an introduction to internal auditing. The content is relatively straightforward and generic, providing reasons for internal auditing, and a four step process for performing this function.

Note - this book is high-level and does not address specific auditing requirements such as those associated with Sarbanes-Oxley, or even the mechanics of financial controls. It's all about determining either conformance or compliance (or both).

The four-step process encompasses:
(1) Identify plans (what it is that is supposed to be done)
(2) Observe (are people following the plan)
(3) Evaluate collected facts (evidence associated with the plan and observation steps)
(4) Report the results (findings, gap analysis, etc.)

Chapters 1 and 2 are basic - welcome to auditing, and getting the assignment. The next four chapters provide the structure, approach and principles needed to perform the audit - purpose and scope, preparing for the audit, requirements and planning, and audit strategies. The final five chapters cover conducting the actual audit - initiation, data collection, process techniques/process auditing, analyzing results, and reporting and follow-up.

In addition to the high-level coverage of internal auditing, this book augments this information with a glossary, seven appendices providing example plans, checklists and other useful information to help understand the work product and the auditing process itself. There is an excellent summary at the end of the appendices that give basic auditing principles.

This small book is a good introduction to internal auditing and will give the fundamentals in a clear, easy-to-follow manner. ... Read more

Book Description

The Six Sigma Book for Healthcare: Improving Outcomes by Reducing Errors demystifies the increasingly popular Six Sigma approach to improving quality. This book provides a clear explanation of what Six Sigma is, how it works, and how it can be applied to healthcare management.

The book also provides valuable guidance and tools that will help you implement the Six Sigma method at your organization. You and your staff can work through cases that illustrate the method. A companion web site provides additional teaching and learning tools, including lists of data for working through the cases, sample spreadsheets showing additional detail about the examples used in the book, and tools for presenting results in a PowerPoint format appropriate for a management team meeting. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A "below the basics" Six Sigma text
While I do not want to sound offensive to the authors, I was almost offended at the simplistic level of Six Sigma description that was used in this book. You can skip the first two chapters completely and browse the rest of the text. The case studies are applicable and actually fairly good. The authors almost make it seem as though anything being done is already at a Six Sigma level, you simply need to make the numbers match. There is no real tie to making Six Sigma work in healthcare in this book. Having done a great deal of reading and research on Six Sigma, I would recommend that anyone wanting to utilize this great technique in a healthcare setting stick with Six Sigma books geared for traditional business and use them to apply principles to healthcare. In my opinion, this book was approximately $65 over-priced. Thanks to the authors, however, on a valiant effort.

Misleading Title
As a stand-alone reference this book offers very little to anyone looking to implement a six sigma program in healthcare. The book fails to address the organizational and strategic issues related to implementing a comprehensive process improvement strategy in any type of organization, let alone a healthcare organization. The book would have us believe that six sigma is the application of statistical problem solving techniques to traditional quality improvement programs. If it were that simple, many healthcare organizations have been practicing six sigma for over 15 years. Someone in healthcare looking to find out what six sigma is all about would likely be left with the impression that six sigma is just the latest buzzword. On the other hand, the book does provide some nice case studies that may be useful for a non-statistician looking to strengthen their process improvement tool belt. Either the authors don't really understand what six sigma is all about or they are just attempting to exploit the market by combining the words six sigma and healthcare in the title. Most healthcare professional would do better to look at the GE related references on the subject.

Not a Six Sigma Strategy Text!
I expected the book to address the organizational and strategic issues related to implementing Six Sigma in a healthcare organization. Instead, the book has some nice case studies on applying statistical analysis to process problems and a general discussion of quality systems. This isn't the book for someone looking to implement a process improvement program but may be a useful reference for non-statisticians looking to strengthen their statistical toolkit. ... Read more