Book Description
This companion guide to the bestselling The Six Sigma Way focuses on the project improvement teams that do the real, in-the-trenches work of Six Sigma—measuring performance, improving quality and saving millions in the process.
The Six Sigma Way Team Fieldbook is a highly practical reference for team leaders and members, outlining both the methods that have made Six Sigma successful and the basic steps a team must follow in an improvement effort. Written by three veteran trainers of Six Sigma “Black Belts” and teams at GE, Sun Microsystems, and Sears, this hands-on guide helps teams obtain the skills they need to identify a product, service, or process that needs improvement or redesign; gather data on the process and the rate of defects; find ways to improve quality up to a Six Sigma level—just 3.4 defects per million; and much more.
* Includes dozens of data-gathering forms and Six Sigma tools and worksheets
* Describes key improvement methods in a concise “how-to” format with checklists and tips
Download Description
This companion guide to the bestselling The Six Sigma Way focuses on the project improvement teams that do the real, in-the-trenches work of Six Sigma-measuring performance, improving quality and saving millions in the process.
Customer Reviews:
Very Helpful resource!!!.......2007-10-05
This is a very helpful resource for me as a new blackbelt. The more I learn, the more this book makes sense!
Six Sigma Way Team Fieldbook.......2007-03-24
An excellent resource for new Black Belts. Describes the DMAIC phases in plain english. A definite must for anyone training in the DMAIC methodology.
A priceless guide full of hundreds of templates and examples.......2006-11-12
As a Transactional Six Sigma Black Belt, this has been one of the most useful six sigma books I own. It contains a wealth of illustrations and tools that are priceless in terms of teaching process improvement teams basic six sigma methods. Using this book, people in process improvement can learn to apply many of the basic six sigma concepts.
I cannot stress enough, the number of useful illustrations and examples that are in every chapter in this book. Where most six sigma books tell you what six sigma is and how to analyze and measure, this one gives you the communication tools that are essential for getting and keeping an improvement project on-track.
Although many six sigma people would disagree with me on this point, I am a firm believer that Process Improvement & Management is the program to achieve business change success and six sigma is a tool to help accomplish and control the improvements.
A must read and a bargain-priced book. I recommended it to every process improvement team I lead and the feedback is always a "Wow - what a book!"
Looking for Cost Reduction, Increased Productivity, and Loyal Costumers - This is the practical implementation guide .......2006-07-17
Six sigma is a quality system that has helped world class companies save millions and gain costumer. It was brought into fame by the legendary Jack Welch during his years at General Electric.
This book is a practical implementation guide and the companion for "The sis sigma way: How GE, Motorola, and other top companies are honing their performance". Buy this book if you are already involved in a sis sigma initiative in your organization, either as a black belt, green belt, or champion. If you are looking for an introduction to fundamentals an systems implementation, you may do better with "The sis sigma way: How GE, Motorola, and other top companies are honing their performance", which is a comprehensive self-help guide to adapting and using the six sigma system under various conditions. Half of the book focuses on implementation through a detailed and flexible five-step "road map", filled with practical directions.
Either if you are looking to solve an specific process problem, or want to implement six sigma company wide, both books will help you develop a method that fits the specific needs of your company or organization.
Classroom training for Six Sigma costs what!.......2005-11-05
I began my journey to learn about Six Sigma around a year ago. At that time I investigated classroom training on Six Sigma. The cost for Six Sigma training was far too expensive for my management team to seriously consider. My most viable option was to train myself. I bought seven, yes seven, books on the topic of Six Sigma. This book was the best of the seven resources I purchased. This book is an inexpensive resource for training. I would also recommend an introduction to Six Sigma to supplement this book. My recommendation would be, "What is Six Sigma?" (another book by Pande). I have several years of quality experience so not every newcomer can just read a book. For most business process improvement efforts this book can give you the education to be dangerous against company waste and inefficiencies.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for Beginning Process Engineers.......2006-09-19
This is a very thorough book that leads you through the entire redesign process. I especially liked Chapter 10, "Document Processes", as it is a good place to start the book. This is a very good book for process redesign training - not too detailed to bore training participants, but thorough enough to provide the trainees with a solid process redesign foundation. Packed with useful information and very, very good illustrations - examples that bring the point home. After reading this book, a good follow up is "Business Process Improvement Workbook" by Harrington, Esseling and van Nimwegen ....
Good for process redesign team.......2004-10-06
The authors introduced comprehensively a lot of important topics in process redesign effort, such as core processes identification and performance measurement. These are good to any process redesign team.
The weakness is that there is no clear roadmap by the sequence of content in this book. Many chapaters show in-depth explanation, but looks lack of logic once put into practices. This confuses many process redesign teams.
The best entry level book on the subject.......2004-07-28
A few years back, I developed a jones over process improvement. I went to a few national book retailers and a large respected university bookstore and researched Amazon to examine different texts on the subject. When I came accross this text, I was immediately taken by its clear descriptions and practical advice. It supplements the specific topics with useful tables and workplans. There exists more thorough texts on most of the topics. For example, volumes have been written about reengineering or continuous improvement. However, the vast majority of people looking for guidance will find more than enough information here. Another nice thing is that the authors don't waste time trying to persuade the reader, as some other books do, that these topics are important. They simply and clearly describe the subject at hand and show how to implement. The brevity, clear descriptions, and inclusion of only the most relavent information make this book a must-have for anyone who is concerned with process improvement.
