When an entire organization is reaching the highest quality standards, the result is a Six Sigma culture.

In the new millennium the increasing expectation of customers and products complexity has forced companies to find new solutions and better alternatives to improve the quality of their products. Lean and Six Sigma methodology provides the best solutions to many problems and can be used as an accelerator in industry, business and even health care sectors. Due to its flexible nature, the Lean and Six Sigma methodology was rapidly adopted by many top and even small companies. This book provides the necessary guidance for selecting, performing and evaluating various procedures of Lean and Six Sigma. In the book you will find personal experiences in the field of Lean and Six Sigma projects in business, industry and health sectors.

This important resource translates the popular Six Sigma methodologies, tools, and techniques in a way that is customized specifically for the design, implementation, and measurement of employee development programs. A proven alternative to the Kirkpatrick Model, this new model offers a more effective method for designing and testing the effectiveness of training. Throughout the book, the author presents tools in a user-friendly and understandable format that is tailored for implementation in the development and measurement of employee learning programs. Step-by-step, Developing and Measuring Training the Six Sigma Way walks the reader through the highly effective and proven DMADDITM process.

The first book to integrate axiomatic design and robust design fora comprehensive quality approach As the adoption of quality methods grows across various industries,its implementation is challenged by situations where statisticaltools are inadequate, yet the earlier a proactive quality system isintroduced into a given process, the greater the payback thesemethods will yield. Axiomatic Quality brings together two well-established theories,axiomatic design and robust design, to eliminate or reduce bothconceptual and operational weaknesses. Providing a completeframework for immediate implementation, this book guides designteams in producing systems that operate at high-quality levels foreach of their design requirements. And it shows the way towardsachieving the Six-Sigma target--six times the standard deviationcontained between the target and each side of the specificationlimits--for each requirement. This book develops an aggressive axiomatic quality approachthat: * Provides the tools to reduce conceptual weaknesses of systemsusing a framework called the conceptual design for capability * Reduces operational weaknesses of systems in terms of qualitylosses and control costs * Uses mathematical relationships to bridge the gap betweenscience-based engineering and quality methods Acclaro DFSS Light, a Java-based software package that implementsaxiomatic design processes, is available for download from a Wileyftp site. Acclaro DFSS Light is a software product of AxiomaticDesign Solutions, Inc. Laying out a comprehensive approach while working through eachaspect of its implementation, Axiomatic Quality is an essentialresource for managers, engineers, and other professionals who wantto successfully deploy the most advanced methodology to tacklesystem weaknesses and improve quality.

Kanban Made Simple is the first simple "how-to" guide for incorporating the just-in-time ingenuity of the Kanban system into any manufacturing environment. From the Japanese word for "visual record", the technique dictates that suppliers deliver parts to the warehouse only as they are needed, reducing storage in the production area. Using before-and-after case studies, this easy-to-follow guide contains information on establishing project goals, forming a Kanban team, and designing the process.

This book provides a synthesis of recent developments in Axiomatic Design theory and its application in large complex systems. Introductory chapters provide concise tutorial materials for graduate students and new practitioners, presenting the fundamentals of Axiomatic Design and relating its key concepts to those of model-based systems engineering. A mathematical exposition of design axioms is also provided. The main body of the book, which represents a concentrated treatment of several applications, is divided into three parts covering work on: complex products; buildings; and manufacturing systems. The book shows how design work in these areas can benefit from the scientific and systematic underpinning provided by Axiomatic Design, and in so doing effectively combines the state of the art in design research with practice. All contributions were written by an international group of leading proponents of Axiomatic Design. The book concludes with a call to action motivating further research into the engineering design of large complex systems.

