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Material Review Board: Definition And Benefits

8/10/2018

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Material Review Board: Definition And Benefits

The Material Review Board (MRB) is just a team of experts within a wide range of areas that include planning, manufacturing, stress, design, quality, among many others. This is what is called a cross-functional team and the Material Review Board usually meets on a weekly or monthly basis.

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material review board
The main goal of the Material Review Board is to meet to decide about any critical deviation that can't be dispositioned outside this group. One of the things that you need to understand is that we just can't define these deviations in a specific way. All we can say about them is that they do not conform to a specification or standard of a specific assembly, part, or the materials that are associated.
When the Material Review Board meets, they will then decide about what they will do with the non-conformity. The Material Review Board will begin by documenting the non-conformity that was discovered in a Non-Conformity Report (NCR) which is simply a document that allows the tracking of all the deviations. Each NCR reports only one deviation.

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​
The job of the Material Review Board is then to analyze the NCR and they then decide about what they need to do. Here are the options:

#1: Use As Is: ​

Material-Review-Board-meating
The first option that the Material Review Board can make is to state that the material or part should continue to be used without any change.

The Material Review Board can only apply this disposition after they confirm that the part or material won't affect the rest of the process in any way.

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#2: Repair Or Rework: ​

Material-Review-Board-repair-and-rework
The second option that the Material Review Board can is to order for the part or material to be repaired so it can be used again.
​
In order to make this decision, the Material Review Board needs to first confirm that the part is able to handle all the stress during the process and that it will be able to comply with all the regulations. ​

#3: Scrap: ​

Material-Review-Board-tracking-material
The last option that the Material Review Board has is to simply discard or scrap the part. Usually, this is the last option that the Material Review Board decides to take since it means that the part or material includes a major flaw that just can't be reworked or repaired and can't be used as is without interrupting the process.

Learn more about the Central Limit Theorem.

While it may seem that the Material Review Board isn't really a crucial piece within your organization, you should consider this better. After all, including a Material Review Board within your organization can bring a lot of benefits to the organization that include:

  • The improvement of the process by knowing the causes and the rework rates.
  • The shipping of the products will be done sooner.
  • There is a save in time and cost to process rework.
  • It makes the determination of the labor costs of rework easier and more transparent.
  • You will have real-time data about the parts that need to be reviewed and that are designated for rework as well as you will know where these parts are in the rework process.

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What Is Andon System And How To Use It?

8/10/2018

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What Is Andon System And How To Use It?

Andon is a Japanese word that is usually used in lean manufacturing. Andon means sign or signal in English and when used under the lean manufacturing approach, the Andon system refers to the system that notifies management, maintenance or other workers when there is a problem with the quality or with the process.

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The Andon system requires the use of an electronic advice that incorporates some kind of signal lights that alert whenever there is a problem. Some more advanced can also include audio alarms, text, or other forms of visual displays. ​
andon system
One of the things that you need to understand about the Andon system is that it is deeply connected to the Jidoka quality control method. In fact, it's not possible to understand the Andon system without understanding Jidoka first.
​
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One of the best examples of the Jidoka use that we can give you is related to the Toyota System Corporation. The truth is that the company was the first one to implement a system where the process was immediately stopped in case there was a suspect of a defect. According to the Jidoka principle, when the process stops, you have an immediate opportunity to improve the entire process. Jidoka is usually used in lean manufacturing to help you discover a problem as soon as it happens and to immediately develop solutions to prevent it from happening again. ​

So, what is the relationship between the Andon system and the Jidoka?

andon-report
Simply put, the Andon system acts as the principal and as the typical tool at the same time that is applied to the Jidoka principal. Usually, in order to activate it you just need to pull a button or a cord and at this moment the team can all get together and apply the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle, apply the root-cause analysis, and, finally, apply the solution as quickly as possible.

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One of the things that you need to know about the Andon system is that it can work very well for a wide range of industries, In fact, we have been different organizations using this system for consumers. Just think about your car's dashboard. Whenever it detects that you have low oil or fuel. a light will appear on the dashboard so that you know what is happening immediately.