Satisfactory.......2003-01-10
I use this book to teach business process management for the MBA class. It does not have the depth or rigor of a textbook, but does a decent job of addressing the major issues.
Comprehensive and full of excellent info & ideas.......2001-05-27
I got this book based on a friend's recommendation because I was struggling with a process design application called iGrafx Process (also available from Amazon).
I learned that there is much more to process design than basic models based on entry, task, validation and exit criteria. For example, performance measurements and performance efficiency were two areas where this book strengthened my understanding of process design and implementation. They also and enabled me to effectively use iGrafx Process to its fullest.
Other chapters that taught me a lot addressed improvement planning, continuous improvement and process benchmarking. I was able to immediately incorporate the knowledge gained into processes that I was developing, and it made a significant difference in the quality of my work.
The best chapter, in my opinion, was in installing the improved processes. I gained a lot of knowledge and techniques for overcoming barriers and how to objectively measure the degree of improvement. This was reinforced by material that is provided in the appendices, including case studies and an excellent description of Six-Sigma analysis.
Overall, this is a valuable book to anyone who designs or implements new processes, or reengineers existing ones. Most of my work is new design and implementation, so that was the context in which I read the book. If I were assigned to a reengineering project this would be the first book to which I'd turn for guidance and information. It earns a solid five stars and a permanent place in my professional library.
Amazon.com
Six Sigma is a data-driven management system with near-perfect-performance objectives that has been employed to acclaim at leading corporations like General Electric. Its name is derived from the eye-catching statistical target of operating with no more than 3.4 defects per one million chances, but Peter Pande, Robert Neuman, and Roland Cavanagh--associates in a firm providing Six Sigma implementation, training, and management services--contend its principles can be applied in businesses of all types to routinely reduce costs, improve productivity, increase market share, and achieve other positive results. The Six Sigma Way is their comprehensive self-help guide to adapting and using the system under various conditions. Its first two parts cover fundamentals and provide specific suggestions for aligning the process with individual needs and goals. (These include sections on balancing potential costs and benefits, clarifying objectives, and defining time frames.) The final part, which accounts for more than half the book, focuses on implementation through a detailed yet flexible five-step "road map" tied to a company's core processes, key customers, current performance, "high-potential improvement opportunities," and future practices. While the procedure is quite complex, diligent managers should be able to bring at least basic components to their organization with the tools and techniques provided. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Six Sigma is a system for improving the quality of organizational processes. It was originally developed at Motorola in the 1980's and has become one of the most widely discussed and reported trends in business over the past two years, thanks largely to the phenomenal successes of the Six Sigma program at one of the world's most successful companies, GE. GE CEO Jack Welch, has been preaching about and implementing the Six Sigma philosophy throughout GE, and credits the program with millions of dollars in annual cost savings and product quality improvements.
Download Description
Six Sigma -- the organizational quality system made famous by GE's legendary Jack Welch -- has set new standards for process improvement. The Six Sigma Way is the first book to provide basic, non-technical information on understanding and implementing Six Sigma. Eye-opening success stories show how companies including GE, Motorola, Allied Signal, and others have used Six Sigma to produce millions in cost-savings and quality improvements. Written to give managers a basic overview of what Six Sigma is and how to implement it, The Six Sigma Way covers the application of Six Sigma across all industries.
Customer Reviews:
Horridly boring........2007-09-13
More power to you if you can get something worthwile from this book. I bought the book on CD, and it was easily the most forgettable experience I've had in a while. The information is presented from a 30,000 mile view. So "big picture" oriented that it's useless to try and consider the action behind the concepts presented.
If you're looking for a way to appear to have read something complicated and high level about Six Sigma. you found your source. If you want real, usable information, look elsewhere.
Excellent Book.......2007-09-07
No Joke. A serious six-sigma book written in most elegant form. I like the part where the Authors provide insights into "Sir Pork" - a really good way to put serious stuffs into readable form. Ignore the stars. It could have been 6 :).
A Six Sigma Primer.......2007-02-25
If you're looking to learn about Six Sigma, this is the book to start with. It provides a good overview and quickly dispels the common myths (e.g. Six sigma is for manufacturing companies alone). It helps the reader to determine if Six Sigma is right for his/her organization, and provides clear steps demonstrating how to implement the six sigma roadmaps. It doesn't get too heavy into the advanced statistics, although there is a chapter that explains some of the tools and how they are used. Bottom line: While the reader may still need some assistance (from a trained Black Belt), this book provides the tools necessary to complete a six sigma project. I've read a few books on the topic and this was the most comprehensive - the best of the lot.
Six Sigma Overview - Full of Excellent Case Studies.......2006-11-22
While studying to become a Black Belt in Six Sigma, I found this book to be the most excellent overview of the history and benefits of Six Sigma. I did extensive research into useful books - and found this one to be the most effective.
Many other Six Sigma books try too hard to teach the material - and this book presents the basics, with strong business case studies of success.
If you are involved in the study or use of Six Sigma - I believe this is an essential book in your library.
Good overview but little substance.......2006-11-04
This audio book was more of a cheerleader for six sigma than a book to gain knowledge. It would be a good source of information if you have never heard of six sigma, but otherwise it is not very useful. The reader also has an annoying voice.
