All News
A new survey finds that Six Sigma-related corporate training programs are six times more likely to be recognized as highly successful than those without the methodology. Additionally, only 15 percent of programs rated highly successful didn’t include Six Sigma. Three percent of the programs viewed…
The American Society for Quality and Creative Healthcare (CHC) will soon offer blended-learning Six Sigma training to quality professionals in the health care industry. Green Belt training sessions will be held Nov. 9–11 in Atlanta. Courses will also be offered at ASQ headquarters in Milwaukee and…
The 2nd annual Six Sigma in Service & Transactional Environments Summit will be held Oct. 20–21 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The conference, hosted by WCBF, will feature case studies and examples of how Six Sigma is being used in nonmanufacturing environments, an exploration of lean Six Sigma, tips…
The Lean Enterprise Institute recently became a strategic reseller for iGrafx FlowCharter 2005 lean value stream mapping software. The software is available through LEI’s product catalog, which also features leading lean publications, training tools and workbooks for implementing lean tools. iGrafx…
SigmaQuest Inc. recently released SigmaExpress, the industry’s first on-demand product performance intelligence software. SigmaQuest will host SigmaExpress, which will provide OEMs with the means to upload product test, engineering, manufacturing and supplier data. At the site, information is…
Expanding knowledge and recognizing achievements of the Navy’s NAVAIR AIRSpeed Black Belts was the topic of the day at the Black Belt Symposium, held July 21 in Maryland. Vice Adm. Wally Massenburg, NAVAIR commander and lean Six Sigma consultant, and Michael George, chairman and CEO of the George…
Six Sigma Qualtec recently released an enhanced version of its SixNet business intelligence system. The enhanced module is free to current SixNet customers and allows companies to develop and analyze financial reports that mirror the format used by corporate leadership teams to track budget…
Productivity Inc. will present its 10th annual Lean Management and TPM Conference and Exposition on October 10-14. The event will be held at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas and will feature dozens of seminars, panels and classes on total productive maintenance, lean manufacturing and management, Six…
The Juran Institute and Wexi Inc., a South Korean quality management services provider, recently partnered to expand in the Asia Pacific region. When signing the agreement, Joseph A. De Feo, Juran Institute president and CEO, and Ho-Jin Hwang, Wexi president, suggested the combined services of…
Intergraph Corp. recently signed a four-year contract with the U.S. Air Force to deploy and manage operational excellence programs. The contract covers continuous improvement, lean and Six Sigma programs at the Air Force Materiel Command at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force…
A recently released book compiles case studies, articles and advice to help readers through lean transformations.Lean Culture—Collected Practices and Cases (Productivity Press, 2005), uses articles and advice from Productivity Press’ monthly newsletter “Lean Manufacturing Advisor” to address common…
Outlook Group Corp. recently reported a 13.6-percent increase in net sales for the fourth quarter of 2005, an achievement that was helped by the company’s use of Six Sigma. “Our strong performance in fiscal 2005 is a direct result of our continuing strategy to differentiate Outlook Group in the…
Companies applying the innovation and design techniques of Six Sigma report median “hard” gains of $200,000 per project, and another $100,000 in “soft” benefits, according to a recent study. The research was conducted by iSixSigma Magazine, and found that even small companies realized comparatively…
Bank of America’s employees were recognized for their Six Sigma achievements at the bank’s annual Best of Six Sigma Expo held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bank of America implemented Six Sigma in 2001, which has helped the bank reap about $2 billion in revenue gains and cost saving. Its goal is to…
Voltaix Inc.’s employees have recently received lean manufacturing training in an effort to improve the company’s semiconductor performance.The training was provided by the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program Inc. Earlier this year, 15 Voltaix employees received Six Sigma Green Belt…
George Group recently joined Decisioneering Inc.’s Six Sigma Partner Program to promote the use of Decisioneering’s Crystal Ball simulation and optimization software throughout Six Sigma initiatives.The Crystal Ball line of Microsoft Excel-based software is used by industries ranging from Six Sigma…
Seeking to promote eco-friendly practices among its suppliers and reduce incoming component inventory, Samsung India recently tightened its vendor compliance regulations and started a Six Sigma program. Dubbed “Together Win through Six Sigma” (TWIN), the program aims to improve vendor productivity…
A recently released book illustrates how to apply Six Sigma to improve sales and marketing teams’ ability to generate viable leads and improve customer service. In response to these concerns, we formed a new organization, the International Quality Federation (IQF). The IQF is an all volunteer…
An innovative four-week Six Sigma Black Belt training course sponsored by Excel Partnership will begin in July. The course will take place one week a month for four months, beginning July 25–29, followed by Aug. 15–19, Sept. 19–23 and Oct. 24–28. Courses will be held in San Francisco and will…
A new Six Sigma course offered at the University of Notre Dame is specifically designed for health care professionals. “Lean Six Sigma Black Belt for Health Care Professionals” addresses the complex challenge of controlling costs while improving quality in the medical field. A blended-learning…
Iowa’s Easter Seals nonprofit organization recently adopted Six Sigma practices and it now expects to save thousands of dollars in ongoing Six Sigma projects. The organization partnered with Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. in 2000 to begin Six Sigma training, and to address production and supply…
JLG Industries Inc. recently implemented a new strategic plan that diversifies its operations and increases the focus on its Six Sigma program. The company’s new vice president of Six Sigma quality processes and training is now John Louderback, who has been with the company since 1993, when he…
MoreSteam.com recently introduced an online design for Six Sigma training program that uses a video game to illustrate design techniques. MoreSteam.com’s DFSS simulation incorporates the Roller Coaster Tycoon computer video game as an engaging learning platform. The simulation includes rich voice…
PowerSteering Software Inc. and Computer Sciences Corp. have formed an alliance to offer a new line of Six Sigma and strategic program management services based on PowerSteering’s software. “Executives in charge of strategic initiatives are increasingly looking for solutions like Six Sigma that can…
A recently released book examines new insights and perspectives on how Six Sigma process management can be used to achieve business process leadership. What is Six Sigma Process Management? (McGraw-Hill, 2005) by Rowland Hayler and Michael Nichols, outlines the use of Six Sigma process management,…