Using The Andon System In Manufacturing

Using the Andon System in manufacturing brings a lot of benefits. These include an increased level of uniform product quality, greater sales through global markets, a better design of products which also provides an improved service, and a higher level of product testing.

What is the 5Z procedure?
andon-system-with-timer
In case you are looking to start using the Andon system within your organization, you need to understand that its use will completely eliminate the need for whiteboard, clipboards, and even word-of-mouth.

Since you will give the workers the power to pull the button and stop the process, they are usually told to do it when the following occurs: ​
andon-system-with-wireless-monitoring
  • a defect is found or created
  • there is a part shortage
  • the existence of a safety problem
  • a tool malfunction.​

As soon as the alert is given, the work will remain stopped until someone finds a solution.
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Gemba Board A Handy Visual Management Method

8/10/2018

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Gemba Board A Handy Visual Management Method

When you are a more visual person, you may be looking for a good tool that allows you to visualize your workplace the best way. One of the best tools that you can use is the Gemba Board.

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The Gemba Board is a Visual Management Tool that is very effective both in terms of monitoring as well as in terms of communicating what is happening in the workplace.
gemba board
One of the main advantages of using a Gemba Board is the fact that with this tool, you will be allowing everyone to know exactly where the problem relies on, what everyone is doing to solve it or improve it, and where you are standing at the moment. This allows employees to never forget about the main goals and objectives of the organization.
​

Discover what is the Gemba Walk.
The truth is that a Gemba Board is a great visualization tool that allows to anyone who works at the workplace and sees it, immediately understands the status of that unit, what the current status is, and what improvements are needed. ​

But Why Is The Gemba Board So Important?

discussing-the-gemba-board
While the Gemba walk is important and allows management and leaders to see what is happening in the real place with their own eyes, as well as to find the solutions for the problems, the process will only begin when the implementation of the solutions start. And they will always start with employees or by their hands. So, making sure that everyone who works in the organization is fully aware, all the tie, of the actions and decisions, is the way to go. This is what will allow everyone to do better no matter if we're talking about an operator, a manager, or even the owner of the organization.
​
Check out a Gemba Walk checklist and template.

Another benefit of using a Gemba Board is the fact that it provides real-time information as well as feedback. So, the information is always updated which ensures that everyone knows where they stand at the moment.

While you may assume that there are some workplaces that just don't need a Gemba Board, you are wrong. The truth is that it can be used within the entire organization from the offices to the shop floor. ​

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How Should The Gemba Board Be?

gemba-board
When you are trying to create a Gemba Board, you need to make sure that it includes as much information as you can but it also should be easy to understand. Some of this information includes delivery metrics, material flow, quality, productivity, the workplace safety, among others.

A Gemba Board should always be visible to all workers of the organization and the color should be used in an efficient way.
​

So, ultimately, a Gemba Board should be well organized, clean, easily understood,  managed by involving everyone, and it should communicate progress. ​

How To Start A Gemba Board?

start-a-gemba-board-today
Before you actually start a Gemba Board, you need to decide which areas are going to be affected. So, the first thing that you need to do is brainstorm. After knowing where you are implementing the Gemba Board, you need to come up with the right way to communicate the information and metrics as well as to find a place where all the workers in the organization are able to see it.

After everything is all set, you need to make a small meeting to explain all the workers in the organization about the Gemba Board, what it means, and the responsibilities of each one of the individuals, teams, and departments of the organization. ​
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Create Your Own Gemba Walk Checklist

8/10/2018

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Create Your Own Gemba Walk Checklist

You probably already heard that in order to manage the right way, you have to measure everything. But what about those things that you just can't measure like the things that you don't see with your own eyes?

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gemba walk checklist
This is where the Gemba Walk comes in. The truth is that all workstations can be improved to deliver a better and faster output. However, as a leader, you need to see it with your own eyes in action. You just can't remain hidden at your office and hope for employees to come and talk to you. The truth is that they will only come in when a machine needs to be repaired or replaced. Nevertheless, there are many processes and situations that can be improved when you are doing the Gemba walk.

