Six Sigma Beyond the Factory Floor: Deployment Strategies for Financial Services, Health Care, and the Rest of the Real Economy (Six Sigma)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great book.
Six Sigma Beyond the Factory Floor: Deployment Strategies for Financial Services, Health Care, and the Rest of the Real Economy (Six Sigma)
Ron D. Snee , and Roger W. Hoerl
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 013143988X

Download Description

The first comprehensive, detailed, step-by-step Six Sigma implementation guide for non-manufacturing organizations. Detailed case studies show how to adapt Six Sigma techniques, tools, and metrics to any non-manufacturing environment. Essential Six Sigma implementation techniques for financial services, healthcare, publishing, supply chain management, R and D, and beyond. Co-authored by Roger W. Hoerl, a leader in implementing Six Sigma quality throughout GE during Jack Welch's era.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great book........2006-04-09

Highly Recommended. The book is authored by two of the leading practictioners and they do an excellent job of providing their experience and insight on implimenting Six Sigma. You can read articles by them, and a chapter from the book, via www.curiouscat.net/library/hoerl.cfm
Juran Institute's Six Sigma Breakthrough and Beyond: Quality Performance Breakthrough Methods
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Breakthrough among Six Sigma books!
Juran Institute's Six Sigma Breakthrough and Beyond: Quality Performance Breakthrough Methods
Juran Institute
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & CompetitionStrategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0071422277

Book Description

Based on the Juran Institute’s breakthrough method, Juran’s Six Sigma: Breakthrough and Beyond goes beyond certification or implementation processes discussed in most six sigma texts to prepare an organization's managers -- at all levels -- to deal with the practical day-to-day human, structural, and technological issues which arise when initiating and maintaining a Six Sigma effort.

Juran's Six Sigma: Breakthrough and Beyond allows you to modify your program to suit your individual requirements. With this book, you get everything you need to improve and maintain Six-Sigma breakthrough performance long after the consultants have packed up and gone home.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Breakthrough among Six Sigma books!.......2003-09-29

Six Sigma is all about breakthrough improvement. Without a breakthrough, achieving Six Sigma performance is impossible. Juran and Juran Institute are the most experienced in achieving and managing performance improvement. The Six Sigma: Breakthrough and Beyond book is unique as it is the only book that covers all aspects of achieving dramatic improvement.

Praveen Gupta
Author of Six Sigma Business Scorecard
and Co-author of Six Sigma Deployment
Look Forward Beyond Lean and Six Sigma: A Self-perpetuating Enterprise Improvement Method
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Frederick J. Becker, Executive Vice President, TRC , Inc.
  • Excellent insight into Lean Six Sigma from a real world perspective:
  • Looking Forward is Key to Quality
  • Look Forward - A down-to-earth approach to Lean Mfg.
  • sight unseen; here's the publisher's blurb; not PAPERback$$$
Look Forward Beyond Lean and Six Sigma: A Self-perpetuating Enterprise Improvement Method
Robert Dirgo
Manufacturer: J. Ross Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1932159460

Book Description

This unique reference shows managers how to combine Six Sigma, Lean and TOC with a method called Look Forward to achieve unbeatable, sustained improvement. Look Forward complements each of the other methods in a way that will assure self-perpetuating enterprise improvement is ingrained in the culture of a company.

Key Features
wn continuous improvement corporate vision
ix Sigma Black Belt, a Certified Quality Engineer and a Certified Quality Auditor.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Frederick J. Becker, Executive Vice President, TRC , Inc........2006-06-12

A very impressing book!

For many years there has been a short- sighted, misapplication of "flavor of the month Quality Programs". They have all been tools of our trade but not the answer to all quality problems individually. Organizations have abandoned them one by one because of disappointing results. Every time a new program was implemented from scratch, there were equally disappointing results. Mr. Dirgo addresses this very well as he discusses the integration of the tools from "Zero Defects" through "Six Sigma" to support Continual Improvement. He implies that it must be a way of life, not just a program.

This enlightening book has addressed the problem integration of quality concepts to make improvement self-perpetuating.

Mr. Dirgo has given examples and case studies from personal experiences that allow the reader to see the results in a very practical way.

This book effectively promotes "out of the box" thinking with a look forward.








