Creating Focus
Measure and Analyze
Improve
Future State and Change
Head Shots
Acronyms and charts
100

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

100

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

100

A group based technique for idea generation that could be called "cranium turbulence"

What is brainstorming

100

Visual job aids, SOP's, and documentation are ways to help get this

What is standard work or standardization

100

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


100

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

200

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)

200

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

200

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

200

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

200

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

200

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

300

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


300

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)

300

Translated it means mistake-proofing

What is Poka-Yoke

300

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.

300

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

300

This charting tool uses the "80/20" rule

What is a Pareto chart or diagram

400

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

400

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 

400

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

400

A time-series chart often used to measure future state performance; it doesn't contain control lines.

What is a run chart.

400

He was an industrial engineer at Toyota and developed the 7/8 Lean Waste categories


Who is Taiichi Ohno
400

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

500

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" 

500

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

500

A technique used to identify and reduce risks in a possible solution

What is Quick FMEA (failure modes and effects analysis)

500

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)

500

He was an industrial engineer at Toyota that help to develop the Kaizen Event Methodology

Who was Shigeo Shingo

500

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)

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