Swiss Post Solutions (SPS), an outsourcing provider for business process solutions and document management, is a Switzerland Postal Service (Swiss Post) company. SPS employs continuous improvement to enhance its document management solutions. In a short video, Jörg Vollmer, CEO, says continuous improvement is their method for ensuring high quality processes and efficiency in the process chain. [...]
Mining can be complex and challenging. Continuous improvement programs enhance production, lower costs, reduce waste, increase safety, and save time. We’ll hear about several continuous improvement mining programs from South Africa (Platinum), Kyrgyz Republic (Gold), and Columbia (Coal). Then we’ll explore DMAIC and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) in an extensive case study from the [...]
We’re all familiar with the 5 Whys as a path for root cause analysis. But is it enough? What’s beyond the 5 Whys? Are there times they shouldn’t be used? Are there other alternatives? We’ll explore those questions and provide answers from experts. First, Paul Allen, Lean Six Sigma consultant of Allen and Partners Limited, [...]
First Time Yield and Rolled Throughput Yield are two important standard yield metrics for processes. First Time Yield (FTY): The ratio of the number of good “units” coming out of the process to the number of “units” going in. Rolled Throughput Yield (RTY): The probability that the process produces a good “unit” the first time [...]
What assumptions must be met to use a standard control chart? What should you do if one or more are not satisfied? We will focus on the Individual’s Control Chart. Three requirements must be met. Independence Normality Subgroup size (n = 1) Independence Independence occurs when the position of one data point does not influence [...]
Continuous Improvement at Caterpillar includes Six Sigma, Lean, and the Caterpillar Production System (CPS). We will cover all three using various sources. Six Sigma: They initiated their Six Sigma Program in 2001. Caterpillar had a long road in front of it, but the initial rollout of 6 Sigma used more than 300,000 hours of training [...]
How do you visualize the flow in a process before and after improvements? The Spaghetti Diagram to the rescue! The concept is basic, but the Spaghetti Diagram is quite useful. What is a Spaghetti Diagram? It is a line diagram superimposed on the process layout in order to map the flow in the steps of [...]
