Management Articles

Business » Management | By Jacquelyn Donner @ Saturday, 22nd November 2008 @ 2:23 AM

Unless we can measure something, we cannot improve our performance. Sigma is a unit of measure that gives us a way of measuring variation and the capability of our processes to meet customer expectations consistently. We will discuss Sigma in more detail as the course progresses.What is a Sigma? It is a Greek letter that represents a measure of variation. It could be inches, volts, pounds. How do you measure variation, such as product variation? This is where we can use Sigma. In the same way th... more...

Business » Management | By Jacquelyn Donner @ Saturday, 22nd November 2008 @ 2:02 AM

One of the more confusing aspects of learning Six Sigma, is the relationship between process Standard Deviation, which is denoted by the Greek letter sigma and the process Sigma value, known as Z. When output data of a process is collected and analyzed, two of the first statistics to be calculated are the Mean and the Standard Deviation. The Mean, or average value, is compared to the process target, to see how accurately the process is actually performing. The Standard Deviation determine... more...

Business » Management | By Jacquelyn Donner @ Saturday, 22nd November 2008 @ 2:01 AM

One of the most important tools for achieving Six Sigma process capability is Process Benchmarking. This powerful tool is used to compare processes or products within the industry, between industries, or even between geographical areas or countries. A tool called Benchmarking Chart is a powerful way to \"baseline\" various processes or products so they may be meaningfully compared. Companies embarking on the road to Six Sigma adopt a Roadmap which is a four-step process to charact... more...

Business » Management | By Hani Masgidi @ Thursday, 20th November 2008 @ 10:51 AM

There is no question that the automotive industry has become one of the most important commercial sectors in the world today. However, many people fail to realize all the specific elements that make up this sector. From manufacturing to consumers, there are many important steps a vehicle must travel through. In fact, one of the most important, if often overlooked, components of the automotive industry are dealerships. Dealerships serve as the essential middleman between an automobile m... more...

Business » Management | By Jacquelyn Donner @ Tuesday, 18th November 2008 @ 2:27 PM

Six Sigma is a data-driven process re-engineering methodology resulting in paradigm shifts in the way a company behaves, treats its customers, and produces its products. It has been used for over 15 years in a number of companies including General Electric, Allied Signal and Texas Instruments. Six Sigma performance implies a level of process and product performance of no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Five lean, in turn, is 233 per million, Four Sigma is 6,210 per millio... more...

Business » Management | By Jacquelyn Donner @ Tuesday, 18th November 2008 @ 2:09 PM

To achieve Six Sigma levels of quality, an organization must improve the processes that are critical to customer satisfaction. Some of these processes belong to manufacturing. But others will belong to service and support organizations such as sales or maintenance. In many cases, processes will cut across the boundaries of traditional departments. In other cases, functions such as HR and Finance will need to provide expertise and support to the overall deployment (e.g. setting up the people sele... more...

Business » Management | By Jacquelyn Donner @ Tuesday, 18th November 2008 @ 2:02 PM

It is vital that there is a clear and consistent set of people processes across an organization. These processes includes the selection of Black Belts, Master Black Belts, and Six Sigma Green Belts, their evaluation, and the requirements and process for their certification. One main issue is ensuring that these processes are very rigorous. Rigor is important because it not only sends a signal about the importance of Lean, but it builds confidence that if a per-son is selected as an Black ... more...

Business » Management | By Jacquelyn Donner @ Tuesday, 18th November 2008 @ 1:11 PM

Focusing on the customer is essential to the success of any business. We all recognize this idea. But do we really internalize this idea? Do we really believe that such a focus has the potential to drive business growth and improve the quality of our day-to-day work as well as improve the chance that our business, and hence our jobs, will flourish? Business growth depends on how well we meet customer expectations in terms of quality, price, and delivery. In turn, our ability to satisfy th... more...

Business » Management | By Shawn Wilson @ Tuesday, 18th November 2008 @ 8:04 AM

Many of us have been in the position of asking our boss for a raise. Fewer of us have sat on the other side of the desk during this process. I\'ve had the opportunity to sit on both sides (at different times of course!) and let me tell you, neither is easy. Here are some tips on how to handle an employee\'s request for a salary increase. Be Prepared - Chances are you\'ve known this was coming and have set a date and time for the discussion with your employee. Before the me... more...

Business » Management | By Donald Mitchell @ Monday, 17th November 2008 @ 2:53 AM

From error to error, one discovers the truth. --Sigmund Freud When I started the project to find how to make 400 years worth of normal improvements in only 20 years (the 400 Year Project), I had no idea where to start. Fortunately, I was able to gain by trying lots of things . . . most of which didn\'t work. I suggest you do the same. While it would take a much longer article to describe all of the things we tried that didn\'t work, it\'s worth noting ... more...