4 out of 5 stars Excellent insight into Lean Six Sigma from a real world perspective:.......2006-03-29

The first chapters provide an easy to follow overview of Lean. The origins and evolution of Lean are nicely summarized. Numerous success stories from Automotive, A&D, and High Tech explain how companies such as Toyota, Dell, GE, HP, and others have been successful.

Later chapters tell the Lean Six Sigma Story of the author's company, Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation, ABSC.
We read how ABSC addressed production quality by understanding the importance of the pre-production design and launch process. Like many companies ABSC was managed in 'Silos' with various departments such as Engineering, Purchasing, and Manufacturing each working to their own performance metrics to the detriment of corporate performance. ABSC recognized this and implemented cross functional launch teams with members from the various departments with a common set of performance metrics. This concept has been applied in other industries and advocated by 'Outside Experts' but ABSC figured this out on their own, took ownership, and wrote their own success story.

5 out of 5 stars Looking Forward is Key to Quality.......2006-03-11

Not just theory. Mr. Dirgo reflects the environment in which he lives and works. His is a purview of the methods, practices and perspectives that are the functional underpinnings of an extremely successful AS 9001: 2000 (Aerospace) registered Quality System that is harmonized with most other modern quality initiatives of Lean, 6 Sigma, etc. The writing is succinct and allows the reader to understand the "Look Forward" continuous approach that really makes it all come together without mystery, magic or esoteric hocus-pocus.






4 out of 5 stars Look Forward - A down-to-earth approach to Lean Mfg........2006-03-09

If you are looking for a book that demystifies the statistical tools associated with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement, this one is for you. Dirgo uses everyday language to explain the role of top management, the use of teams and the selection and application of the correct analytical tools to drive cost down while improving quality. The case studies are especially useful because they demonstrate the processes involved, and show that the end is not attained simply when the original objective is achieved. Rather, one door closes and another opens.

4 out of 5 stars sight unseen; here's the publisher's blurb; not PAPERback$$$.......2005-06-13

Look Forward® Beyond Lean and Six Sigma
By Robert Dirgo

Hardcover, 6 x 9, 240 Pages
ISBN: 1-932159-46-0
Publishing August 2005
Institute of Aerospace Excellence

About the Item:
This book introduces the Look Forward approach to continuous improvement (CI). Look Forward is a management approach to CI that fosters an environment that infuses CI into the very fabric of the organization. As a result, improvement is not an initiative or a project but rather a natural occurring event that is anticipated, expected and prevalent. Look Forward is not a substitute for Six Sigma, Lean or Theory of Constraints (TOC), but rather is a necessary complement to each of these in order to assure self-perpetuating improvement that is ingrained in the corporate culture. It, in turn, needs Six Sigma, Lean and TOC methodologies to be the fuel for the improvement engine that drives the company forward. Any business serious about improvement is going to consider Six Sigma, Lean and TOC in the overall scope of their operations and the unique benefits they bring to the table. This book shows that for unbeatable sustained improvement, Six Sigma, Lean and TOC need to be intertwined with the Look Forward methodology.

Key Features:
Helps you build a foundation within your business that will support a robust improvement management method
Includes an overview of Lean, Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints and how they can be used together by management for constant improvement
Provides the mechanics of the day-to-day execution of a synergistic continuous improvement management method
Features several case study examples that you can use to relate to your company
Promotes a corporate culture that will foster on-going, perpetual improvement throughout the organization without the necessity of intervention

About the Author(s):
Robert Dirgo has over twenty-five years experience working in the steel and aerospace industries. Mr. Dirgo is currently Manager of Process Quality Assurance at Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation (ABSC). As one of the overseers of the continuous improvement effort, he was also one of the original management members that developed the Look Forward management method in 1996. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Master's degree in Statistics and has been certified by the American Society of Quality as a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, a Certified Quality Engineer and a Certified Quality Auditor.

Table of Contents:
Look Forward - How to Manage the Business of Improvement
Your Industry Standard - A Framework for Look Forward Improvement
Six Sigma
Lean Manufacturing
Theory of Constraints
The Challenge of Maintaining Continuous Improvement
Look Forward - The ABSC Way
Look Forward Case Studies
Enterprise Level Improvement Initiatives
Conclusion
Bibliography
Glossary
Appendix
Index
Six Sigma and Beyond:  Design for Six Sigma, Volume VI
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Six Sigma and Beyond: Design for Six Sigma, Volume VI
    D.H. Stamatis , and D. H. Stamatis
    Manufacturer: CRC
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 1574443151

    Book Description

    This volume addresses design improvement from the perspective of prevention by introducing readers to the tools of the Six Sigma design process. The author discusses the issues of designing for Six Sigma, covering the topics that any Shogun Six Sigma Master must be familiar with: customer satisfaction, quality function deployment, benchmarking, systems engineering, value engineering, reliability and maintainability, design for manufact`urability, mistake proofing, failure mode and effect analysis, project management, and financial concepts.