Book Description
Quality management. Process mapping. Speed to production. In the past 50 years, a rigorous, measurement-based methodology called Six Sigma has brought production management to previously unimaginable levels of success and sophistication. Top corporations such as Motorola and GE have built their reputations, products, and revenues using this approach. Indeed, Six Sigma has found widespread application in every significant industry and business—except marketing and sales.
In Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way, sales and quality guru Michael Webb shows how to blend marketing and sales efforts with the cutting-edge methods of Six Sigma to boost their bottom lines. With Webb’s book as a guide, readers learn to engineer rapid routes to customer value, accurately predict future revenue, and ensure return on investment for their projects.
In Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way, you will:
* Find out why ""the usual fixes"" for sales problems don't work
* Meet executives who have used Six Sigma to imrpove marketing and sales results
* See the pitfalls that await the unwary when applying process improvement in sales
* Learn how to introduce Six Sigma to sales and marketing professionals
* Discover through examples and cases how to manage sales as a process
Webb walks readers through several Six Sigma sales and marketing projects from start to finish, highlighting the tools, decisions, and results that made them successful. He shows the practical methods managers use to translate process improvement principles to the human world of selling and marketing.
With his dual background in sales and marketing management and in quality improvement, Webb speaks clearly to readers in both disciplines. This makes Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way the indispensible guide for sales and marketing professionals who want to excel in today's business environment, and for quality improvement experts who want to help them.
Customer Reviews:
Exceptional book for improving results.......2007-10-14
Whether you call it six-sigma, kaizen, lean or TQM, the concept has had a revolutionary impact in manufacturing, propelling, for example, Toyota to the top. It turns out the same basic concepts powerfully apply to sales and marketing. This book details how in a very readable manner. Webb shows us how to make sales and marketing into a process that systematically can be improved. Very insightful examples. Right now most sales and marketing decisions are made on hunch. This book helps us make them on the basis of fact. I strongly recommend it. It presents good idea after good idea.
A Must Read for CEOs Tired of Same Old Sales Excuses.......2007-08-17
This book tackles the central marketing problem of our time ....too many suspects, and an ever dwindling number of qualified prospects. Mr. Webb untangles this problem and then shows you how to design a selling system to be an ever improving "machine". A fun read with lots of how-to and examples.
It's a PE Book.......2007-07-24
It's Good to me, I work for jnj of china. it helps and leads me do the project is well
Merging Six Sigma with Sales & Marketing.......2007-07-20
Michael Webb has done a fantastic job with merging the six sigma methodology with the sales & marketing disciplines. This book takes the six sigma practice, that has long been used in the manufacturing circles, and applies it to the sales function in a way that is both concise and understandable. Six sigma promises to change the future of sales just as it has manufacturing, and this book is the road map for that journey. I would not only highly recommend this book to anyone in the sales and/or marketing arena, but consider it a must read.
Sales & Marketing the Six Sigma Way.......2007-04-03
I found this book invaluable. As a brand marketing consultant I face a barrage of misguided engineers and production minded individual who deam marketing as puffery. This book provided me a greater insight in turning these folks into marketing partners. Engineers and marketing consultants have more in common than they know - Sales & Marketing the Six Signa Way identifies how these two can and should come closer together to seek and implement the voice of the customer in establishing and marketing superior customer value.
Average customer rating:
- Interesting book
- Excellent Hilarious Novel for Learning Management
- fast and cheap
- Solid read applicable to business and beyond
- The Goal
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The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
Eliyahu M. Goldratt , and
Jeff Cox
Manufacturer: North River Press
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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It's Not Luck
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Theory of Constraints
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Lean Thinking : Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, Revised and Updated
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The Toyota Way
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Critical Chain : A Business Novel
ASIN: 0884270610 |
Book Description
Over 2 million copies sold! Used by thousands of companies and hundreds of business schools! Required reading for anyone interested in the Theory of Constraints. This book, which introduces the Theory of Constraints, is changing how America does business. The Goal is a gripping, fast-paced business novel about overcoming the barriers to making money. You will learn the fundamentals of identifying and solving the problems created by constraints. From the moment you finish the book you will be able to start successfully addressing chronic productivity and quality problems.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting book.......2007-10-08
Reading a text book has never been so much fun. I read this during my MBA classes. Why won't every author write their book and drive the point home with such fun stories that don't just drive the point home, but also keep it there forever?
Excellent Hilarious Novel for Learning Management.......2007-10-03
"The Goal" is a hilarious novel but with a serious business message particularly with respect to production/operations management. The author expertly wove an intricate story about a plant manager (Alex Rogo) whose factory and marriage are failing into a compelling and convincing explanation about how to deal with constraints and bottlenecks effectively, not only in business but also in everyday life. This is a good captivating read particularly for those who find reading business and management books to be dry and having a soporific effect.
Alex Rogo's life is made very difficult by bottlenecks, constraints, excess inventories and pressure from management that demands efficiency in the factory operations. However, through mastering the theory of constraints (TOC), the appreciation of a business as a system, the effective use of industrial engineering techniques as well as common sense, Alex and his team overcome the problems.
This is an enlightening book that is easy to read and understand for people particularly those who a new to managing an organization. You will learn about the goal of an organization, waste (and how to avoid it), cost structures, team utilization, supply chain bottlenecks, identify improvements, work prioritization and enhance efficiencies.
