Identification via Isolation

Recently I had an interesting conversation with a software developer who was particularly frustrated with the people complaining about the end results of her software program.  At a high level, this software process looked something like this:

These complaints were not her big problem. Taking every feedback seriously, she would delve into her code and later identify that the problems were not due to programming errors or “bugs”. Rather, these problems were originating further upstream from the inaccurate data records which were used as an input to her program. So, her main frustrations were:

1. Why do the database people keep providing incorrect data?
2. Why is programming first to be blamed at?

Issue #1 is a classic process issue known as “Garbage In, Garbage Out”.  And #2 is due to general human tendency. Whenever we see an erroneous result, we tend to dig (or even blame) the step which immediately precedes the final result. 

An ideal and easy way to resolve #1 is to establish the service level agreements (SLAs) among the internal supplier & customer. In this case, the programmer is the internal customer of the database analysts (DBA). So, she defined a clear set of requirements/expectations from the data streams which are the inputs to her programming process. And the DBAs were instructed to achieve those expectations before providing their outputs. The DBAs can develop their own internal quality checks to validate the data and provide those results along with the data-stream to the programmer. In manufacturing world, this is similar to suppliers providing completed inspection checklists and test results with their parts shipments to the next customer.

Issue #2 is a bit complex one to deal with. Here, programmer is up against the general human tendency rather than any logical argument. After some thought, she came up with her own solution. She created a controlled sample of the data-sets by validating them herself first. Then, every modified version of her program was first tested by using that “controlled sample” and the results were analyzed. Now if the new, current data-sets (which were also being modified in parallel) do not produce the same results as being produced by the controlled sample, it is easy to conclude that problem lies in the data integration and not system-level programming. This is what I call, “identification by isolation”.

Situations like these keep reminding me of the importance of root-cause analysis in our daily lives. We don’t need a fancy formal training or certificate in order to become an effective problem-solver. In fact, being humans, this skill is hard-wired in our brain. We need to recognize and sharpen it by using common sense and a focus on resolving the issue, and not just whining about it.

Risk Analysis in Process Design

Any good process improvement project, will have a slide with the before & after process map. The "before" process map depicts the process as-is, ideally at the project/initiative kick-off. The "after" process map shows the future state of the new, improved process. The hypothesis here is that the new, improved process, if implemented, will result in waste-elimination, reduced cycle-time, higher efficiency, increased output etc. depending on the scope of project.

Now, when the project leader, who is usually the Black Belt or Master Black Belt, presents this proposed process to either the leadership team, champion, or key stakeholders to get their buy-in, one question is usually asked.

"What are the risks involved with this new process? What can we potentially miss if we implement this process? What will fall apart if we stop following the current process?"

In my opinion, a very simple tool can be used to address these valid concerns. I call it Risk-Opportunity chart. I am not sure if it is a part of the standard Lean/Six-Sigma tool-set, but found it to be very useful. In the form of a classic four-blocker, this tool provides an excellent visual of not only the risks involved, but the opportunities associated along with. Remember that with every risk, comes an opportunity.

The Risk-Opportunity matrix will look like this. This is definitely a team-based tool. The Black Belt or project leader will facilitate this tool with the project team members, consisting of the process-owner and key experts of current process.

Steps:

1. Assemble the team in a room. Post the "before" and "after" process maps posted on a side-wall (on flip charts). Draw the four-blocker on a flip-chart.

2. Start going over the "after" process map step by step while asking the question: what are the potential risks involved here? You may refer to the "before" process-map whenever needed. (Having a high-level SIPOC of current process will immensely help)

3. Quantify every risk as Low or High per team consensus. For every risk, ask what is the associated opportunity. Quantify the opportunity as Low or High per team consensus.

4. Write the risk/opportunity pair in appropriate block of the four-blocker.

After finishing the data-collection, chart a strategy to address these risks involved in the priority shown as 1-2-3-4 . This tool will greatly enhance your understanding of the new process and its potential impact on other processes as well. Also, the visual created will come as a handy tool to communicate the analysis to others.

Let me know if you have questions or feedback regarding this.