Discover what a Gemba walk is.
So, in order to help you with it, we decided to create a Gemba walk checklist.

The main purpose of a Gemba walk checklist is to provide you with all the tools that you need to ensure that everyone knows what is happening as well as to include everyone in the improvements that need to be made.
​
The reality is that a Gemba walk checklist includes 3 crucial elements:

#1: You Need To See: ​

gemba walk template
The first step of the Gemba Walk is to see what is happening. This is usually done on the shop floor. When you are doing this, you will discover if employees are motivated and engaged to meet their goals as well as you will be able to see if they have all the tools and resources they need to reach those same goals.
​
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#2: You Need To Ask Why:

gemba-walks-rules
Doing the Gemba Walk is more than just passing by the shop floor. You need to watch it carefully and, most importantly, you need to ask questions, the right questions. This is when you probably need to take more time so that you can find the root of the problem that you are having. Usually, tools such as the 5 Whys can be extremely helpful as well as using Kaizen techniques to analyze routines, tools, forms, and patterns.
​
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#3: You Need To Show Respect: ​

get-out-of-the-office
When you are taking a Gemba Walk, you shouldn't point the finger at anyone. Instead, you need to show that you trust everyone who works on the shop floor since they can be great sources of information. In addition, you should try to train workers so that they can develop better problem-solving skills. ​

Creating Your Own Gemba Walk Template

The truth is that the Gemba walk checklist will depend on the goals and objectives that you have. While some organizations can have as a main goal safety, for others the main goal may be improving innovation and learning, the cost, productivity, or even customer service. So, ultimately, the Gemba walk template that you need depends on the goals that you have. ​
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What Is Gemba Walk? [Meaning, Definition And Application]

8/10/2018

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What Is Gemba Walk? [Meaning, Definition And Application]

In case you are trying to learn a bit more about running a successful business or organization, you will probably read people talking about Gemba walk. But what is Gemba walk?
what is gemba walk
Simply put, Gemba is a Japanese term that means "the real place". So, when you read or hear someone talking about the Gemba walk, you just need to know that it means going to where things happen, to the floor, to where the job is done.

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The truth is that many leaders and management still prefers to stay in their offices and conference rooms deciding on the best approaches for their companies. Nevertheless, this isn't a good idea since you don't really know what is happening in your company or organization. So, instead, you should go to the place where the value is created.

When most people ask about what is Gemba walk, they are usually referring to manufacturing since this is where is more often to hear about this term. So, whenever you hear or read this, this only means that the Gemba is the factory floor.

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What Is Gemba Walk?

gemba walk
In lean manufacturing, the main goal of Gemba is to detect the easily visible problems in the production line which can only be acknowledged by seeing the real place by the leaders. ​

One of the main sayings, when you are talking about the Gemba walk, is "Go see, ask why, show respect". This means that leaders should go to the floor and see all the processes with their own eyes. However, they shouldn't confront the employees with the flaws. Instead, they should be ready to listen to them and show respect for what they do.

So, how can you apply the Gemba Walk?

The truth is that when you want to adopt this strategy, you will need to ask a lot of questions. Here are some of the questions that are usually asked during a Gemba Walk:

#1: Questions About The SQDC Board Data: ​

  • Do employees look at these charts and how often do they do it?
  • Who is the responsible for updating the charts?
  • Do customers and suppliers look at these charts?
  • What values do employees take from these charts?​

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#2: Questions About The Process Or Activity: ​

gemba-walk-checklist
  • How can you tell if everything is normal and how do you know when something wrong is happening?
  • Would finite measurements be able to tell us more? What exactly?
  • How do you know that employees are following exactly the standard work?
  • When something happens, what do the team teamer and the team members do? Are they all aware of their responsibilities and why they are taking these steps?​

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#3: Questions About The Implementation Of A Lean Practice:

  • How can we sustain the practices that are changing?
  • How will you be able to verify these practices?
  • What changes do we need to make to ensure that we can keep a better track of the effectiveness and to measure process?

