Back to Basics
2006
Back to Basics: A Fish(bone) Tale
You have been asked to perform a root cause analysis to determine where a process is breaking down. Not sure where to begin? Use a fishbone diagram to help you and your team identify and discuss all potential causes of an effect....
Back to Basics: Painting the Big Picture
In today’s highly competitive global business environment, a corporation’s decisions must be based on reliable information rather than sketchy data and gut feelings. Poor decisions no longer can be absorbed, much less tolerated....
Back to Basics: Flowcharts for a Smooth Ride
A flowchart might be one of the more basic of the seven tools of quality, but it is a very useful one. Flowcharts, also known as process maps, help paint a picture of a process to sort out steps and missteps....
Back to Basics: Best Practices in Auditing
Organizations conduct audits to examine a business process and evaluate the process’s compliance with internal and external requirements. They also use audits to implement continuous improvements. Internal and supplier audits allow management to:...
Back to Basics: That's So Random - or Is It?
Assignable cause, random variation, process stability, process capability—these terms can easily confuse those new to process management. Does random variation in a process automatically require process improvement?...
Back to Basics: All About Data
We can't be certain, but Lt.Commander Data, a character on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," may have derived his name from his ability to acquire and process data critical to the mission of the United Star Ship Enterprise....