Process Management

For last few days, I have been thinking that what should be the first post on this redesigned blog. And after some thought, I decided to post on the concept of "Process Management". Time and again, people ask me what do I do? Merely saying that I am a "Six Sigma Black Belt" actually doesn't help much. It is usually followed by a "What do you actually do?" look. Then I try to explain my job further by talking about quality, continuous improvement, and process management. So, what exactly is process management? What is a process? What is process improvement?

Based on my experiential learning, I have made a visual to explain these terms and their inter-relationships. And now I will try to explain them.

Process: A series of steps, or tasks which add value to their inputs and result in an output. An input can be in the form of information or a physical material. Similarly, the output of a process can be in the form of a material, product, or information.

Process Improvement: It includes a series of tasks with the sole objective of improving the process. The improvement can be in terms of improving the quality of the output, increasing the efficiency of the process, or reducing the operating cost of the process itself. The data generated from process-monitoring and the feedback on the output need to be analyzed properly to identify the improvements needed in the process, or in the process-monitoring to get a better picture of the process. The last but not the least is the execution of those improvements leading to process management.

Process Management: Process Management means the ability to manage processes efficiently and improving them continuously. It encompasses an expertise in utilizing the tools-set of Six-Sigma, Lean, Project Management, Systems Thinking etc., the art of devising right strategy, and the ability to drive change in the system & among the people. It is the efficient process management which results in a sustainable change/improvement in the process.

Now, processes exists at each and every layer in the hierarchy of an organization. Those at the high level are termed as business processed, while the ones in the subsequent layers are called functional processes. And never forget that no matter what your process is, it needs to be improved!

Cause & Effect Relationship

As a Quality Engineer & Six Sigma Black Belt, I have learned a lot of tools useful in improving processes & problem-solving area. The most important concept with multiple application across different business processes is definitely establishing right "Cause & Effect Relationship" among various events. A good majority of the time, I have seen that people confuse between an event and a process.

Simply stated, an event is a single occurrence whereas a process is collection of such events linked to each other in time and space. In a root-cause analysis or problem-solving investigation, our job is to establish the right cause & effect relationship among various events which ultimately result in a problem, defect, or poor performance. Always remember that a whole process is almost never a cause of any problem. A particular event (or in some cases, a collection of events inside that process) are usually the cause of the problem.

Consider the following example:

A car slipped on a patch of ice while taking a turn. The driver lost control and the car hit a tree. Thankfully no-one was hurt in the accident.

The effect is very clear here, i.e. the accident. But what was the cause? Is it driver losing control, speed of the car, or patch of ice? The patch of ice resulted in the slipping of car. Where did the patch of ice come from? A nearby broken water resulted in the water leakage. How did ice formed? Sub-zero temperatures in the wee hours of morning resulted in the transformation of ice to water.

This is where the real investigation comes in. You need to focus on the details, collect data, and establish C&E relationship among the events resulting in the problem or failure.

Tools for C&E:
The best tool to master this concept is Apollo RCA. Check this link for details on their books & training material.

Another tool, I have found to be of great use for this purpose is Inter-Relationship Diagram. though it looks a bit complex, but is actually very easy to perform with a team of people.

Hope this post was helpful to you.

1000 Visitors....yooo..hooo

Thanks to all of you for visiting my blog and taking the visitor count to a four-digit number. Whether you randomly stumbled upon this blog, or purposely reached here while searching a term related to any of the post, you are still a visitor.

Today, I have changed the layout of this blog and chose the template which will give a wider reading space. Thus, readers have to scroll less while reading the posts. I myself hate the white space on the sides on other blogs and websites. I's time to lean the blog.

While trying to keep up with posting on the blog, I am constantly seeking contributors who can bring learnings from their invaluable experiences and educate others. So, if you are interested please feel free to contact me.

Once again thanks to all my visitors.....I will keep posting..as much as I can.