You will get the most from this book if you also read the Toyota Production System which can fix many of the problems highlighted in this book. Among the highlights of the Toyota Production System are the Just-in-Time inventory system, production leveling, multi-skilling, the pull method of production planning which provides a more comprehensive approach to manufacturing operations. Another useful investment is to get a copy of the classic book "The Fifth Discipline" by Peter Senge (if you have not yet read it). Senge proposes the "systems thinking" method to help companies to become "learning organizations" that integrates all personnel levels and functions (such as production, human resources, finance etc) to increase the ability of the organisation to be more productive and effective.
In summary, this is an outstanding book packed with insightful wisdom that I recommend to employees at all levels in an organization as well as students studying business.
fast and cheap.......2007-09-12
I received this product in good time and condition. Brand New. Saved quite a bit of money over the campus book store price.
Solid read applicable to business and beyond.......2007-07-29
The Goal is a well-written book, broadly applicable to anyone in business and to an extent life in general. It is a no-nonsense novel, utilizing and exploring real-life situations and personalities. What I liked most about the book is the integration of "scientific" approach to business, how assumptions are constantly questioned, explored, and reformulated, and how the human element is, albeit slightly, interwoven.
While the most benefit clearly is in manufacturing context, I find the book to be useful and I work in professional services. I akin the Theory of Constraints ("bottleneck management") to Stephen Covey's example of "moving big rocks", hence the applicability to life in general. Said another way, I believe one must focus on the things that are most constraining (the boundaries), and this method of thought is explored in The Goal. The book also interweaves personal experiences into the "core" business theme, which allows for some examination of life outside of work and of course personalizes the story.
Overall, great book and a suggested read for sure.
The Goal.......2007-06-08
If you told me that a story about cost accounting in a factory would be interesting I would say you are nutts. However this story is extremely will written & entertaining thru the first 80%. The finish concerning philosophy could be left off.
I would listen to the book until I reached the end of a chapter because it was interesting even when I had arrived at my driving distination.
I do have an accounting background so that may affect my opinion.
Average customer rating:
- Still Relevant and Valuable
- The quality: the best competitive tool!
- Excellent Starting Point
- More Info.
- This is the essential Quality book.
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Business Process Improvement: The Breakthrough Strategy for Total Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness
H. James Harrington
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
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Business Process Improvement Workbook: Documentation, Analysis, Design, and Management of Business Process Improvement
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Business Process Change: A Manager's Guide to Improving, Redesigning, and Automating Processes (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
ASIN: 0070267685 |
Book Description
It's one of the hot topics for the 1990s--how to apply quality improvement techniques originally developed for the manufacturing sector to service industries. How to Take the Lead in Business Process Management details how to do it, providing a step-by-step formula that helps companies improve quality and productivity in the support areas. Here in one comprehensive volume is all the information an organization needs to start the improvement process right away: how to determine customer needs and expectations and deliver the best service; how to establish which processes drive your business; how to create process improvement teams and train team leaders; how to eliminate bureaucracy, simplify the process, and reduce processing time; how to measure progress and provide feedback to participants; how to document the levels of improvement and certify operations and activities; and how to ensure ongoing improvement. Two special features further enahance the value of this highly practical guide: (1) a chapter of case histories, showing the results of business process improvement, and (2) an exhaustive section that guides readers in the application of problem-solving methods, value analysis and process analysis techniques, perfection analysis, work simplification programs, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Still Relevant and Valuable.......2007-02-09
I recently re-read this book, first published in 1991, and found that - despite all the changes which have occurred in the business world since then - most of its material remains solid and relevant. In the Preface, H. James Harrington observes that organizations "are thinking differently about their processes. Processes are no longer viewed as just production processes. Today (i.e. in 1991), management realizes that that there are many processes that use material, equipment, and people to provide many types of outputs and services. They are called business processes, and today they are even more important to competitiveness than production processes." In this context, I am reminded of what Peter Drucker asserted (in 1963) in an article which appeared in the Harvard Business Review: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all." Presumably this is what Harrington has in mind when suggesting that "automating a bad process not only ensures that we can do a bad job every times but that we can do it faster and with less effort than before."
Harrington carefully organizes his material within ten chapters, followed by an appendix that provides "Interview Guidelines." His pragmatic approach throughout the narrative focuses on what to do to initiate and then sustain business process improvement (BPI):
Focus on business processes
Set the stage for BPI
Organize for process improvement
Use flowcharting to draw a process "picture"
Understand the process characteristics
Streamline the process
Use measurements, feedback, and action to "load, aim, and fire"
Qualify (i.e. establish credibility for) process
Benchmark process
For me, some of the most interesting and valuable material is provided in Chapter 5, "Understanding the Process Characteristics." Harrington identifies five (Flow, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Cycle Time, and Cost) and explains what must be done to get them in proper alignment (hence the importance of a flow chart) in terms of people involved, objectives to be achieved, strategies and tactics to be executed, measurements, evaluation, and modification.
As they embark together on a journey to achieve the desired objectives, they should realize that they will be involved in a marathon, not a sprint. They must be persistent but patient.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out sources which were published later, such as Dan Madison's Process Mapping, James R. Press's Process Improvement and Process Management, Process Improvement Essentials: CMMI, Six SIGMA, and ISO 9001, John Jeston and Johan Nelis' Business Process Management: Practical Guidelines to Successful Implementation, and Paul Harmon's Business Process Change: A Manager's Guide to Improving, Redesigning, and Automating Processes.