    Six Sigma and Beyond:  The Implementation Process, Volume VII
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Six Sigma and Beyond: The Implementation Process, Volume VII
      D.H. Stamatis , and D. H. Stamatis
      Manufacturer: CRC
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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      ManufacturingManufacturing | Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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      ASIN: 157444316X

      Book Description

      The final volume of this series presents a synopsis of the curriculum that a typical Six Sigma program should follow. It differs from the preceding six volumes in that it is an implementation volume, therefore the information is geared towards helping readers formalize their own training. The book establishes the minimum requirements for the Six Sigma methodology and provides the body of knowledge needed for a successful and rewarding implementation of the Six Sigma processes.

      Beyond Six Sigma: Profitable Growth through Customer Value Creation
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Beyond Six Sigma: Profitable Growth through Customer Value Creation
        Gary Plaster , and Jerry Alderman
        Manufacturer: Wiley
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

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        ASIN: 0471681512

        Book Description

        Six Sigma is an incredibly powerful tool for trimming the fat from business processes and increasing operating efficiency to a point of near-perfection. But the days of cutting costs to create shareholder value are quickly coming to an end. In order to compete in today's super-hot global economy, companies like yours need radically new tools for connecting more closely with customers, identifying emerging market trends, and seizing opportunities for growth. Enter Customer Value Creation (CVC).

        In this breakthrough guide to driving profitable growth, authors Gary Plaster and Jerry Alderman introduce CVC, a revolutionary customer-centered business paradigm that marries Six Sigma tools to the sciences of marketing and strategy.

        "Beyond Six Sigma is practical, useful, and readable. The linkage of Six Sigma to customer processes is truly the next phase in achieving a competitive advantage with sustainable results. A must-read for every COO and CMO looking for the formula for profitable growth."
        —Robert T. Cancalosi, Chief Learning Officer, GE Healthcare

        "An insightful, practical, step-by-step approach to achieving profitable growth through a focus on building customer value."
        —R. Craig Breese, President, Maytag International

        "Plaster and Alderman have applied real-world principles to create a disciplined approach to growth that will truly become the next Six Sigma. Brilliant!"
        —Darrell Graddy, Vice President, Lockheed Martin

        "This is a book that speaks management's language. It shows us a straightforward approach to profitable growth by starting outside-in, i.e., with the customer. What a novel concept!"
        —James E. Goodwin, former chairman and CEO, United Airlines

        "This is one amazing book. Easy to read, easy to digest, and easy to implement. It's loaded with insight, novel ideas, cases, and breakthrough recommendations."
        —James A. McClung, former senior vice president and executive officer, FMC Corporation

        "This groundbreaking book clearly defines the growth agenda for all companies and provides the tools needed to deliver results! Plaster and Alderman get it!"
        —D. Keith Pigues, Vice President, Marketing, CEMEX

        "It would take a dozen marketing books to cover the ground that Plaster and Alderman cover with this new book. Building and sustaining growth is today's top priority and the authors hit this mark. Interesting, thought-provoking, and definitely on-target."
        —Michael Preston, Professor, Columbia University Business School

        Download Description

        Six Sigma is an incredibly powerful tool for trimming the fat from business processes and increasing operating efficiency to a point of near-perfection. But the days of cutting costs to create shareholder value are quickly coming to an end. In order to compete in today's super-hot global economy, companies like yours need radically new tools for connecting more closely with customers, identifying emerging market trends, and seizing opportunities for growth. Enter Customer Value Creation (CVC). In this breakthrough guide to driving profitable growth, authors Gary Plaster and Jerry Alderman introduce CVC, a revolutionary customer-centered business paradigm that marries Six Sigma tools to the sciences of marketing and strategy. ""Beyond Six Sigma is practical, useful, and readable. The linkage of Six Sigma to customer processes is truly the next phase in achieving a competitive advantage with sustainable results. A must-read for every COO and CMO looking for the formula for profitable growth."" Robert T. Cancalosi, Chief Learning Officer, GE Healthcare ""An insightful, practical, step-by-step approach to achieving profitable growth through a focus on building customer value."" R. Craig Breese, President, Maytag International
        Power of Ultimate Six Sigma(r), The: Keki Bhote's Proven System for Moving Beyond Quality Excellence to Total
        Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
        • Good Book
        • Focusing on the Customer
        • Not your typical book on Six Sigma
        • Worst Book on Six Sigma
        Power of Ultimate Six Sigma(r), The: Keki Bhote's Proven System for Moving Beyond Quality Excellence to Total
        Keki R. Bhote
        Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