Root Cause Analysis

Often, outside my work, I come across people who are curious about problem-solving and root-cause analysis (RCA). Most of the time I have observed that they do have a basic idea about RCA, but do not know exactly how to do it. As a Quality Engineer in my previous role, I have conducted RCAs and trained people on the various tools for this purpose. These days a lot of material is available on internet with very good step-by-step process on using the Quality tools like 8D, Fishbone, Affinity Diagram etc. But before starting such investigation or quality improvement initiative, it is imperative for one to thoroughly undertsand a few things. From my experience, I would summarize following:

1. Do not focus your on the problem or issue as visible to you. No matter whether you are fixing a manufacturing or transactional process, often the problem as seen or observed is a mere symptom of a bigger problem hidden underneath. For example, a fever is a measurable symptom of a disease. The disease can be a simple flu, a stomach infection or something else. Combination of such symptoms help a doctor to identify the root-cause, i.e. the disease itself.

2. Avoid the human tendency to run to fix the most easily identifiable causes while failing to see their impacts on other processes. Such a behavior can result in creating other problems in future. Essentially, get rid of "fix it" or "putting a band-aid" or "jumping to solutions" mentality. Rather, try to develop investigative mind-set.

3. Avoid to rush to do what you yourself really like to do. This is the most common pitfall. Depending on our own area of expertise and sometimes our passion, we try to find root-cause(s) in areas/processes we like ourselves.

4. Make sure to dig deeper into a problem to identify the root-cause or causes. Root cause is most fundamental underlying cause of a problem. Use tools like 5-Why, and Process-maps for this purpose. Be prepared to dig a few levels to find it. See the figure above. I took this screen-shot from a slide I prepared to conduct RCA training for other employees.

In continuation to this post, I will write about Cause & Effect relationships in problem-solving.

CQE Primer for ASQ Certification

CQE Primer from Quality Council of Indiana is, in my opinion, the best study book to prepare for the ASQ CQE exam. It covers the Body of Knowledge (BOK) in required depth with solved examples and unsolved questionnaire at the end of each section. The depth of each section covered depends on the depth as needed by the BOK (Remember, Evaluate, Analyze & Apply).

Non-statistical topics are well explained using bullet-lists and organized as significance, advantages, disadvantages etc. Statistical topics are covered in ample detail showing the basic calculations process in solved examples. If you are familiar with the basic terminology either from your job or from school (years ago), you will not need any other Statistics textbook.

Biggest advantage of this Primer is that it is a three-ring binder and hence, very convenient and easy to find stuff in there as compared to other bound handbooks. I purchased another handbook initially, but ended up using the Primer thoroughly.

Combining Mega-Tools for Continuous Improvement

There are various approaches utilized in continuous improvement and each of them is unique in its own aspect. Professionals in the area on continuous improvement and quality management face this dilemma of which approach is suited best for their needs and problems. Some adopt Six sigma, some go for Lean implementation, some choose QFD etc etc.

Recently, I read this very useful text in one of my favorite book for the quality tools, The Quality Toolbox by Nancy R. Tague, published by ASQ Quality Press.

Here is the excerpt, which I found very useful......
"

• Lean manufacturing focuses on speed and efficiency: eliminating waste.
• Six Sigma focuses on quality: eliminating defects through reduced variation.
• MBNQA focuses on leadership: implementing management systems for performance excellence.
• Benchmarking focuses on best practices: seeking great ideas for breakthrough improvements.
• ISO 9000 focuses on consistency: eliminating unpleasant surprises through standardization and discipline.
• Quality function deployment (QFD) focuses on customers: creating products and services they want.

"
This as an excellent way of combining these different approaches in one complete continuous improvement framework where they are compatible with each other. In fact, since every approach focuses on a different aspect, they complement each other in the whole business improvement process. For example, QFD will tell us the customer requirements translated into our own processes and product attributes. This will provide inputs to lean and Six Sigma programs to improve processes, reduce process times, eliminate defects and build quality. ISO will ensure standardized processes to sustain these improvements and Benchmarking will be useful for senior management to identify & implement best practices within or outside the company and hence keep the cycle of improvement going.

Joseph M. Juran (1904-2008)

Dr. Joseph M. Juran, known as the "father" of quality, passed away on February 29, 2008. I am sure that any person who has been somehow related with the function of quality, must have heard of Juran. No quality textbook or literature is complete without the mention of "The Juran Triology" which defines the essence of quality management through three processes:

• Quality Planning
• Quality Control
• Quality Improvement

His biography with remarkable contributions to the field of quality and in fact, defining the whole quality management process can be found at this ASQ link. ASQ is also hosting a webpage, where you can post your Thoughts on Dr.Juran.