So, a Gemba walk assumes that there is a good and clear communication between the leaders/management and the employees. They should be able to answer all the questions and you should make all the efforts to show them the benefits of implementing the changes that need to be made.
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The Hoshin Kanri Planning Process

8/10/2018

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The Hoshin Kanri Planning Process

The Hoshin Kanri planning process is a management methodology that is based on the ideas of Professor Yoji Akao and it was popularized in Japan back in the 1950s. According to the Professor, "Each person is the expert in his or her own job, and Japanese TQC [Total Quality Control] is designed to use the collective thinking power of all employees to make their organization the best in its field."
​
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hoshin kanri planning
Based on these ideas, the Hoshin Kanri planning process shows the way an organization should drive its action every day to reach their strategic goals. So, in Hoshin Kanri words, this means to make everyone committed to working towards in the same direction known as the "true north".​​

The 5 Principles Of the Hoshin Kanri Planning Process:

#1: The Performance: ​

The organization needs to have a clear leader that can help everyone move towards the ultimate goals or the True North. These include the identification of bottlenecks as well as potential issues. ​

#2: Communication: ​

​Communication is a crucial principle within the Hoshin Kanri planning process. After all, without a clear communication from the leader, there isn't a common goal and vision.

#3: Analyze The Present Situation: ​

According to the Hoshin Kanri planning process, it is crucial that the organization knows exactly where they stand at the moment so they can understand how they can improve. With this in mind, it is important that transparency is kept at a high level so that all the efforts can be put on improving the KPIs. ​

#4: Using The Right Resources: ​

hoshin kanri steps
While you should be able to find a lot of areas within your organization that need improvement, it is important that the management knows how to prioritize them. So, it is important that you create a custom weighted scoring system that allows you to easily evaluate the priority, risks, and complexity of a specific improvement. ​

#5: Increasing The Engagement:

This is another important principle of the Hoshin Kanri planning process. After all, it is important that everyone within the organization is truly committed and engaged in achieving the True North goals.
​
While the Hoshin Kanri planning process may sound very easy, the truth is that many organizations need to complete a series of steps in order to completely adopt the Hoshin Kanri methodology.


So, if you are considering implementing the Hoshin Kanri planning process in your organization, here are the Hoshin Kanri steps that you should follow:

Step #1: Establish the Vision and Know The Current Situation

During the first step, it is crucial that you check the values, vision, and mission of the company and see if they are aligned with what you want for your organization. This is the time that you have to look at the different processes and see if there are any changes that need to be made so that you can reach your future goals as well as what is working well.

Here are some of the questions that you should be able to answer during this step:

  • What are your long-term plans?
  • What is your current mission and vision of the organization?
  • How does your daily management system work and how does your organizational structure work?
  • What procedures and policies are already in place and what are the ones that need to be rearranged or to be eliminated?

Step #2: Come Up With Breakthrough Objectives

Simply put, breakthrough objectives are the goals that will allow your organization to be challenged in different ways and they usually take between 3 to 5 years to reach. Some breakthrough objectives can include the adoption of a different service delivery model, introducing new products, entering new markets, among many others.

During this step, you can use different tools to help you identify growth opportunities. One of the tools that tend to be more used is the four quadrant of growth that is a simple adaptation of the Ansoff Matrix. By using this tool (or a similar one), you will be able to discover objectives in different areas by comparing consumers and non-consumers (the people who are currently using your services or products and the ones who aren't) and the current and new jobs that you may require. ​
quadrant of growth that is a simple adaptation of the Ansoff Matrix

Step #3: Set Up Annual Objectives

Setting up annual objectives is also important since it will help you reach your breakthrough objectives within the 3 to 5 years. Let's say that you want to launch a new product. So, one of your annual objectives may be to make a complete market research study as well as to define all the product requirements.

