Six Sigma in Metaphor: Heresy or Holy Writ?
We begin by assuming everyone knows what Six Sigma is. Even in this forum of quality professionals, we know this to be untenable, although it seems likely this is not the first time readers have heard the term...
On Leaders and Leadership
Systemic leadership is based on core values and competencies as well as on more tangible elements of business excellence. Systemic leadership requires that everyone be responsible for leadership. However, the models embedded in international quality...
Select Leaders Using a Quality Management Process
Assessment of managerial characteristics like leadership is amenable to nominal group techniques (NGP). The selection of a new leader for an organization involves identification of leadership elements, such as integrity, vision, and skills in...
Quality Improvement and Statistical Reasoning
Business statistics courses at Colorado State University contain quality components. The study of quality allows students to work in teams and to examine case studies of winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA). Between 30% and...
Digidot Plots for Process Surveillance
A new graphical tool monitors both the shape and process history of data. The digidot plot provides more information than tools like the stem-and-leaf plot (SLP) and the control chart. An SLP is a histogram for numeric data; its information is...
