Toyota's 8 Steps for Practical Problem Solving are rooted in Walter Shewhart's (and Dr. Deming's) PDCA Cycle (Plan Do Check Act). Toyota expanded on "Plan" with Steps 1-5 whereas "Do-Check-Act" correspond with Steps 6, 7 and 8. Both systems are based on the Scientific Method and help support a culture…
They're delivering a one-two punch to defects. They're ridding the earth of process waste. They're on the front lines delivering customer service perfection. They're in leadership striving to make a difference in the world. They're kicking process improvement butt! The Wonder Women of Quality are here! This month in the…
Did you know Dr. Kano was a student of Dr. Ishikawa? Did you know Dr. Kano was still with us? Does he know everyone still uses the Kano Model? Would that be a delighter for Dr. Kano? Inquiring minds want to know! This November marks Noriaki Kano’s 79th birthday (we’re…
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Robert Fagan, a contracting officer with the Clothing and Textiles (C&T) team, is crediting a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training Course for giving him the tools to complete a process improvement project for the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support. After completing the Green Belt Training & Certification, Fagan found…
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My favorite holiday, Halloween, is almost here. Are you ready for trick-or-treaters? Need candy? Well even if you aren’t ready, Costco Wholesale Industries (CWI) has been busy packaging Halloween candy in their packaging facilities for the last 3 months. Costco’s two packaging facilities serve all their locations worldwide. The San…
The target, within Continuous Improvement, refers to the desired value of the process characteristic being measured---"2-Day Lead Time" or "2% Defect rate". Once the baseline or "as is" process measure has been established, the goal is to reduce the gap between the basline and the target---"Reduce Lead Time from 5…
Best Practice Sharing refers to spreading news of improvement ideas throughout an organization. Another term is to share "Transfer Opportunities" although the idea is to include the sharing of failures as well. It's not enough to improve a process. It's important to let others know what you've learned so that…
Production Leveling refers to the smoothing of manufacturing production in the face of fluctuating demand. The method was developed as part of the Toyota Production System as a way to react to demand changes without overburdening production. Instead of over-producing products in batches, the method responds directly to consumer demand.…