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​Step #4: Using Workable Targets

​Now that you already defined the breakthrough objectives as well as the annual objectives that you need to have to reach the first ones, it is now the time to determine what each team, department, and individual need to accomplish. One of the things that you need to have in mind is that the goals that you define need to be measurable and should be able to be closely monitored by leadership.
The Hoshin Planning X-Matrix
One of the tools that tend to be used during this step os the Hoshin Planning Matrix also known as the X Matrix. This tool allows you to immediately know all the objectives as well as cascading priorities. In addition, you can also use value stream maps and summary reports that can help you manage the progress towards the goals that you have defined.
​
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Step #5: Execute Annual Objectives

This is the step on which you start with the improvements that will allow you to reach your yearly goals. In order to achieve them, you can use a wide variety of tools that include A3, PDSA, DMAIC, Kaizen events, among others. ​

Step #6: Keep Monthly Tracks

One of the most common mistakes organizations make when they are using the Hoshin Kanri planning process is that they focus all the energy on the yearly goals and they forgot to keep track on what is being done each month. So, by having monthly reviews, the Hoshin Kanri planning process avoids this mistake ensuring that the forward progress is being maintained. ​


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Step #7: Annual Review

By the end of the year, it is now time to make the annual review. This consists in assessing the entire organization's progress.

During this time, you need to discover if there is any need to make adjustments to times and goals that were previously defined as well as it is the perfect time to ensure that all the resources are well allocated. ​
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Six Sigma Project Examples You Should Consider

8/10/2018

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Six Sigma Project Examples You Should Consider

When you are looking at the Six Sigma methodology for the first time or if you don't really understand how to use Six Sigma in practice, there is nothing better than checking out some six sigma project examples.

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When you are looking for a good project, you should follow some guidelines:
six sigma project examples
  • You shouldn't have a pre-determined solution for the project.
  • You should be able to easily identify the process inputs and outputs.
  • When you are looking at a Six Sigma project, you need to make sure that you ate able to put yourself in a perspective where you can understand the variation in the process inputs. In addition, you need to be able to control them and eliminate the defects.
  • In case you already know the answer, all you need to do is to apply it.

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Now that you have some basic guidelines about Six Sigma projects, it's time to check out some six sigma project examples. ​

#1: Internal Defects:

gemba walk
When you are looking for internal defects in the process, you should consider looking at anything that you can recycle or rework in-house, as well as any scrap materials, parts or issues.

#2: External Defects: ​

This is another area of the process that is usually up for a Six Sigma project. In this case, you should look for anything that hasn't been rejected or audited by you but you know that it doesn't meet regulations, anything that you can cover for by having someone in the customer's plant, or even anything that you can inspect and that contains to protect the customer.

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#3: Efficiency: ​

communication-within-the-organization
When you are looking for the best six sigma project examples, you should definitely consider taking a look at the efficiency of the processes that your organization uses. These can include a lot of things: a process with freight costs, a process where you are running slower than what you anticipated or expected, a process that requires added labor to make the required cycle, a machine or process with downtime, and when you are making fewer parts than expected. ​

#4: Materials Use: ​

When you notice that a process is using more material or that the amount of material varies is also suited for a six sigma project. ​

#5: Understanding What IS Behind The Process Variation:

When you have materials incoming, you should definitely try to discover whether there is a variation as well as how big this variation is. The truth is that this can have a huge impact on the output. In addition, you can also apply Six Sigma to determine if there is a way that you can compensate for these changes (by controlling other variables), among others.

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#6: Maintenance:

six-sigma-and-gemba-walk
Having all the machines working properly is one of the best uses that you can give to Six Sigma. After all, if you are able to have all the machines working without interruptions, you will end up with the output that you anticipated. So, you should look for ways that can prevent a high replacement cost as well as a high failure rate.​

One of the best things that you can do to choose a good Six Sigma project is by using the Gemba walk. In case you are not familiar with the term, all you need to do is that it is a process that is based on the personal observation of work where it is happening. So, instead of sitting in a conference room and discussing what might be doing wrong or what could be done in a better way is to go directly to the source and observe directly what is happening. The Gemba walk has been used successfully by Toyota for many years.
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How To Use Six Sigma In Healthcare

