Case Studies
ASQ has case studies on quality related to a variety of industries and professions. We hope this information supports any articles you may develop on the subject of quality or ASQ. Contact Fay Spano for more information.
Healthcare
St. Luke’s Hospital Breaks Out of the Pack to Improve Patient and Physician Satisfaction (PDF, 238 KB)
Since implementing its Baldrige-based “breaking out of the pack” strategy, St. Luke’s Hospital has improved patient satisfaction scores from the 49th to the 90th percentile. The hospital was named a Press Ganey Success Story recipient in 2007 and a Silver Award winner in the Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence program.
March 2008.
Prescription for Community-Based Healthcare Includes ISO 9001 (PDF, 270 KB)
The Community Anticoagulation Therapy Clinic demonstrates how ISO 9001 principles can provide a framework for a community model of care delivery and patient safety. Customer and provider surveys demonstrate 100% satisfaction with the clinic, which uses a controlled document system based on ISO 9001, internal and external auditing, and preventive and corrective action plans.
February 2008.
Pocono Medical Center: Faster Lab Results Using Six Sigma and Lean (PDF, 188 KB)
A Six Sigma/Lean project helped a laboratory develop a solution for delivering blood test results to doctors by 6 a.m. for critical care patients and by 7 a.m. for all other patients.
October 2006.
Bringing Order to Orders at the Nebraska Medical Center (PDF, 118 KB)
The Nebraska Medical Center used Six Sigma to improve the completeness and availability of physician orders for patients; the project occurred within a Six Sigma program that has returned about $7.5 million in savings.
July 2006.
Baldrige—Just What the Doctor Ordered (PDF, 230 KB)
For 2004 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, patient satisfaction with nursing and nursing courtesy improved from 70% in 1999 to more than 90% in 2004, placing the hospital in Press Ganey’s 90th percentile.
October 2005.
Baxter International Wins Team Excellence Award Competition (PDF, 126 KB)
Implementation of Lean techniques results in more than 70% improvement in overall cycle time.
Summer 2005.
Rx for Improvement: A Case Study in an Outpatient Pharmacy (PDF, 89 KB)
Quality tools help decrease overall mean fill time by 44 minutes.
Spring 2005.
Dutch Hospital Implements Six Sigma (PDF, 61 KB)
Six Sigma implementation at Red Cross Hospital leads to savings while reducing invoicing mistakes and patients needing intravenous antibiotics.
February 2005.
Leadership Development at Toronto Rehab: Aligning Thinking with Behavior (PDF, 97 KB)
Organization successfully integrates leadership development with its overall corporate strategy.
Spring 2004.
Surmounting Staff Scheduling Challenges at Valley Baptist Health System (PDF, 53 KB)
A project on staff scheduling led to an overall reduction in the hourly cost of overtime and agency use, translating to $460 thousand in potential savings.
ASQ Six Sigma Forum, September 2003.
Service
Child Protective Services Agencies Turn Data Into Action Using Quality Tools (PDF, 207 KB)
The Children’s Research Center’s SafeMeasures® service uses quality tools to help navigate data fog and provide meaningful analysis. Results from agencies using the service demonstrate how the availability of timely and useful data has dramatically improved the documentation, delivery and monitoring of child protective services.
September 2007.
Improving Child Protective Services Using Quality Tools (PDF, 95 KB)
With the help of an ASQ Community Good Works grant, the Children’s Research Center is piloting a training curriculum to teach data-driven improvement techniques to social service agency workers in Santa Cruz County, California. By teaching a basic 10-step process for improvement, the center equips social workers to overcome barriers created by complex state and federal regulations and inefficient case management systems.
September 2007.
Maryland Not-for-Profit’s Process Improvements Lead to Award-Winning Success (PDF, 403 KB)
Since entering its first state quality award program in 2002, Chimes has received five awards in Maryland and Delaware.
June 2007.
Quality Strategies Help Eliminate Likelihood of Serious and Deadly Injuries (PDF 5 MB)
An energy company was dismayed to learn that its fire-safety clothing wasn't adequate for workers dealing with potentially deadly gas-line fires. The company used quality tools and methods to quantify the dangers employees faced and the best ways to protect them. The result: A dramatically safer work environment. NOTE: This PDF includes video clips of the burn tests conducted as part of the company's research. The link above will give you access to a version that includes Quicktime videos. If you have trouble viewing the clips, try viewing an alternate version of the PDF embedded with Windows Media (2 MB)
videos.
May 2007.
Employees Fuel Productivity Gains, Enhanced Service at U.S.-Japan Shipyards
This collection of case studies highlights several successful quality-improvement initiatives at the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC) Yokosuka and its Sasebo detachment. Using quality tools and techniques, workers have made significant improvements to many key processes and facilities.
April 2007.
U.S. Air Force Earns High-Flying Results with Quality Management Specifications for Suppliers (PDF, 181 KB)
Adopting ISO 9001 compliance as a sourcing criterion in its supplier selection process and requiring suppliers' quality management representatives to become ASQ Certified Quality Auditors have saved the Air Force millions of dollars and nearly eliminated critical defects in supplier products and services.