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        5. The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed

        ASIN: 0814407595

        Book Description

        Developed by Motorola and popularized by Jack Welch and GE, Six Sigma remains today's hottest program for "zero defect" quality excellence. Now, Keki Bhote, member of the original Motorola team, presents an undiluted approach, applying his trademarked "Ultimate Six Sigma(r)" method to every business process -- from manufacturing and customer retention to supply chain management and leadership.

        The book is packed with every technique and metric necessary for a fast, smooth implementation, giving readers everything they need to make their own companies world-class in their industry.

        In addition, numerous case studies of benchmark companies illustrate the factors that contribute to success. Bhote includes assessment tools designed to help a company gauge its current status and measure future progress. This book is the ultimate guide to the ultimate quality assurance tool.

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Good Book.......2007-07-04

        Have been a fan of Bhote for many years. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and find it very useful.

        3 out of 5 stars Focusing on the Customer.......2005-08-04

        Keki Bhote is one of the pioneers of the Six Sigma movement, which has captured much of corporate America as the superior evolution of the quality movement. In a very narrow sense, Six Sigma refers to a statistical tool that can be used to analyze product defects and bring down their occurrences to approximately zero. His book The Power of Ultimate Six Sigma, however, is not really about Six Sigma¡Kit is partly about the application of his latest iteration called Ultimate Six Sigma, partly about loosely-related organization and management techniques, and, to no small extent, about selling his own ideas and previous works on the subject. Although not terribly well written (with many one-sentence paragraphs and undeveloped thoughts), the work is nonetheless helpful in providing practical ways to structure a business for increased stakeholder value and customer retention. His greatest contributions are the sections on developing and measuring customer, employee and supplier loyalty and cooperation. His list of about 200 ¡§disciplines¡¨ or techniques, case studies illustrating their application, and self-assessment checklists to help companies implement them are also a major plus. The techniques often need a little further explanation, but they contain many helpful suggestions for areas to improve effectiveness. The case studies help provide explanations for the disciplines, and the self-assessment checklists provide an abbreviated way to measure how much a company has already adopted an Ultimate Six Sigma system of management.
        The book commences with a seemingly unrelated, and a bit pretentious, call for a business Marshall Plan to save the world from terrorism and other threats, which can only succeed with Bhote's Ultimate Six Sigma business ideas. He lambastes businesses for their general lack of ethics and social responsibility, and denigrates other practitioners of Six Sigma and other quality techniques. His single chapter explanation of the actual methodology and practice of Six Sigma is inadequate for anyone unfamiliar with the mechanics, and serves mostly to point out errors others have made in corrupting his ideas. Once one gets beyond Bhote's volcanic venting and frequent self-promotion, and wades through the loosely organized jungle overgrown with numerous acronyms and specialized lingo, the material markedly improves. Bhote attempts to provide a roadmap for the implementation of Ultimate Six Sigma as a quality management system. He begins with a section on developing stakeholder value, including separate chapters on customers, corporate leadership, organization infrastructure and culture, employees, and suppliers. The following section develops three major techniques for a company to increase its effectiveness and profitability: quality, cost, and cycle time. In an attempt to move the applicability of Six Sigma beyond manufacturing, Bhote devotes the next section to applying Ultimate Six Sigma to the major firm functional areas of design, manufacturing, and services. Finally, he includes a short concluding section discussing metrics for assessing results of the implementation of Ultimate Six Sigma.
        I found the opening discussion on developing and measuring customer loyalty interesting and thought-stimulating. Bhote makes a convincing argument on the importance and efficacy of nurturing dedicated customers, as opposed to spending large resources on finding new customers. He introduces five disciplines to strive for the goal of zero customer defects:
        -- Reduce and differentiate the customer base
        -- Measure core customer defections
        -- Assess customer "wow"
        mass customization
        quality function deployment
        company effectiveness index
        -- Customer cultivation
        -- Establishing a company culture for customer loyalty

