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SixNet Intelligence is the fastest-growing solution for the operational-excellence marketplace, according to recent market research. The results were released by Six Sigma Qualtec, which surveyed corporate performance improvement initiatives and the users of home-grown technology systems. The…
Karen Reynolds is the new vice president of operations at StraightSource, a provider of recruitment-process outsourcing. Reynolds is a Master Black Belt and most recently was vice president of enterprise effectiveness for L3 Communications. Prior to that position, she held a series of leadership…
iSixSigma, publisher of iSixSigma magazine, has announced an exclusive partnership with International Quality and Productivity Center. Through the partnership, iSixSigma will help shape and promote IQPC’s Six Sigma IQ conferences and provide input to the Six Sigma Excellence Awards, which recognize…
Perot Systems Corp. and Six Sigma Advantage Inc. have teamed up to provide Six Sigma and software training, consulting and certification services. Perot Systems, a provider of collaborative information technology services, reports that together the companies will form a highly refined set of…
The Department of Defense recently awarded the Navy’s NAVAIR Depot North Island with the departments’ first-ever Continuous Process Improvement Achievement Award. The award cited the depot, which is based in Coronado, California, for being at the forefront of the Navy’s AIRSpeed program since its…
A new book reveals that lean initiatives are more strategic when extended from the supply chain into distribution channels. Value-Driven Channel Strategy: Extending the Lean Approach (ASQ Quality Press, 2005), is based on research from the manufacturing and service industry. Authors Eric Reidenbach…
Decisioneering Inc. and Vose Consulting US LLC have recently formed an alliance to launch Decisioneering Services, a new service for Six Sigma practitioners. The service offers on-site and off-site consulting, providing clients with the resources and expertise they need to solve complex problems.…
The application of Six Sigma at Red Robin restaurants dramatically improved the delivery of its milkshakes. Red Robin, a gourmet burger chain with locations throughout the United States and Canada, will make more than 5 million milkshakes in 2005. Only 36 percent of them were being served to…
The Society of Women Engineers recently granted Melissa Tata a Distinguished New Engineer award for engineering leadership in Six Sigma and management. Tata, a senior manager of inventory control for Dell Inc., was also recognized for her dedication to teaching girls about engineering and the…
A new survey of 1,200 Six Sigma professionals shows that the more companies invest in their Six Sigma projects, the greater the return. Companies that invested less than $500,000 were most likely to break even, at best, while companies that invested $2,000,000 or more were most likely to see a two…
PowerSteering Software recently released Enterprise 4.6, a product that provides unprecedented functionality for Six Sigma practitioners. Falling closely on the heels of the recent PowerSteering Enterprise release that contains more than 50 enhancements specifically geared to improve Black Belt…
SigmaQuest Inc. and Customer Service Associates Inc. have entered into a new distribution agreement. The agreement will allow CSA to sell and support SigmaQuest’s performance-intelligence software throughout North America. CSA has more than 130 sales and support staff members in the United States…
The second-annual Six Sigma Gulf Summit 2005 will be held on Dec. 5–7 at the Bahrain Conference Centre.The event, which is sponsored by the Juran Institute Inc., will feature a keynote speech from Joseph A. De Feo, Juran Institute president and CEO. He will present an executive briefing on Six…
The third-annual Design for Six Sigma Conference will be held Jan. 16–18 at the Memphis Marriott Downtown. The event is billed as the premier forum for companies to achieve DFSS success. Topics to be discussed include: Integrating DFSS with engineering practices after initial deployment…
A new book contends that top-down lean implementations often fail, and provides specific examples of successful bottom-up approaches. In his new book, Creating Lean Corporations (Productivity Press, 2005), author Jeffrey Morgan shows how the bottom-up approach empowers the employees doing the tasks…
Kaiser Aluminum recently received the 2005 TBM Perfect Engine Award for its Chandler ( Arizona) facility, a recognition of the company’s implementation of lean Six Sigma. The award is given annually by the TBM Consulting Group Inc. to a facility that achieves outstanding productivity results. The…
As part of its ongoing transformation effort, leadership at the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) recently held several lean Six Sigma value-stream mapping events to identify projects that will provide the best return on investment. “Project identification and selection is a disciplined,…
The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has selected the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division as the base for its new Lean Six Sigma College. During their training, students learn about basic lean, Six Sigma and theory of constraints principles and tools, including value-stream…
Solectron recently held two consecutive events to honor its suppliers for their successful lean Six Sigma initiatives. The company received more than 50 entries to its first-annual Global Solectron Production System Kaizen Competition. The Supplier Day conference was held immediately after the…
The Confederation of Indian Industry awarded several top-producing Indian companies with Six Sigma awards at its National Convention on Six Sigma. The event was held in late September, and 150 delegates attended, representing 21 teams from India’s manufacturing, services, telecom, energy,…
The Performance Management Group recently started offering a package that includes unlimited training and consulting for a full year. The package also includes Black Belt certifications, Green Belt certifications, Yellow Belt certifications, the implementation of a customized Six Sigma system and…
Vintara recently released a fully integrated tool that allows authorized document editors to revise and save any compliance-related document. The software is useful for easily maintaining and verifying compliance to a long list of standards and methodologies, including Six Sigma, ISO standards and…
An upcoming conference will focus on the use of Six Sigma in the services and transactional sectors. The 2nd annual Six Sigma in Services and Transactional Environments Summit will be held Oct. 20–21 in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is sponsored by WCBF, which reports that last year’s event sold out.…
The use of value-stream mapping recently helped the U.S. Navy improve its acquisition processes. The value-stream map was produced by some of the Navy’s top lean Six Sigma practitioners at a kaizen competition designed to improve the Navy’s complex justification and approval (J&A) process. J…
Statistical Design Institute and Southern Methodist University’s Systems Engineering Program will host an upcoming workshop for enhanced product development using Six Sigma. The event will focus on the integration of systems engineering and design for Six Sigma in product development. It will be…