November 2006.
Shifting Quality Into High Gear (PDF, 201 KB)
Dallas area Lexus dealership’s close attention to small details keeps customers and employees happy. The results have been so great, they plan to reapply for a Baldrige in five years.
Quality Progress, September 2006.
Regional Team Approach Helps Energy Company Enhance Safety, Avoid Costs (PDF, 165 KB)
Xcel Energy's Denver operation reduced accidents by 48% in one year and saved the company an estimated $714,000 over a 24-month period.
August 2006.
IT Department Improves Processes to Detect More Defects Sooner (PDF, 79 KB)
Tufts Health Plan IT process improvements resulted in a 16% decline in defects identified in testing, a 68% increase in peer reviews conducted as a quality check before production, and a 59% increase in the number of issues identified in those peer reviews. (This case study appears as a section of the Software Engineering Institute technical report "Performance Results of CMMI®-Based Process Improvement.")
August 2006.
Help Desk Improves Service and Saves Money With Six Sigma (PDF, 171 KB)
The help desk service for a telecom company launched a Six Sigma project to improve the quality of its processes, reducing the average solution time for customers from 9.75 hours to 1 hour and decreasing operating costs by 69%.
August 2006.
Xcel Energy’s Natural Gas Services Risk Management Team Uses Quality Tools to Recover Millions (PDF, 244 KB)
A risk management team reduced a potential $12.7 million payment default down to $114,000 while improving process performance.
News for a Change, February 2006.
When It’s About Lasting Change… Process Improvement Is Almost Always the Last Option (PDF, 184 KB)
Shared Values culture helps a deregulated Midwestern utility company change image, improve “people practices.”
Fall 2005.
Improving Agency Performance and Service Delivery (PDF, 90 KB)
Performance-driven approach to government boosts State of Washington citizen satisfaction, leads to top ranking from National Policy Research Council for state.
Winter 2004.
Flexibility at Work—Barclays UK Banking Centre (PDF, 58 KB)
Flexible working agenda improves sickness and attrition rates and leads to record-high staff satisfaction survey scores.
Fall 2004.
Fidelity Wide Processing Wins Team Excellence Award Competition (PDF, 103 KB)
Continuous improvement journey boosts profits while fostering employee engagement.
Summer 2004.
Significance of Quality Certification: The Case of the Software Industry in India (PDF, 254 KB)
Results of an empirical study conducted in the software industry in India show that quality certification helps in the implementation of TQM-based quality management programs and has an impact on operational performance.
Quality Management Journal, January 2004.
Using the Baldrige Criteria to Assess Strategic Planning: A Case Study (PDF, 82 KB)
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation uses Baldrige criteria to assess strategic planning.
Summer 2003.
Print Perfect (PDF, 184 KB)
Branch-Smith Printing, a 2002 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, grew 72% overall between 1998 and 2001.
July 2003.
Manufacturing
Pall Corporation: A Profile in “Process Excellence” (PDF, 192 KB)
Pall Corporation’s “Process Excellence” combines lean, Six Sigma, dashboard metrics, and team involvement. This combination ensures improvement efforts are aligned with business imperatives and contributes to a culture of accountability.
April 2008.
The Bug and the Slurry: Bacterial Control in Aqueous Products (PDF, 110 KB)
When a customer reported a problem using polycrystalline diamond (PCD) slurry supplied by Warren/Amplex, collaborative teamwork uncovered the source and led to a solution within 72 hours. Understanding recent changes not only in customer requirements but also in customer processes proved to be key to the solution.
September 2007.
Agricultural Firms Gain Competitive Edge With USDA’s ISO 9001-Based Verification Program (PDF, 528 KB)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Process Verified Program uses the ISO 9001:2000 standard to evaluate the quality management systems of agricultural businesses.
August 2007.
It’s in the Genes at Cummins (PDF, 132 KB)
Leveraging Six Sigma methods and tools, the Indiana based diesel maker successfully completed an HR project involving a labor union.
Quality Progress, April 2007.
ISM Makes the Business Case for Social Responsibility (PDF, 119 KB)
The Institute for Supply ManagementTM (ISM) shares research and tools to educate supply professionals about the social, financial and ethical benefits of socially responsible behavior. This case study includes ISM’s Principles of Social Responsibility.
March 2007.
Siemens VDO Optimizes Processes Using Six Sigma (PDF, 185 KB)
Six Sigma is one of five pillars supporting the Siemens VDO quality strategy. The company earned global recognition for its use of Six Sigma when one project team earned the Bronze Award in the 2006 International Team Excellence Award competition.
February 2007.
You Can Go Home Again (PDF, 138 KB)
The former chairman and CEO of Corning came out of retirement to turn around the company by focusing on quality, values and Six Sigma’s DMAIC process.
Quality Progress, January 2007.
Cummins Inc. Saves Nearly $1 Billion with Six Sigma
September 2006.