The quality: the best competitive tool!.......2005-07-21
In the actual times of constant, requiring and increasing professional improvement, you just have just only an alternative: to isolate yourself from the world: It's not an optional choice, but a question of surviving.
The leadership process must involve all the team under his service; otherwise your destiny is uncertain in the values market: your market share will vanish silently and if you don't act and react faster than the business dynamic, you will be out of game: I think the comparison may be established without any risk: the quality in the Darwinian environment will become in an additional gene to survive.
You do not have to think but living according this life system. This adaptation process has a hard barrier, the resistance to change: most of people live with this mental premise: the minimum effort and the maximum boring.
Arnold Toynbee wrote about the minority creators, that attitude does not sound challenging for any artistic activity, because the quality, conceived as one the main ingredients of the creative work is inherent in the inner process.
I wrote an article in the local press in 1996 named "Art and quality" (available for any one who is interested) in which I remarked this ineffable premise.
James Hillman stated once that the first enemy of the art is the mediocrity, and the quality process in last instance follows that change of behavior.
In this sense Harrington's text is a fundamental guide that explains step by step a wholesome creation process of a qualitative thinking, you will obtain the practice tools and the extreme useful basic elements available for any person.
Excellent Starting Point.......2004-09-04
This book was highly recommended to me and it did not dissappoint. Simple yet powerful practices and principles are clearly laid out in an easily understood manner. I now have a foundation to build upon with future readings on the subject of BPI.
More Info........1999-09-08
I rate it a 2 because it didn't give that much information. Some people just don't have enough money to go out and buy books. Especially young adults on a fixed income. When I come to the internet I expect to learn and read, not spend my money. Thank You
This is the essential Quality book........1999-07-20
This book is a great investement. This book explains much more than Business Process Improvement, it also breaks down the sub categories of Quality management into easy to digest pieces. Harrington makes the complex/theoretical Quality "mechanics" easy to understand. He explains today's business trends which can help any business become more productive.
Manufacturing Industries have been using these Quality techniques for years and Harrington helps any business adopt these "tried & true" measures. I recommend this book to anyone who is in the Quality field, or for anyone who is embarking in TQM.
Book Description
Praise for CMMI® Survival Guide
"Traveling down the CMMI road can be difficult and time-consuming. Garcia and Turner have given us a practical roadmap that addresses the key points to learn as well as the many potholes to avoid. Their Survival Guide is a most valuable resource for the journey. It will help immeasurably in achieving the process improvement that you seek."
—Dr. Howard Eisner, Distinguished Research Professor, George Washington University
"Helps you get to the 'red meat' of the CMMI quickly and with minimum pain."
—Donald J. Reifer, President, Reifer Consultants, Inc.
"The best words I can offer potential readers is that you must have this book, not on your shelf, but with you for repeated reading to glean new ideas or reinforce old ones you gained from the past readings. If you have ever been directly involved in a process improvement initiative or if you are starting one, this book can only help you to do a better job. And while [the authors] may not have written this book explicitly for experienced consultants, I found it a great reference even for those of us who helped start this industry, because it provides clear and useful answers to those tough questions we are asked all of the time."
—Tim Kasse, CEO and Principal Consultant, Kasse Initiatives LLC
"This book contains practical (working) tips for the 'getting started' phase of process improvement, which is the hardest one in the road to improving one's processes."
—Agapi Svolou, Principal of Alexanna, LLC, and SEI CMMI Transition Partner
"The authors have done an outstanding job in providing guidance for process improvement from a practical perspective. Instead of focusing on a single technique or approach, they have provided a variety of methods for process improvement implementation and have framed their discussion with rich context from lessons learned. The concepts described in this book will be useful to both those starting CMMI implementations and to those who are well into their journey but are still looking for ways to lessen the pain and provide value-added improvements. Reading the book is like being in the audience during a live presentation by SuZ and Rich—they wrote the book as they would present the information to a live audience."
—Bill Craig, Director, Software Engineering Directorate, AMRDEC, RDECOM
"I have been involved in process improvement since the early 90's and many of the mistakes that I made could have been prevented if this book had been available then."
—Claude Y. Laporte, Professor, ETS Universite du Quebec
"Primarily, the book is practical. The guidance presented is geared toward someone who is not exactly sure why they need process improvement, but is presented with the fact that they must do it. Very often these are smaller organizations, with limited resources, and uncertain support from above. As I read the book, I thought almost immediately of a couple of organizations with which I am familiar who could use this kind of tutelage. There are real, and useful, techniques in this book that I believe can help these kinds of organizations prioritize and establish reasonable plans for improving the processes in the organization. I also like the sidebars and personal observations. Discussions of experience can really help organizations through the various pitfalls that are part of developing and deploying processes. It makes the book more of a 'real life' guide, and not a theoretical exercise. Finally, the book is an enjoyable read. The conversational style of the book (and the humor) make it much easier to read than many of the books I have read in the past."
—Alexander Stall, Principal Process Improvement Engineer, Systems and Software Consortium
The CMMI provides a framework for process improvement spanning the life cycle of a product or service, from conception through delivery and maintenance. Widely and beneficially adopted around the world, the size and apparent complexity of the framework have nonetheless been daunting to some organizations. That need not be so. With a proper guide to help navigate around unknown dangers, potential pitfalls, and false paths, you too, can realize substantial business value from a successful CMMI implementation. This book is such a guide, full of the real-life examples to ease your way, and written in a lighter style to ease your reading.