        I had not previously considered that a company might want to actually shed some customers who do not contribute much to the company's profitability, but Bhote's argument that the top 60% of customers usually make up for nearly 100% of profits shows that spending resources to keep the bottom 40% is not very efficient. Bhote also argues for putting a monetary value into the accounting figures for customer defections. This is a good idea to emphasize the cost of losing customers because of inferior quality or service; unfortunately, Bhote¡¦s work here does not provide much practical assistance in how to accurately measure such defections.
        Customer "wow" is that rush of delight in a customer's mind when they find an unanticipated but desirable feature in a product. Bhote provides a practical table to measure a customer¡¦s reaction to a company's product, called a "Customer Effectiveness Index." This takes several areas such as quality, reliability, price, ease of use, etc. and asks the customer to rate the importance of each area, and then the actual performance of the company in those areas. Bhote describes customer cultivation as "taking the customer's skin temperature every day." (p. 55) Finally, Bhote advocates four disciplines to build a company infrastructure that retains customer loyalty: meaningful metrics, a customer loyalty steering committee, a chief customer officer, and a customer defection SWAT team. These seem like good suggestions, but there is little concrete material expounding on how to establish these disciplines.
        Bhote's section on leadership does not contribute much new insight on the subject¡K he emphasizes that a leader must provide a vision, must unleash the creative potential of the workers, and must act ethically and responsibly. He does provide a somewhat useful table (if one edits the specialized jargon which confuses the list of attributes) which employees can use to measure leadership effectiveness, called the "Leadership Effectiveness Index." As in the previously mentioned Customer Effectiveness Index, this asks employees to rate the importance of and then performance of company leaders in the areas of "personal philosophies and views," and "enabling people to reach their full potential." The table is a good summary of 20 leadership attributes that would contribute to a quality corporation.
        Bhote advocates new ways of rating performance, along with making other suggestions for reorganization, in the section on organizational structure and culture. He lists the following "ten-step process for creating a culture of entrepreneurship." (p. 85)
        -- Eliminate bureaucracy
        -- Rebuild the organizing infrastructure (making it flatter)
        -- Change requirements for hiring employees (letting line people make hiring decisions)
        -- Train all employees (constantly and in applicable areas)
        -- Revamp performance appraisals
        -- Change the rules of compensation (giving large incentive payments based on performance)
        -- Design meaningful and egalitarian gain sharing
        -- Redesign promotion criteria (based on potential for leadership)
        -- Team synergy
        -- Total Involvement

