Two Obstacles to Continuous Improvement
Way of the Quality Warrior
Continuous improvement is predicated on problem solving, you're closing a gap between the current state and an ideal state. However, problem solving, thus continuous improvement, is often not that successful, especially if you are attempting to reach the ideal state. I believe that there are two fundamental reasons that I share in this episode of Way of the Quality Warrior podcast: lack of imagination and lack of alignment. There is a reference to the book by Dr. Glenn Latham. It's not just for parents—authority figures can use this, too. I talk about GE and Jack Welch. Much of what I...
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Poor Quality Crashes Companies
Way of the Quality Warrior
Your company is called the Tesla or Apple of your market. You've gotten more investment capital than any other company in your market. The product you sell has a long waiting list of customers. You must be making money hand over fist, right? Actually, you are declared bankrupt. One important element of your company going bankrupt is poor quality in the product and services your company provides. This episode looks at just such a company. This episode discusses the appeal of the product, the quality problems experienced by customers, and what improvements could have been made to prevent the...
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Where are the X-ray Glasses?
Way of the Quality Warrior
In the previous episode, I proposed that seeing the world through the lens of process is a superpower. However, you have to develop the superpower—it's not like Spiderman getting bitten by a radioactive spider. In this episode, we'll talk in more detail about process and how to develop the skills in analyzing processes in order to see through the lens of process. I refer to a YouTube video about making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Here's the link: You can contact the host Keith Fong through the website
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Everything is a process
Way of the Quality Warrior
Attending a high school honor society induction ceremony for my niece, I was witness to how a group of students organized and executed a process. Something they had experienced themselves and which they took ownership for the next generation of students. There was nothing remarkable about the ceremony, but I think it gives us a window into process. Dr. W. Edwards Deming said "If you can't describe what you're doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing." (For more information about Dr. Deming: ) Seeing the world through the lens of process is a superpower for making things better. In...
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The Fundamental Defects In Quality Methods Training
Way of the Quality Warrior
What if the most common training practices in your field actually undermine the topic you're teaching? In Quality, we have exactly that situation in training the tools and methods of Quality. In this episode of the Way of the Quality Warrior podcast, we consider 4 common problems in the deployment of Quality tools and methods: the sink or swim school, overselling benefits and under-teaching weaknesses, using report formats as the procedure, and lack of teaching expertise. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis is referenced in the episode. Two excellent FMEA reference books are Carl...
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Parallels of Addiction Treatment and Continuous Improvement
Way of the Quality Warrior
The work of a Quality Warrior is much more than the Quality and Continuous Improvement tools like Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, Design of Experiments, process behavior charting, and problem solving, to list a few. The Stages of Change model developed by James Prochaska, John Norcross, and Carlo DiClemente for the treatment of addictions provides a very useful guide for those of us in Quality and Continuous Improvement. We are attempting to guide change efforts constantly. Books and Blogs referenced in the episode: Harvard Health Blog Published September 12, 2021 "Changing for Good" book...
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Waste Is Not The Enemy
Way of the Quality Warrior
In the Quality and Continuous Improvement world, it's common to focus on waste reduction as the enemy to success. However, I don't think that waste is the enemy of the Quality Warrior. Not that waste is good, but the obviousness of waste as a bad thing actually blinds those of us teaching and coaching continuous improvement to the genius of the Toyota Production System. Looking at the role of waste as it affects profit, other ways to reduce cost and some of the consequences are discussed. I reference plastic injection molding in the discussion. In case you are not familiar with the process,...
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Quality Is Expectation
Way of the Quality Warrior
Quality as a feature or characteristic is fulfilling expectations. In this episode of Way of the Quality Warrior podcast, I share some of the lessons I learned about creating quality in providing services as a product design engineer at the beginning of my career. There is no magic, but there is a need for perceptiveness.
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Counting In Action
Way of the Quality Warrior
In the previous episode, "Managers Can Count Better Than They Can Think," that premise was presented. This episode adds some examples to develop that idea. In a world where too many problems are described and explained more by opinion and emotion rather than by meaningful data and information, this episode provides a couple of examples of how to leverage managers need for numbers. Also, there are a couple of examples where using the wrong numbers or using numbers wrong is self-defeating. There is a reference to Paul O'Neill, CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999. The YouTube video where he talks...
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Managers can count better than they can think
Way of the Quality Warrior
There's a premise that I think can help Quality Warriors become more influential in their organization: Managers can count better than they can think. Is this an attack on managers? No, it is not. It is a call for understanding and a challenge. People who are not managers often don't understand what challenges managers are facing. Their expectations of the managers can be unrealistic which undercuts their effectiveness and influence. This episode explores what managers are facing. Of course, there are two sides to the issue. Many of the challenges managers face with their people are related to...
info_outlineThe names of Six Sigma certifications were taken from martial arts. Green Belt and Black Belt sound sexy.
But there are other things in the martial arts that could be adopted to drive continuous improvement. In particular, the idea of the "yielding art" of Jiu Jitsu where the opponents' energy is used to defeat them. This episode discusses applying that idea in several contexts when solving problems.
Paul O'Neill, CEO of Alcoa from 1981 to 1999 is referenced. After listening to this episode, check out these videos on YouTube. This is a leader who demonstrates how to use organizational energy to overcome obstacles and attain excellence.