The
CMMI® Survival Guide is an effective resource for multiple readerships. If you are just now considering a process improvement program, with the CMMI among your options, the authors' discussion of relevant issues will enhance your business case right from the start. If you have already decided to implement the CMMI, the authors' practical knowledge will help you make the most of your efforts. Even if you are well into a CMMI implementation, but are lost, stuck, or going around in circles, the authors' valuable advice will help you regain your direction.
If you work in a smaller or resource-strapped organization, you will particularly benefit from the authors' description of alternative paths to process improvement—approaches that are more incremental or agile, and less intensive, than you might imagine for a CMMI implementation. The authors draw on their extensive experience working with diverse organizations, and on the CMMI tools, techniques, and templates developed for those organizations.
Whatever your background or need, the
CMMI® Survival Guide will help you survey the CMMI territory, consult possible road maps, learn from other CMMI explorers, weigh the benefits of hiring a living guide, and even consider whether the trip is right for you.
Customer Reviews:
Far more readable and effective than other process books..........2007-04-08
I've been exposed to a number of process improvement methodologies throughout my career, as well as read a number of books that try to explain them. To be honest, it's not a subject that's high on my "can't wait to read" list. But were more books styled like CMMI Survival Guide: Just Enough Process Improvement by Suzanne Garcia and Richard Turner, I would probably be more inclined to give them a chance. This book covers what you need to know without all of the mind-numbing jargon and detail...
Contents:
Part 1 - Scouting the Territory: Why We Think Process Is Important; Why Process Improvement Helps; Why Process Improvement Isn't Trivial
Part 2 - Mapping the Route: CMMI As Your Guide; A Decision-based Life Cycle for Improvement
Part 3 - Surviving the Passage: A PI Case Study; Survival and PI
Part 4 - Experiencing the Journey: Developing and Sustaining Sponsorship; Setting and Measuring Against Realistic Goals; Managing an Appraisal Life Cycle; Developing Process Improvement Infrastructure; Defining Processes; Looking Ahead
Part 5 - Outfitting Your Expedition (PI Resources): Tools and Techniques
Bibliography; Index
The basic direction of the authors is to talk to the reader like they were actually there, and to simplify CMMI so that it can be grasped and understood. And when you place a traditionally process-heavy methodology like CMMI up against agile methodologies like Extreme Programming, you realize just what a task the authors have taken on. Surprisingly, they pull it off pretty well. Part 1 lays the foundation for why a business or organization needs to have some sort of process improvement plan in place. The larger the organization is, the more important it becomes. Then using CMMI as the framework, part 2 covers the main topics of just what makes up the process improvement effort. Part 3 is where the application of the process becomes concrete. They use an easily-understandable case study that takes concepts and applies them to actual situations. That's usually where the large "formal" books fail. You can stuff as much information into your head as you want, but until it gets applied, it's pretty useless. Part 4 goes into more details of how the process works on an ongoing basis, followed by the actual tools and techniques that come into play for CMMI (part 5). By the end, you've covered everything you need to know (and you haven't poked your eyeballs out in frustration).
While this might not be the "official" guide to a methodology, it's far more readable and applicable than books three times its size. And if you can read and understand the material, you have a far better chance of making it actually work...
Getting and recognizing benefit from process improvement.......2007-02-23
An easy to read book about using an abstract model: this is quite a feat. This is the book I'd write about improving processes, if I had the time, the talent, the motivation, etc. I've been doing this improvement work for many years, occasionally with the authors, and it is gratifying to see that they've captured so many good practices and useful ideas and shared them in an accessible, friendly way.
Many different fields use CMMI as a standard, to decide about improvement planning, to gauge their results, to convince customers they are reliable. This book shows the way around the pit-falls, points out the poison-ivy patches, and can help people find their way to the benefits of process improvement.
Of course CMMI for Development can be daunting: it describes professional engineering and engineering management practices in enough detail to be used in several ways by different communities. Finally, it isn't CMMI that drives people to disappointing improvement results. Mistakes in judging how easy it is to get people to change or even to describe their way of doing things often have led to "heavy" process implementations, as change agents add more and more detail hoping it will get people to use the processes. Or, mistaking how fast processes can be implemented can lead to mandated processes that work well for no one.
The authors have accurately described how to find your "main, broad road" to the benefits of improvements, and the many factors that you have to consider that will lead you there. Now I don't have to write this book. I'll give it to our customer's managers and their process engineers and be confident that they can get good direction from it: we now have a rich resource of techniques, stories, and directions that we can refer to in our projects.
Okay, some criticism: the techniques described in the last chapters are very effective, but have to be approached with discipline as well as a fun-finding mind-set, so they may not work for everyone. But that's one of the good things about the book- the authors say that few improvements work exactly the way you want, the very first time. Honest and useful advice.
a brief overview of CMMI.......2006-11-03
Garcia and Turner address a widely held concern about adopting CMMI. That it is overly heavy, with much to assimilate before a group of programmers can usefully apply it. Well ok, CMMI can be used for more than just software development. But as a practical matter, most of its users and proposed users are in that business. The book is perhaps also a reaction to the Agile process. The latter is in some ways the mirror image of CMMI, with short design and coding cycles.
The book gives a relatively quick walkthrough of CMMI. A broad picture about using CMMI to improve your development process. En route, it also discusses general topics like project management issues, which are not exclusive to CMMI. The entire text is really just a primer for CMMI. It shows that CMMI has many subtopics, and the procedures involved can be rather detailed. Adding up to a formidable total barrier for the newcomer. But the text does supply enough information to give an appreciation of what CMMI can do for you, and the concepts to be mastered.
