A document either given to the team on day 1 or created on day1, it's used to create alignment between the team and the sponsor and could include: team members, process boundaries, problem statement, and approach being used to work on the initiative.
What is a project charter
This is the sample size rule of thumb for continuous data at a 95% confidence level. We're looking for the number of data points to collect.
What is 30 or more data points
A group based technique for idea generation that could be called "cranium turbulence"
What is brainstorming
Visual job aids, SOP's, and documentation are ways to help get this
What is standard work or standardization
This thought leader associated with coining the Term "Lean Thinking" after writing the best selling book about continuous improvement at Toyota called "The Machine that Changed the World"
Who is: Jim Womack
A structured interviewing approach of key stakeholder groups; not as popular in Kaizen events because the key stakeholder group(s) are all of the team members
What is Voice of Customer (VOC) interviews
Kaizen events focus on visually identifiable waste, but DMAIC projects focus in on waste plus these 3 other very impactful process inefficiencies
What is:
1 - Whitespace (or idle time handoffs)
2 - Rework loops (or mistake reduction)
3 - Process variation (upstream, in-process, and downstream)
A root cause group facilitation technique, in which the facilitator may need to drill down many times asking "What's causing this?"
What is 5-Why
A technique to get solutions or ideas from other peer groups. Be careful and schedule these activities early in Define or Measure
What is benchmarking or best practice tours
It's the change model equation that Maier used to describe the importance that BOTH:
a technically robust solution, or a quality solution
AND
User acceptance and buy-in have on
the effective business result
What is the equation:
QxA=E
Some consider him the father of Six Sigma and applying statistical thinking to process improvement; He would say there's too much variation in this statement!
W. E. Deming
The acronym given to key variables that affect process performance. They are are often ID'd in the Define phase and Measured in the Measure phase.
What are CTQ's (critical to quality) variables
There are 5 of these "intelligent" attributes of a goal statement
What is: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time element
(SMART Goals)
Performance-based stretch goals describe the current state, future state, and timing needed to get to the Solution Implementation Plan
A root cause analysis technique that compares extremes to the average, or minimum to maximum, and is extremely effective when there is a large amount of spread in the data sets being examined
What is PVA (process variation analysis)
Translated it means mistake-proofing
What is Poka-Yoke
Often mislabeled as a root cause, this activity is always important for standardizing and making sure everyone understands how to do the new, better way of future state.
What is training associated with the new process and new way of performing work.
He is the author of "Our Iceberg is Melting" and an internationally recognized researcher in the field of Organizational Change Management
Who is Dr. John Kotter
This charting tool uses the "80/20" rule
What is a Pareto chart or diagram
Before going out and collecting data, a process improvement team should perform this activity so they don't end up with bad, missing, incomplete, and inaccurate data
What is build a data collection/measurement plan
When "shifting and skinny-ing" what are we trying to move when shifting?
The central tendency or average or mean of the process performance metric
A decision scoring matrix used to evaluate possible solutions and is used to reduce a large list of possible solutions to a manageable few
What is an IFAT matrix
A time-series chart often used to measure future state performance; it doesn't contain control lines.
What is a run chart.
He was an industrial engineer at Toyota and developed the 7/8 Lean Waste categories
A data review/analysis technique and charting tool that helps to see the central tendency and the amount of variation in a data set.
What is a histogram
At the end of the Measure Phase three things are needed for effective root cause analysis: Two of them are:
1.) Current state data (qualitative and/or quantitative)
2.) A knowledgeable team/group
The third is to have a few of these...
What are process "focus areas"
This type of data frequently has the value "Yes/No, in/out, pass/fail" and we need to collect 1400 or more data points to be 95% confident that we understand what's happening in current state
What is discrete data
A technique used to identify and reduce risks in a possible solution
What is Quick FMEA (failure modes and effects analysis)
Don't forget to perform this team event after the project is complete - I bring them in by offering cake!
What is a lessons learned exercise followed by recognition/celebration (either is acceptable)
He was an industrial engineer at Toyota that help to develop the Kaizen Event Methodology
Who was Shigeo Shingo
It's used for grouping issues or root causes and takes on many names, the name that refers to it's inventor is the name we want.
What is an: Ishikawa diagram
(fishbone diagram or cause and effect diagram would also be acceptable)