8/10/2018

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How To Use Six Sigma In Healthcare

While a lot of companies use Six Sigma, the truth is that it is a challenging strategy to use. The reality is that Six Sigma can be used in all industries. However, many people wonder how it can be used in healthcare.
​
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Six Sigma In Healthcare

Six Sigma In Healthcare
There are many factors that affect the use of Six Sigma in healthcare. After all, just think about the lack of funds, the different professional groups, the overworked and understaffed employees, not to mention all the procedures that are incredibly difficult to be controlled or managed. Nevertheless, the reality is that the employment of Six Sigma in healthcare is worth every penny. After all, the main goal would be to deliver the best care to more people at the lowest cost possible.

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When we are talking about the healthcare industry, you need to talk about more than just doctors and nurses. You need to remember that there are other professionals involved as well as other areas of the healthcare industry. These include pharmacies, medical supplies, laundry, ORs, radiology departments, the labs, among many others. So, as you can see, the healthcare industry is a very complex network of interdependent and interconnected processes that can make the implementation of Six Sigma a bit harder.


One of the things that you need to understand is that the healthcare industry in the US is striving for a change. And there are many different factors pointing in that direction. Here are some of these factors:
lean six sigma-use in healthcare
  • The shortage of staffing has been increasing, especially nurses. While there shouldn't be any problem with physicians, nurses are still needed.
  • The low financing is also a problem. Even though the government has been trying to make changes, the truth is that we can say that the budget for the healthcare industry has no clear limits.
  • Baby boomers are aging and with them comes a higher demand from the industry.
  • Litigation continues to increase year after year. ​

Take a look at the statistical process control charts.
So, how can we use Six Sigma in healthcare?

Overall, Six Sigma is a methodology that intends to improve and manage all the processes so they can be more efficient and less costly. The truth is that when businesses are able to perform better, they have faster turnaround times, lower costs and fewer errors.

However, when we are looking into the healthcare industry, we can't only consider the decrease in the costs or the increase of the efficiency. We also need to consider that the use of Six Sigma in healthcare would have other benefits:

  • By using this methodology, the senior management would be able to finally quantify and measure the different processes such as purchasing sutures, filing claims, registering patients, or even transplanting organs

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how to apply 6 sigma in healthcare
  • Six Sigma could help with a unification of the different processes used by the different physicians. The truth is that if this situation continued, Six Sigma wouldn't be able to evaluate and compare the different data. However, with the uniformization, Six Sigma would be able to identify the best practices as well as it would be able to manage all the required changes.
  • There is also the need to be a higher consolidation of hospital chains. The truth is that some hospitals just don't want to give up on all their power (especially the boards). However, with a consolidation of hospitals, we could then implement the same accounting system which would allow Six Sigma to look at the different organizational units and compare them.
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This Is How Six Sigma Is Defined

8/10/2018

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This Is How Six Sigma Is Defined

The truth is that you probably already heard people talking about six sigma. But how is six sigma defined?

One of the things that you need to know is that the way how six sigma is defined evolved over time. In fact, Six Sigma was developed for the first time by Motorola in 1986. At the time, it was a quality control program. However, in 2016, the concept changed a bit. So, how is six sigma defined today?
how is six sigma defined
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When you look at Six Sigma today, we can say that it is more a general business-management philosophy that is focused on multiple aspects. These include improving the products and services, sustaining these same products and services, improving customer retention, and meeting customer requirements. So, overall, we can say that Six Sigma is mainly focused on customers.

One of the things that you also need to know about Six Sigma is that the methodology can be applied to all industries. Since it focuses more on qualitative measurements and not on qualitative markers, this allows any business to implement Six Sigma.

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what is 6 sigma
​Now that you already know how is Six Sigma defined, you need to understand that Six Sigma practitioners follow the DMAIC approach. This approach consists of 5 different steps that companies need to take to implement the methodology. Since you already understand what is 6 Sigma, it will be easier for you to learn the 5 steps that companies need to take to implement it:

#1: Define - Define The Problem: ​

During this step, the project team needs to outline the complete project that aims to fix any problem within the organization. This project should be able to focus on the team but also on the leadership of the organization.