Of all the chapters, I found Chapter 11 to be the most formidable. It seems to give the strongest indicator of the amount of material in CMMI. Just consider the O process areas within CMMI. "You'll need people who can implement the practices in Organisational Process Focus, Organisational Process Definition, Organisational Training, Organisational Innovation and Deployment and (eventually) Organisational Process Performance". Whew! And the chapter goes on to give more information about what these might entail. No wonder some might baulk at CMMI.
Average customer rating:
- It is what it is...and provides solid material
- A Very Useful Process Improvement Reference
- Process Improvement Classic Reference
- Buisness process improvment work book
- Not bad, could be better
|
Business Process Improvement Workbook: Documentation, Analysis, Design, and Management of Business Process Improvement
H. James Harrington ,
K. C. Esseling , and
Van Nimwegen
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Business Process Improvement: The Breakthrough Strategy for Total Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness
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Accessories:
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Philips Nino 319 Windows Organizer
ASIN: 0070267790 |
Book Description
This long-awaited companion and update to H. James Harrington's best-selling Business Process Improvement is a hands-on implementation guide. It focuses on upgrading information distribution paths to optimize the many processes with which they come in contact. Filled with lists, charts, and appendices, this workbook tells how to document a company's processes, analyze current effectiveness, design new processes, use system enablers, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
It is what it is...and provides solid material.......2007-03-13
I agree with other reviewers who question the designation "workbook." Actually, what we have here is a book which suggests the work which each reader must complete -- individually and in collaboration with others -- with regard to the documentation, analysis, design, and management of business process improvement. It provides no head-snapping revelations, nor do its co-authors claim to offer any. Obviously, it is important to improve performance continuously by improving various processes during which tasks are completed. It is also important to measure only what matters. Finally, all organizations (regardless of size or nature) must develop leaders at all levels and within all areas who drive change initiatives to achieve these objectives. Harrington, Esseling, and van Nimwegen offer a comprehensive, cohesive, and cost-effective methodology. Once having identified the "what," they focus on "how."
As the authors explain, Business Process Improvement (BPI) consists of four different approaches designed to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and adaptability of administrative processes: Fast Analysis Solution Technique (FAST), process benchmarking, process redesign, and process reengineering. They recommend a six-phase process that leads to the implementation of the best-value future-state solution: Organization, Documentation, Analysis, Design, Implementation, and Management. They then focus on each approach and each phase, suggesting similarities and differences between and among them.
I would have rated this book even higher had the presentation of the material been more "reader-friendly." By the time I reached Chapter 5 on page 167, the monotonous tone of the narrative to that point made it difficult for me to sustain my concentration. I always appreciate the provision of checklists, for example, because they organize and summarize key points, and, because they facilitate (indeed expedite) review of them later. To repeat, the material is solid. The authors obviously know what they are talking about. Their observations are based on real-world situations. Their suggestions are sensible. That said, this reader (at least) had to work much too hard to locate, absorb, and then digest the authors' core concepts.
No doubt other readers will find the material more accessible. My guess (only a guess) is that many of those who do will be C-level executives in larger organizations who already know much more about BPI than I do. I wish them and their associates well, hoping they can effectively apply -- and then have their organization benefit substantially from -- what Harrington, Esseling, and van Nimwegen offer.
A Very Useful Process Improvement Reference.......2006-09-19
I agree with the other reviewers, as I first purchased this book assuming that it was a "workbook" with working examples. It wasn't this type of workbook, but is a very valuable resource for the process-improvement minded. It could have utilized more illustrations - I suggest creating your own diagrams as you read through this book. This is the approach I took whilst reading the book and was very satisfied with the results.
Documentation, a very important subject that is often overlooked and/or underutilized, is explained very well in this book, describing the level of detail required to support a successful process improvement initiative. The Appendix XI - guidelines for designing forms and documents is fantastic and I recommend it for anyone considering facilitating process improvement workshops.
The organization chapter on organizing a process improvement team is very good - managers and especially companies wanting to accelerate their process improvement successes could benefit from this instruction.
The Defining Improvement Opportunities chapter was also very informative, linking the need for standardization with IT, administration and operations.
And lastly, don't discount one of the authors - H James Harrington. He is one of the best business writers in the business for topics ranging from process improvement, project management, customer service or even human resources. Don't miss a chance to read anything he has written.
I would disagree that this book is dry - it is well written and researched and if it had contained a few more illustrations, I would have given this book a 5-star rating.
Process Improvement Classic Reference.......2006-05-31
This book serves as a powerful reference on process improvement.
The author, H.J. Harrington, is wise. We can learn a lot from him. He's got great experience from the firm, Ernst and Young.
The book provides a deep, well-structured and methodical glimpse into the practice of process improvement.
Although there are many books on the subject (older and newer) this book is foundational. It blends TQM and Industrial engineering concepts. At some degree it is a "deep dive" into the Six Sigma method's Business Process Architecture (BPA) tool.
This book is a great reference for consultants, line managers, business process managers/owners and business analysts as well as anyone wanting a thorough understanding of Process Improvement.
Reading it and applying the practices described within may save companies money. It can build career enhancing compentencies in those that adopt/practice what they have learned.
