The Six Sigma Method and Design of Experiments

Six Sigma is becoming a proven approach for businesses and organizations to improve their performance. The spectrum of companies actively engaging in Six Sigma today is wide from industrials like Celanese, Caterpillar, GE, Honeywell, and 3M to service/retail organizations like Starwood Hotels, Sears, and Home Depot. Six Sigma has even started in financial industry with Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase initiating major deployments in past two years. Probably most exciting area is in public and healthcare sectors with success stories emerging from city government and John Hopkins Medical. So what is all this excitement about? Haven’t these quality tools been around for years? Is it just fact that people have strange names like Champion, Green Belt, Black Belt and for chosen few, Master Black Belt? Okay, if it is not names then what? Six Sigma’s success revolves around fundamental elements needed for any successful organization. Six Sigma starts with a vision of delivering products and services to customers with no defects from eyes of customers. For companies it is vital to deliver these products and services at a profit. Once organization has created their own vision of Six Sigma, business leaders need to define their organization’s objectives in numerical terms. These “high-level metrics,” often called big Y’s in Six Sigma, are foundation for identifying project y’s that Six Sigma Belts will execute projects on. With big Y’s in hand, business leaders called Six Sigma “Champions” breakdown these organizational level Y’s into smaller y’s a project leader called a Green Belt or Black Belt can work from. So what’s next, do business leaders take a hands-off management by objectives (MBO) approach of, “I don’t care how you do it as long as you get results!”? For Six Sigma organizations answer is a loud “NO.” Champions do care how projects are executed and have appointed highly trained Master Black Belts to assist and mentor project leaders in applying Six Sigma method to manage their projects. I believe this is key to Six Sigma’s success. In a past life I participated in a high-level meeting with executives from world leader in production of a product we all know. The purpose of meeting and visit was to evaluate a critical new product design. All of high-tech executives were dressed in dark Italian business suits complemented with gold and diamonds. I listened closely to each question these executives asked. I never once heard “how much?”, “when?” or even “why?” – every question was “by what method?.” Methodology is what Six Sigma is about. Six Sigma Methods There have evolved two key methods for carrying out Six Sigma projects. The first method is most well-defined and works best if you have a problem with an unknown solution in existing products, processes or services. This method is called DMAIC or Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. The newest method, which is in developing stages, is called Design for Six Sigma or DFSS. The goal of DFSS is to develop a new product, process or service that is defect-free in eyes of customer. A number of consulting

International Shipping/Freight for Dummies

There are lots of benefits for some businesses to import or export goods. Manufacturers and distributors can order directly from overseas manufacturer and save money on their purchases. They can also market their goods to world instead of just USA. There is a demand for American products in many parts of world, but smaller American companies don’t think they have connections to offer their goods internationally. I recommend using freight forwarders instead of carriers because a good freight forwarder will shop several carriers to get you best rate. With right freight forwarder importing and exporting is as easy as sending a package via UPS.

First I will tell you what information you need to get a complete and accurate international freight quote. Then I will tell you how to insure that quote you are given matches dollar amount on your freight invoice. To get a freight quote you need to provide: your billing address, origin zip code/city, origin country, destination zip code/city, destination country, method of transport