        The actual fleshing out of these details must be done by the reader, as Bhote provides little detail, but attention to personnel practices (hiring, evaluating, training and promoting) is worth consideration. For example, a 360 degree performance rating system could incorporate ratings from subordinates, colleagues, customers, and suppliers, not just the traditional method of relying on the single evaluation of one¡¦s immediate superior. I¡¦m sure company lore is full of personality conflicts or misunderstood employees who were not fairly evaluated by the traditional system. With a fair evaluation system, one can then implement Bhote¡¦s suggestions to provide large pay incentives based on performance that promote entrepreneurship and creativity, and that share the gains of the company equitably.
        This brings Bhote to a discussion of the very important company stakeholder, the employee. His most useful ideas in this section are Job Design, Open Book Management, Self-Directed Work Teams, and The Minicompany. Bhote argues that ¡§the job is the core of motivation,¡¨ (p. 102), and that jobs must be re-designed to provide meaningfulness, responsibility, and knowledge of results. He proposes that this re-design be accomplished by combining tasks, forming natural work units, establishing client relationships, creating vertical job enrichment and opening feedback channels. (p. 103) One of the more pertinent practical suggestions is open
        book management, in which all employees are regularly given full financial information of the company. Bhote strongly advocates Self-Directed Work Teams as an alternative to corporate bureaucracy, although he completely ignores any drawbacks to the use of teams. There are certain situations in which individual work will be more desirable and efficient than team work. Finally, the Minicompany concept provides a way for companies to push decision-making and responsibility down closer to worker level, making the organization flatter and, hopefully, providing more incentive for employees to increase their productivity. Bhote proposes this push toward worker empowerment and ¡§industrial democracy¡¨ as the ultimate solution to making a profitable company, and this may very well work for most American corporations in an indivualistic society. I believe one should be cautious, however, in completely discarding more vertically-structured organizations, as many situations and perhaps different cultures will prefer more structured direction in work.
        Advocating supplier partnerships and more careful management of the supply chain is one of the stronger sections of Bhote¡¦s work. Bhote believes that supplier partnerships, with active company involvement in a supplier¡¦s design and manufacturing process, will produce improvements in quality, cost and cycle time. Since the majority of costs for most companies come from materials provided by suppliers, it certainly makes sense to take what is often a confrontational relationship into a collaborative, mutually-beneficial relationship. Bhote promotes limiting the number of suppliers to a quality few, taking the time to build a relationship which provides reliable, quality inputs. Partly to facilitate this close relationship, and because he believes there are numerous hidden costs in overseas outsourcing, Bhote also recommends keeping suppliers close to the production process. An important feature of the supplier relationship is to develop Early Supplier Input into design of parts or material supplied. He proposes an organizational structure that builds teams that are cross-functional and cross-company, that enhance the communication between supplier and buyer.
        The following section discusses three major techniques, or ¡§high octane engines of thrust,¡¨ for increasing company effectiveness and profitability: Quality, Cost, and Cycle Time. This section is full of tools, many of them complicated statistical tools, that require much more detailed explanation from some outside source¡Xof course, Bhote would be happy to sell you his books on those very subjects! This section also suffers from being narrowly applicable to manufacturing, and is much less useful for the service industry. Bhote¡¦s three favorite tools, which he of course designed or radically improved, are Design of Experiments (DOE), Multiple Environment Over Stress (MEOST), and Total Value Engineering (TVE). The Total Value Engineering concept is a general technique aimed at maximizing customer loyalty at minimum cost. This is another way of looking at developing customer loyalty, but analyzes the cost of developing that loyalty. Bhote¡¦s case studies in this section are useful for giving ideas on how to assess what customers want and what can be done to fill their needs at lowest cost. The key of Total Value Engineering is to be aware of the customer¡¦s needs, and spend just as much as necessary to fill the need and develop customer loyalty¡Kanything else is unneeded and inefficient.
        After discussing ways to involve and develop stakeholders, and then giving a cursory knowledge about tools to improve effectiveness and profitability, Bhoke attempts to show how Ultimate Six Sigma can be applied to three functional areas of design, manufacturing and service. The first two areas involve technical discussions specific to a company producing a product that can be analyzed for physical defects. The more interesting section is the attempt to apply the concepts to services. Bhote claims that Ultimate Six Sigma is the cure for service industry inefficiencies, but in fact the discussion focuses almost exclusively on management techniques to improve service sections within a company. The operative concept here is the Next Operation as Customer (NOAC). This was a concept initiated in Japan in the quality movement with the goal to improve quality, cost, cycle time and effectiveness. Bhote explains how he adapted it and then Motorola ¡§packaged it to extend Six Sigma process from a manufacturing and product focus to all white-collar operations.¡¨ (p. 287) This is simply encouraging a company to work as a large team, or perhaps as a collection of minicompanies, and to try to satisfy internal customers just as one would satisfy the end customer in order to succeed in the business. The method includes setting specifications for services, perhaps in timeliness or quality, and then providing internal rewards or penalties according to the ability to meet the standards.
        Though much of Bhote¡¦s book remains applicable only to manufacturing, providing only a superficial and sometimes unorganized explanation of many tools and techniques, it makes significant strides in encompassing the design and service areas, and there is still much to be recommended in its reading. The how-to lists of business disciplines may take some expansion and individual research, but they are a good consolidated list of actions on which to focus to make one¡¦s business more effective. In the same way, the self-assessment, or health audits, at the end of each chapter offer a practical way to measure how far a company is in implementing Ultimate Six Sigma as a management system. The focus on customer rings loud and clear throughout Bhote¡¦s book, whether it¡¦s the external customer buying or using the final product or service, or an internal customer producing a key component or adding value to the final product. Business managers may see profitability as the bottom line, but one can¡¦t have profit without customers, and having loyal customers is the best way to ensure long-term solvency. This call to focus on the customer is not new, but remains an enduring principle, and Bhote provides some useful ways to maintain that focus, and move toward ¡§Total Business Excellence.¡¨