For the relatively low price you can have access to the mind of a sage.
Buisness process improvment work book.......2006-03-08
Provide an excellent overview of BPM and provide good examples.
Not bad, could be better.......2002-07-19
I'll agree with users who feel this book is dry, dry, dry. I also have some issues with the design of the book. There were concepts that I found confusing until I drew my own flow charts -such aids could certainly have been included in the book. There were too many bulleted lists that probably should have been numbered for easier reference and ranking. Where this book shines is on the mechanics on BPI; how to organize the project and the teams (although a good project manager should know how to do this), the sequence of steps to go through, and how to organize all the collected information.
What is missing from this book, in my opinion, is discussion on Risk Management and Change Management. You can document processes and manuals and forms until you're blue in the face, but in the end, you'll have to get human beings to buy into the difficult task of changing processes to reach the future state, and there is little discussion of this.
Book Description
Real Process Improvement Using the CMMI presents readers with non-academic, real-world approaches to process improvement via CMMI. The author provides concepts and techniques for CMMI-based process improvement which are as effective as they are innovative. Professionals at all levels from system engineers to CEOs will find a wealth of practical guidance and new ways to look at model-based process improvement that have already benefited large and small organizations in a variety of environments. Using plain language and enlightening illustrations, the author identifies the most critical concepts of the CMMI, and explains how to turn those concepts into real process improvement. This book provides you with key information that will significantly benefit all CMMI process improvement efforts. Topics include: · Ways to discover and understand the business goals and drivers for successful process improvement initiatives · How to recognize the structures and practices many organizations already have in place that can accelerate process improvement, even before they begin using the CMMI · Planning and managing the process improvement project · Innovative, untraditional yet highly effective and proven strategies for CMMI-based process improvement · A thorough debunking of many of the costly and wasteful myths surrounding CMMI-based improvement
Customer Reviews:
Common sense book not only for CMMI.......2005-07-26
I bought this book because my Company is thinking about getting into CMMI. I realized that this book is a common sense approach to process improvement. I was skeptic about CMMI and the way that other companies implement it. This book makes you keep your feet on the ground. It is an imparcial approach to a difficult task. You may save yourself a lot of money just by following the guidelines recommended by the author. In my case, I used some of the recommendations in my own process, because common sense is applicable everywhere.
Gutsy and Honest approach to Process Improvement!.......2004-04-20
Finally, a refreshingly honest approach to CMMI and process improvement. Michael has an uncanny ability to see into the heart of organizational psychology and points out the real reasons for attempting any improvement or organizational change. He strips away the hype surrounding CMMI and focuses on what's really important...obtaining results and improving the bottom line. It might be considered contrarian or even heretical by those making a living by selling CMMI, but I call it practical, gutsy and honest. A must read by any organization considering change regardless of the model chosen.
Unexpected gem - read before leaping!.......2004-03-22
If you're expecting a book that shows how to implement the CMMI, or even one that gushes about its benefits you're in for a surprise. Yes, this book does show how to achieve process improvement by using the CMMI as a model, but it differs greatly from the recipe approaches of similar books that will have you marching over a cliff instead of improving your organization. The author does this by uncovering fallacies and the blind paths the CMMI (or any process improvement initiative) represents.
Here's what to expect from this book, and why you should read it cover-to-cover before embarking on a CMMI implementation or other process improvement initiative. How to spot and avoid common pitfalls such as:
- focusing on the process instead of the benefits, which of course, can be counterproductive when the process itself is applied blindly and without regard for real efficiency.
- avoiding the 'when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail' effect; i.e., attempting to apply the CMMI to everything
- mis-diagnosing problems with the process and applying the wrong solution; for example, scope creep in a project causes a reaction that often results in claims that the requirements management process is broken when the real problem is a lack of discipline or standards (not the same as a process)
Besides showing what does not work, and forcing you to look at your real goals before embarking on a CMMI implementation or process improvement initiative, the author leads you through a realistic appraisal of your goals and objectives, and shows you how to accomplish them. He is a strong proponent of using a systems view, and shows how to apply systems thinking principles to achieving your goals and objectives. This is the real value of this book, and why it's a sanity check for any organization that is about to embark on any improvement initiative.
Of course, if you are going to implement the CMMI, in whole or relevant parts to improve your capability, this book provides a clear roadmap for doing just that. Do not let my previous remarks lead you to believe that this book is anti-CMMI because it's not. It's merely anti-unrealism.
Regardless of your end goals, much of the material in this book applies to any activity, from strategic planning to process improvement to embracing a methodology. It's one of the best books I've read, and one that anyone contemplating CMMI should read before they read anything else about that model.
Book Description
This “mathematics-friendly” volume introduces readers to basic concepts and applications of Statistical Process Control (SPC). Readers get a solid foundation in control charts—including setting scales, charting, interpreting, and analyzing process capability. Problem-solving techniques are emphasized, and all learning is linked to the implementation of SPC in the workplace. The volume offers an introduction to quality concepts and statistical process control, quality issues, variation and statistics, an introduction to tables, charts, and graphs, probability and the normal distribution, control charts, variables charts for limited data, attributes control charts, problem solving, gauge capability and acceptance sampling. For quality control trainers and quality management/improvement teams.
Customer Reviews:
A General Book for SPC.......1999-06-24
For people who would like to get overall information about SPC; it is good for you.
If you are looking for a book with case study, it may not good for you.
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