Using Cost of Quality to Improve Business Results (PDF, 260 KB)
Since centering improvement efforts on cost of quality, CRC Industries has reduced failure dollars as a percentage of sales and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars.
April 2006.
Next Level Leadership (PDF, 146 KB)
Texas Nameplate Co. is the first small business to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award twice.
August 2005.
A Recipe for Excellence (PDF, 265 KB)
The Bama Companies’ sales increased 70%—from $120 million in 1999 to more than $200 million in 2004.
June 2005.
Six Sigma's Power to Save: A DMAIC Project Reduces Energy Consumption for Visible Savings
A Six Sigma DMAIC project reduced energy consumption levels by 28% and achieved yearly savings of US $122,200 at a radiator manufacturing plant in Pune, India.
Six Sigma Forum Web Site, January 2005.
Project Leads to $1.65 Million in Annual Savings (PDF, 286 KB)
Improvement needed to meet rising demand for galvanized coils.
Six Sigma Forum Magazine, November 2004.
Stoner: Built on a Strong Foundation (PDF, 297 KB)
The implementation of Baldrige business criteria helped Stoner Inc. achieve a 400% growth in sales since 1990.
August 2004.
Six Sigma: The Critical Link between Process Improvements and Business Results (PDF, 382 KB)
A delivery improvement case study from Pune, India, demonstrates how Six Sigma's focus on the relationships among a project's business Y, customer Y, process Y and inputs (Xs) can achieve breakthrough results.
Six Sigma Forum Web Site, October 2003.
Improving Customer Satisfaction through Six Sigma: A Paint Shop Case Study
A paint shop in Pune, India, achieved a fourfold improvement in quality levels in this four-month Six Sigma project.
February 2003.
The Honeywell Experience (PDF, 60 KB)
In 2002, Honeywell International Inc. had $1.2 billion in productivity improvement gains, a sizable portion of which came from its Six Sigma Plus initiative.
February 2003.
Process Improvement at BOC Edwards (PDF, 77 KB)
This electronic gas filling facility used Six Sigma to reduce costs and improve quality.
February 2003.
Education
Growing Indiana School District Stretches for Improvement Using Baldrige Model (PDF, 176 KB)
With test scores rising and new schools opening, the Westfield Washington School District, an ASQ Educational Institution member, decided the time was right to take on greater challenges and reach for higher levels of continuous quality improvement. The district submitted its first application for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in spring 2007.
October 2007.
Iowa School District Charts the Path for Continuous Improvement Journey (PDF, 220 KB)
Introduced in 2006, the Cedar Rapids Community School District's continuous improvement initiative uses the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence framework. Although it's early in the journey, the district has already earned a bronze award in the Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence awards program.
May 2007.
Continuous Improvement in Public Schools Through ISO 9001:2000 (PDF, 276 KB)
Since Racine Unified School District achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification, the district has made notable progress in closing the achievement gap between demographic groups in reading and math, decreasing truancy and suspensions, and increasing parent satisfaction.
October 2006.
Illinois School District Makes the Grade (PDF, 163 KB)
Since Pekin District launched a Koalaty Kid program in 2000, standardized test results for the district have consistently exceeded the state average, and two of its schools have earned No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon awards.
July 2006.
Henking Elementary Closes the Learning Gap (PDF, 113 KB)
Henking Elementary School used its Koalaty Kid program and the plan-do-study-act cycle to improve student writing scores significantly over the course of one school year.
June 2006.
Nevada School District Saves Millions Through Process Management (PDF, 53 KB)
Clark County School District, the largest school district in America to be ISO 9001:2000 certified, has accommodated a rapidly expanding student population while achieving $174 million in cost avoidance and cost savings over 10 years.
May 2006.
Student Achievement Soars With Use of Quality Strategies (PDF, 53 KB)
The Kingsley Elementary approach to writing excellence can help schools targeted by No Child Left Behind meet acceptable standards in one year. Using the Four Square writing method and the Koalaty Kid program, Kingsley Elementary improved student scores on achievement tests by 49% in one year and 68% over four years.
May 2006.
Oklahoma School District Goes Over the Top (PDF, 252 KB)
The Jenks public school district, a 2005 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, saw its dropout rate decrease from 6.3% in 1999 to 1.2% at the close of the 2004 school year.
May 2006.
Improve Schools With Empowerment Based Models (PDF, 235 KB)
Enhanced logic model results in a three-phase initiative to improve curriculum and change classroom practices at Sheboygan Area School District in Wisconsin.
August 2005.
Narrow Focus Provides Widespread Benefits (PDF, 176 KB)
Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business is the only business school to have received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
August 2005.
Global
Case Study: Reliance Industries Limited Wins Team Excellence Award Competition (PDF, 262 KB)
See how a team from India used quality tools to reduce waste and production costs while creating a cleaner environment.
November 2006.
Help Desk Improves Service and Saves Money with Six Sigma (PDF, 171 KB)
A help desk service for a telecom company in Ecuador used Six Sigma to reduce their average solution time from 9.75 hours to 1 hour and decreased operating costs by 69%.
November 2006.
Case Study Executive Summaries