        4 out of 5 stars Not your typical book on Six Sigma.......2003-04-11

        Several things need to be understood about this book. To begin with, the author is one of the most experienced Six Sigma professionals in the world. However, he has a very convoluted writing style that makes it difficult to understand some of the points he is trying to get across. Furthermore, this is not a book on Six Sigma per se, this is a book that describes how Ultimate Six Sigma can be applied to improve a variety of areas within a company from customer relations to supply chain management. Whenever I have heard someone criticize this book it usually revolves around the fact that the author believes his method of Six Sigma, Ultimate Six Sigma, is by far much better than most of the other Six Sigma programs on the market and this is perceived as being "preachy". I feel this type of criticism is unwarranted for the following reasons:

        1. The author does not state that all of the current providers of Six Sigma are shysters, he is merely stating that some Six Sigma consultants are less experienced than others and this has resulted in some companies not achieving the desired results from implementing Six Sigma.
        2. The author brings up some very interesting points in regards to how companies can improve their efficiency through new management techniques as well as through Ultimate Six Sigma. What is really nice about this book is that the author provides accompanying graphs, charts, and checklists in each chapter.
        3. Since there is no one perfect book on the topic of Six Sigma, and since it is always a good idea to keep learning, this book is well worth the money. For those who buy this book and understand that it isn't a "how to" book on Six Sigma will be satisfied.

        Do I recommend this book? Yes. However, if this is the first book you're thinking of buying on Six Sigma I suggest that you buy one of the following books first or in conjunction with this book:

        A. Sailing through Six Sigma
        B. What is Six Sigma?
        C. Lean Six Sigma
        D. The Six Sigma Way: How GE, Motorola, and other Top Companies are Honing Their Performance
        E. The Six Sigma Handbook, Revised and Expanded: The Complete Guide for Greenbelts, Blackbelts, and Managers at All Levels
        F. Implementing Six Sigma: Smarter Solutions Using Statistical Methods, 2nd Edition

        1 out of 5 stars Worst Book on Six Sigma.......2003-01-13

        This book is a time waster. One of the terrible book on Six Sigma.
        The Ultimate Six Sigma: Beyond Quality Excellence
        Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
        • Excellent broad gauge approach to Six Sigma
        • Blinded by jargon
        The Ultimate Six Sigma: Beyond Quality Excellence
        Keki R. Bhote
        Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
        LeadershipLeadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
        Quality ControlQuality Control | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
        Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
        All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. World Class Quality: Using Design of Experiments to Make It Happen World Class Quality: Using Design of Experiments to Make It Happen
        2. Power of Ultimate Six Sigma(r), The: Keki Bhote's Proven System for Moving Beyond Quality Excellence to Total Power of Ultimate Six Sigma(r), The: Keki Bhote's Proven System for Moving Beyond Quality Excellence to Total
        3. World Class Reliability: Using Multiple Environment Overstress Tests to Make it Happen World Class Reliability: Using Multiple Environment Overstress Tests to Make it Happen
        4. The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed

        ASIN: 0814406777

        Book Description

        Six Sigma started as a revolutionary quality tool at Motorola, gained fame as a powerful driver of cost savings at GE, and has spawned an entire industry of publications and consultants, many peddling a watered-down version of the original Motorola Six Sigma process.

        Now, Keki Bhote, one of the founders of Six Sigma, taps into the rigors and rewards of this breakthrough process--but moves it beyond mere quality to focus on total business excellence in 12 key areas.

        From customer loyalty to leadership to supply chain management, The Ultimate Six Sigma provides the techniques and metrics needed to measure success, and supplies self-assessment audits to help readers ensure that they're getting it right.

        Case studies illustrate how Six Sigma has been successfully implemented in each key area.

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Excellent broad gauge approach to Six Sigma.......2003-05-17

        I'm sure no expert in the Six Sigma area, but I've read five or six books in the space and particularly liked this book. I'm a business person who has some responsibility for process efficiency and effectiveness and this book gave me more useful information about process measurement, process change and necessary culture change than any of the other books I've read. I particulary liked Chapter 14, which extends the quality movement to knowledge workers in service processes - the kind of processes that dominate US businesses today, even in manufacturing firms.