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#2: Measure - Quantify The Problem:

six-sigma-dmaic
As you already know what is 6 Sigma, it is not much a big of a surprise that the next step is to measure the problem that is occurring within the organization. This is a very important step since you will end up comparing these results with the results after the implementation of the Six Sigma methodology. So, the team will need to start collecting relevant data with two main goals in mind: improving quality and reducing lead time.
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#3: Analyze - Identify The Cause Of The Problem

Now that you already discovered the problem and the team collected all the necessary data, it is time to start the analysis phase.

During this step, there should be some brainstorm between the different team members. This will allow the team to develop different hypotheses as for the reasons why the problem exists. This analysis is extremely important because when it is not done the right way, it may lead organizations to lose a lot of time and waste a lot of resources. The truth is that this is when you are discovering the root of the problem. And this is the only way that you have to find solutions that can help you solve it. Remember that the ultimate goal of Six Sigma is to improve customer experience.

#4: Control - Maintain The Solution

six-sigma-belts
Now that you noticed a problem, found its root, got the solution and put into practice and is working, the team just needs to maintain the improvements in place. However, during this stage, it is also important that the team creates a Response Plan in case that is a performance dip.
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Top Free Online Courses With Printable Certificates

8/10/2018

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Top Free Online Courses With Printable Certificates

One of the most important things nowadays is that you should get a good education. And the good news is that it has never been so easy as it is today. After all, you have a wide range of free online courses with printable certificates. So, all you need to do is to search for the areas that interest you the most and get some new skills or improve the skills that you already have.

Looking for information about Six Sigma?

While there are many different online courses, not all of them offer you a free certificate. There are many that don't have any certification at all and others that you need to pay to get your certificate. So, we decided to gather a list of the top free online courses with printable certificates.

Here are the top 4 free online courses with printable certificates:

#1: Microsoft Azure Virtual Bootcamp by Catapult Systems

free online courses with printable certificates
One of the best things about this course is the fact that it is a free online course with printable certificate. In addition, if you like to be on top of what is happening, the Microsoft Azure shouldn't be anything new for you. Nevertheless, it is different when you have the ability to gain some skills and knowledge about it.

With the Microsoft Azure Virtual Bootcamp, you will be able to learn Cloud technologies that are based on the Microsoft Azure platform. This free course will take you 7 weeks to complete and you will have 2 to 3 videos each week. In order to get your free certificate, just add VirtualCode in the promo code label in their application.


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#2: Cisco Certified Network Associate by Cybrary

Another great free online course that can interest you is the Cisco Certified Network Associate by Cybrary. The truth is that Cisco certifications tend to be quite tough. And as if this wasn't enough, their fees are usually high as well.

So, one of the best things you can do is to take the Cisco Certified Network Associate by Cybrary. With this course, you will be able to learn a wide range of topics. Most of these are actually covered in the CCNA curriculum and they include, among many others, the configuration and troubleshooting WAN and LAN environments.

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Discover the best 5 free online courses with certificate of completion.

#3: Digital Marketing Certification by Google

Digital Marketing Certification by Google
In case you are looking to become an expert online, there is nothing like learning from the best. And with this we mean Google.

With the Digital Marketing Certification by Google, you will finally understand how you can start your own online business and make it grow. So, besides getting a wide range of skills that can be helpful for you to create and grow your own business, you can also add a good free certificate to your CV.

Sign Up Here.

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#4: Introduction to Computing using Python by Georgia Tech

Introduction to Computing using Python by Georgia Tech
When you are looking for the best free online courses with printable certificates, you need to check out the ones offered by Georgia Tech, especially the Introduction to Computing using Python.

As you know, Python is a programming language that is widely known and used. Even though this course serves more as an introduction to this language, the truth is that it covers topics such as object-oriented programming, control structures, data structures, procedural programming, among many others.

Sign Up Here.
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