Lean is about building and improving stable and predictable systems and processes to deliver to customers high-quality products/services on time by engaging everyone in the organization. Combined with this, organizations need to create an environment of respect for people and continuous learning. It’s all about people. People create the product or service, drive innovation, and create systems and processes, and with leadership buy-in and accountability to ensure sustainment with this philosophy, employees will be committed to the organization as they learn and grow personally and professionally. Lean is a term that describes a way of thinking about and managing companies as an enterprise. Becoming Lean requires the following: the continual pursuit to identify and eliminate waste; the establishment of efficient flow of both information and process; and an unwavering top-level commitment. The concept of continuous improvement applies to any process in any industry. Based on the contents of The Lean Practitioners Field Book, the purpose of this series is to show, in detail, how any process can be improved utilizing a combination of tasks and people tools and introduces the BASICS Lean® concept. The books are designed for all levels of Lean practitioners and introduces proven tools for analysis and implementation that go beyond the traditional point kaizen event. Each book can be used as a stand-alone volume or used in combination with other titles based on specific needs. Each book is chock-full of case studies and stories from the authors’ own experiences in training organizations that have started or are continuing their Lean journey of continuous improvement. Contents include valuable lessons learned and each chapter concludes with questions pertaining to the focus of the chapter. Numerous photographs enrich and illustrate specific tools used in Lean methodology. Sustaining Lean: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement focuses on standard work audits, training, Lean Practitioner certification, Hoshin planning, Lean Leadership, and how to run effective meetings. The authors discuss the cultural transformation which must occur to create a Lean culture by understanding what the components are in this culture. The importance of training and the value of the person are also discussed, as is what it takes to be a Lean leader.

Taking the mystery out of Six Sigma implementation This easy-to-understand reference in the popular Demystified series teaches the methods of Six Sigma, explains their applications, and tests expertise without confusing statistics and formulas. Expert Paul Keller and Six Sigma guru Tom Pyzdek describe helpful tools for Six Sigma teams, identifying their uses, limitations, and application during multiple stages of DMAIC. They also outline additional tools for full effectiveness and provide necessary calculations and assumptions. In addition, they provide: Detailed examples and diagrams Practical exercises and complete solutions A final exam to test overall knowledge Materials ideal for self-study or for training groups of Black Belts and Green Belts

The Breakthrough Program for Increasing Quality, Shortening Cycle Times, and Creating Shareholder Value In Every Area of Your Organization Time and quality are the two most important metrics in improving any company's production and profit performance. Lean Six Sigma explains how to impact your company's performance in each, by combining the strength of today's two most important initiativesLean Production and Six Sigmainto one integrated program. The first book to provide a step-by-step roadmap for profiting from the best elements of Lean and Six Sigma, this breakthrough volume will show you how to: Achieve major cost and lead time reductions this year Compress order-to-delivery cycle times Battle process variation and waste throughout your organization Separately, Lean Production and Six Sigma have changed the face of the manufacturing business. Together, they become an unprecedented tool for improving product and process quality, production efficiency, and across-the-board profitability. Lean Six Sigma introduces you to today's most dynamic program for streamlining the performance of both your production department and your back office, and providing you with the cost reduction and quality improvements you need to stay one step ahead of your competitors. "Lean Six Sigma shows how Lean and Six Sigma methods complement and reinforce each other. If also provides a detailed roadmap of implementation so you can start seeing significant returns in less than a year."--From the Preface Businesses fundamentally exist to provide returns to their stakeholders. Lean Six Sigma outlines a program for combining the synergies of these two initiatives to provide your organization with greater speed, less process variation, and more bottom-line impact than ever before. A hands-on guidebook for integrating the production efficiencies of the Lean Enterprise with the cost and quality tools of Six Sigma, this breakthrough book features detailed insights on: The Lean Six Sigma Value PropositionHow combining Lean and Six Sigma provides unmatched potential for improving shareholder value The Lean Six Sigma Implementation ProcessHow to prepare your organization for a seamless incorporation of Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques Leveraging Lean Six SigmaStrategies for extending Lean Six Sigma's reach within and beyond your corporate walls "Variation is evil."--Jack Welch Six Sigma was the zero-variation quality lynchpin around which Jack Welch transformed GE into one of the world's most efficientand valuablecorporations. Lean Production helped Toyota cut waste, slash costs, and substantially improve resource utilization and cycle times. Yet, as both would admit, there was still room for improvement. Lean Six Sigma takes you to the next level of improvement, one that for the first time unites product and process excellence with the goal of enhancing shareholder value creation. Providing insights into the application of Lean Six Sigma to both the manufacturing processes and the less-data-rich service and transactional processes, it promises to revolutionize the performance efficiencies in virtually every area of your organizationas it positively and dramatically impacts your shareholder value.

The success of any business relies heavily on the evaluation and improvement on current strategies and processes. Such progress can be facilitated by implementing more effective decision-making systems. Tools and Techniques for Economic Decision Analysis provides a thorough overview of decision models and methodologies in the context of business economics. Highlighting a variety of relevant issues on finance, economic policy, and firms and networks, this book is an ideal reference source for managers, professionals, students, and academics interested in emerging developments for decision analysis.