        Mr. Bhote's analysis of the problems with these processes and his prescription to make them faster, better and cheaper is extensive and works in my business. Unlike the reviewer above, I think his description of Next Operation As Customer (NOAC) is both complete and addresses a VERY large problem for workplaces in all advanced economies - how to measure and improve business processes that are driven by the inventive, innovative work of white collar people. After all, the largest cost element, in aggregate, for US business is the direct labor cost of knowledge workers. His book is the only one I know that systematically addresses ways to get measurable productivity gains from this big corporate expense.

        I can't speak to the efficacy of this book for Six Sigma green belts, black belts and master black belts. I am none of those. However, if you are a business person responsible for getting the most from your most expensive element of production, you won't be disappointed with this book.

        2 out of 5 stars Blinded by jargon.......2002-12-12

        I'll tell you right away, I didn't read this entire book. In fact I only browsed it. I was put off by the first half of the book which disses just about every other flavor of Six Sigma out there. Of course, this book tells you the *right* way to do it. As to jargon: on page 332 he uses the acronym NOAC (next operation as customer). Then he goes on to talk about it for two pages without ever really defining it. You see, he's a professional. Don't try this at home.

        If you need a cook book and love jargon, this is the book for you.
        Quality Beyond Six Sigma
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Quality Beyond Six Sigma

          Manufacturer: Butterworth-Heinemann
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
          ManagementManagement | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
          Quality ControlQuality Control | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
          Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
          All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          EngineeringEngineering | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          Professional & TechnicalProfessional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          Similar Items:
          1. Statistical Methods for Quality Improvement (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics) Statistical Methods for Quality Improvement (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics)
          2. Global Business Today Global Business Today
          3. Operations Management with Student DVD Operations Management with Student DVD

          ASIN: 0750655615

          Book Description

          Six Sigma is a data-driven management system with near-perfect performance that is a statistical target of operating with no more that 3.4 defects per one million chances. Six sigma has both created avid interest and raised concerns among executives and its practioners. This is all very well for multinationals like Motorola or General Electric but how can it help small and medium-sized enterprises or the service industry? How do you ensure that solutions stick? Quality Beyond Six Sigma responds to this challenge and provides a practical implementation of the issues of Six Sigma, Lean Enterprise and Total Quality and aligns the 'hard' sigma message with the softer sustainable 'strategic issues'. The result is FIT SIGMA.

          The authors utilize major and minor case studies to support principles and learnings of FIT SIGMA and include review examples and self-assessment that underpin the sustainable process. The three major case studies are contributed by General Electric, Dow Chemical and Seagate Technology.

          Senior Executives and Managers of organizations of all types and sizes, Management Consultants and Students of all disciplines will find this book a stimulating guide to quality and operational excellence.

          *Provides a practical approach of FIT SIGMA
          *Supported by case studies and phased action plans
          *Focuses on all functions, manufacturing or service, for any size of business
          Six Sigma and Beyond,  Seven Volume Set (Six Sigma and Beyond Series)
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Six Sigma and Beyond, Seven Volume Set (Six Sigma and Beyond Series)
            D.H. Stamatis
            Manufacturer: CRC
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Loose Leaf

            GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            ManagementManagement | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            Quality ControlQuality Control | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
            ManufacturingManufacturing | Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
            All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
            ASIN: 1574443496

            Book Description

            The seven volumes of Six Sigma and Beyond give readers an in-depth look at how to successfully achieve the minimum amount of non-conformances in their organization. Implementing this program will uncover potential improvements and bring all resources together to identify, measure, analyze, improve, and control the process. These volumes provide the statistical techniques to go beyond theory to real-world applications and take quality improvement to the next level. The author discusses the foundations of quality and progressively moves into the Six Sigma methodology, closing the series with an implementation strategy that will help improve the process and the financial status of any organization.

            Books:

            1. Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas
            2. SPC: Practical Understanding of Capability by Implementing Statistical Process Control, third edition (Walkabout)
            3. Spreadsheet Modeling and Decision Analysis (with CD-ROM and Microsoft Project 2003 120 day version)
            4. Statistics: A First Course with Data CD-Rom
            5. Statistics for Management and Economics (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac )
            6. The Baptist Health Care Journey to Excellence: Creating a Culture that WOWs!
            7. The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House
            8. The Idea Generator: Quick and Easy Kaizen
            9. The Laboratory Quality Assurance System: A Manual of Quality Procedures and Forms
            10. The Lean Manufacturing Pocket Handbook

            Books Index

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