I read about Juran during my undergraduate coursework in TQM. At that time, it was just like another text material for me. But later, as my career progressed into quality, his articles and books impressed me very much. His thoughts with deep knowledge coupled with a skilled art of writing made his concepts very easy to understand. His "Pareto Principle" has totally changed my way of thinking and problem-solving. In any process, no matter what industry or functional area it is, there are always "vital few" and "trivial many". And yes, his Quality Handbook is my permanent desk companion. His invaluable contributions were not restricted to his profession only, but explored the impact of quality improvement on our society as a whole.

Identifying a Bad Design

Recently I found a good article while going through my archives of Machine Design. "Telltale signs of bad design" is authored by Mike Hudspeth, ISDA from the issue dated March 8, 2007. The direct link to this article on their website is not active, so I thought to share it here with appropriate mention.

"Most industrial designers have seen a bad design or two in the course of their careers. Bad designs are difficult to disguise. they are hard to figure out..."

The negative attributes of any design are sometimes difficult to identify for a designer. This is partly because of the sense of ownership and pride. A designer can get so much deeply involved in the designing process that (s)he may go father than the customer requirements or the intended purpose of the product.

" A few telltale signs to watch include:

• Form without function
• Useless features
• Unidentifiable controls
• Knobs, buttons or switches that are too far away
• Instruction labels can be helpful when they inform users where to stick plugs or connectors."

Now when I think about the products I use in my everyday life, I occasionally see some of these bad design features. Similar features can be found in processes too. A badly designed process can be a result of improper controls, instructions labels not at correct place or not legible, knobs not identified or calibrated properly or function without desired form resulting in rework/scrap.

Deming Prize 2007

Recently I read on the Curious Cat blog about the Deming Prize for 2007. This prize was awarded to Rane (Madras) Ltd., a company based in India. Being a manufacturing professional, involved in process improvement, I got interested in the statistics provided by this post, which claims that in last 8 years, 14 of prestigious Deming Prizes have been awarded to companies in India. Being curious, I did some search and found that it is indeed true. In last 7 years, 14 Deming Application Prize have been awarded to manufacturing companies in India. This shows their commitment to quality and a recognition of Indian manufacturing industry at global level. Companies in these countries are no longer using older machinery and processes as perceived in west. They are now using sophisticated production techniques and quality management processes to achieve world-c;ass quality products.

My current company is also sourcing parts from other countries and we are having problems in getting the desired level of quality in various products. Most of these products include castings and sheet metal assemblies. Products from China have numerous casting defects whereas products coming from India lack the desired machining quality. These issues result in internal reworks which affect the productivity and scraps which are a nightmare to supply-chain. This is the hidden caveat behind outsourcing and we got to live with it.

Click here to see the list of Deming Prize winners from Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) website.

Contact Me

Feel free to contact me with your comments, suggestions, or ideas on improving this blog. If your comments are specific to a certain post, please leave them in that post itself. Anonymous comments are ok, but being part of this continuously evolving world which has become centered on social networking, I'd love to know my readers a bit more than mere "Anonymous".

I am always actively seeking contributors and co-authors for this blog. If this is smething of interest, please feel free to mention.

Basic Concepts of Quality

Being new to the Quality profession, I am constantly looking for various sources to enhance my understanding of the quality tools, and their applications in problem-solving. American Society of Quality (ASQ) has a very good section on their website to get familiar with the basic concepts of quality and their applications (see the screen shot above).

Click this link to go the Basic Quality Concepts-ASQ webpage.

Quality & Process

I tried, but couldn't come up with a better title for the first post other than the blog's title itself. I jumped in this interesting field of Quality & Process (QP) in 2002 after graduating as a Metallurgical Engineer. However, I consider myself as a beginner since my true QP career started about a little more than an year ago. With the quest to learn more and develop an understanding of continuous improvement on the whole, I started reading online and found out that there is plenty of stuff there, literally plenty of knowledge. But at the same time I felt that all of the stuff is written by established & experienced people. There is lot of information about various lean, quality, six sigma concepts and case studies. So I started to write as I learn, grow and apply the concepts in my own world, in my own capacity.