Quality Transformation With David Schwinn
This month’s column comes from a convergence of finishing my article, “Statistical Thinking for OD Professionals,” for the OD Practitioner, and reading “How Statistics Lost their Power—and Why We...
Donald J. Wheeler
A recent question from a statistician in Germany led me to the realization that the F-test of analysis of variance (ANOVA) fame is in serious need of an update.
What the F-ratio does
The F-...
Patrick Runkel
Did you ever wonder why statistical analyses and concepts often have such weird, cryptic names?
One conspiracy theory points to the workings of a secret committee called the ICSSNN. The...
Davis Balestracci
According to Mark Graham Brown, from his book Keeping Score (Productivity Press, 2006), 50 percent of the time leaders spend in meetings involving data is waste, 80 percent of the pounds of...
Donald J. Wheeler
The average and range chart handles most situations where the data can be logically organized into homogeneous subgroups. However, this chart breaks down when faced with a hierarchical data...
Bruno Scibilia
Genichi Taguchi is famous for his pioneering methods of robust quality engineering. One of the major contributions that he made to quality improvement methods is Taguchi designs.
Designed...
Davis Balestracci
Just curious: Do you have monthly (and/or quarterly and/or even weekly) “How’re we doin’?” meetings like the end-of-year scenario described in my November and December columns last year—about...
Eston Martz
The language of statistics is a funny thing, but there usually isn’t much to laugh at in the consequences that can follow when misunderstandings occur between statisticians and nonstatisticians. We...
Catherine Beare
Sponsored Content
Although efforts have been made to create policies that support a bias-free workplace, there is still a considerable way to go toward achieving the gender equality that...
Donald J. Wheeler
Good measurements are like apple pie and motherhood. Who could ever be against having good measurements? Since we all want good measurements, it sounds reasonable when people are told to check out...
Quality Transformation With David Schwinn
I recently presented “Statistical Thinking for OD Professionals” for the Organization Development Network annual conference. It was well received, but more important, it reignited in me a passion...
Davis Balestracci
In spite of the overwhelming odds against me, every new year I firmly resolve to reignite my relentless passion about creating a critical mass of colleagues committed to practicing...
Eston Martz
A member of Minitab’s LinkedIn group asked how to create a chart to monitor change by month, specifically comparing last year’s data to this year’s data. My last post showed how to do...
Donald J. Wheeler
What can be done when a test is destructive? How do we characterize measurement error? How can we determine if a test method is adequate for a given product or application? How can we check for...
Greg Fox
It’s that time of year again. The time when eggs get nogged, pudding gets figgy, and it becomes socially acceptable to speak in rhyme. So on that note, and with apologies to Clement Clarke...
Davis Balestracci
Those of you familiar with W. Edwards Deming know that his Funnel Experiment ultimately shows that a process in control delivers the best results if left alone. Funnel Rule No. 4, also known as a “...
Barbara A. Cleary
Statistics has gotten a bad rap. People love to quote Mark Twain (“There are lies, damn lies, and statistics,” alternatively attributed to Benjamin Disraeli), Vin Scully (“Statistics are used much...
Steve Daum
Capability analysis is a set of calculations used to assess whether a system is able to meet a set of requirements. Customers, engineers, or managers usually set the requirements, which can be...
Donald J. Wheeler
Who can be against apple pie, motherhood, or good measurements? This is why everyone stands up and salutes when we are told to maintain our measurement systems in good calibration. But what is good...
Stanford News Service
Most leadership advice is based on anecdotal observation and basic common sense. Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Kathryn Shaw tried a different tack: data-driven analysis.
Through...
