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I’ve been building software for over 50 years. There are some secrets to software quality that are often overlooked. Here’s a few:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“I’ve spent almost my entire life working in software and software development, from mainframes to minicomputers to microcomputers, ultimately leading to the QI Macros. I’ll tell you what, I took a course a long time ago from T. Capers Jones where we studied what makes software maintainable and unmaintainable. It turns out how many decision points you have in a given module determines how testable and maintainable it can be.
Continue Reading "Software Code Quality"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Jay Arthur Blog.
Programmers often think they need to rewrite software systems to fix the problems in an existing system. This is the wrong approach. You can tune up an existing system with a lot less effort using the 4-50 Rule.
“I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified,” “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals” and QI Macros [software]. I spent most of my life working in IT, from mainframe systems to minicomputer systems to microcomputer systems, which led me into the QI Macros. I’ve worked with software my entire life, and there’s something I’d like you to get an idea about.
Continue Reading "Applying the 4-50 Rule to Software"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Six Sigma.
People are error prone. If you want to lock in improvements, use your existing technology to mistake-proof the change. Here’s how:
“I was working with one group of folks in a hospital, and they were complaining about the fact that the doctors were doing these electronic medical records, but they couldn’t get them to complete all the forms and all the fields that were needed to be able to bill the insurance company for the services provided. I was listening to them talk, and they were talking about how they were going to try and train the doctors to do all these things and do all this stuff, and I said, “Wait.
Continue Reading "Use Technology to Lock In Quality Improvements"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Lean, QI Macros.
Have you ever spent a lot of money for something and then not used it because it was too complex or time consuming? The same thing is true of Six Sigma SPC software. Here’s why:
“I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“I don’t know about you, but I think every teenage boy has a vision of the perfect car for them to ride around in. Back when I was a kid there were Corvettes and Camaros and Dodge Chargers and everything else, but I really liked the Jaguar XKE. Once I graduated from college and got out on my own I bought myself a 1968 XKE roadster… ragtop, because that was the car I always wanted.
Continue Reading "It Doesn’t Matter How Much You Spend for Six Sigma SPC Software"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Mom used to sew all of her own clothes, just like many people in Six Sigma are creating their own chart templates or code. Mom figured out a better way. You can too.
“Growing up in the 50s, my mom made all of her own clothes. She would go to the fabric store and pick out fabrics and pick out patterns. She’d come home and on this big cardboard thing she’d lay out the pattern on the thing and cut out all the pieces. Then she’d have bought thread, and then she’d sit there at the sewing machine and she would sew blouses and skirts and dresses.
Continue Reading "Are You Sewing Your Own Six Sigma Toolkit?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Lean, Six Sigma.
When I started in quality improvement, everyone preached Total Quality Management (TQM). Before that it was quality circles. I’d like you to consider that the gospel of Six Sigma is holding back progress. Here’s why:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and the QI Macros [software].
“The other day I was [presenting] a webinar for one of the ASQ sections; I’ve been doing Agile Lean Six Sigma webinars for the Agile sections that want something to do during this pandemic. One of the guys said, “Well, you’re sort of telling me that that we don’t need Green Belts and Black Belts to do a project.
Continue Reading "Six Sigma Dogma"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Agile Lean Six Sigma, Improvement Insights, Lean, Six Sigma.
Leaders, managers and programmers sometimes get frustrated with software systems and try to rewrite them. This usually fails. It is possible to use Six Sigma and the 4-50 rule to find and fix the few code modules that have the most bugs and require the most enhancements. This delivers software quality without the high cost and risk. Here’s how:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and the QI Macros [software].
“Today I want to talk to you about software. Now, some of you may work in software, some of you may use software… (If you have a phone, you’re using software) There’s lots of software around, and sometimes there’s bugs and stuff like that, and sometimes we’re enhancing things.
Continue Reading "Accelerating Software Quality Using the 4-50 Rule"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Lean, QI Macros, Six Sigma.
SPC software companies keep trying to gain some edge by tweaking the formulas for various statistics, but is the quest for the next decimal place of precision useful? If you’re trying to send a rocket to Mars? Absolutely. If you’re trying to tune up a business process, not really. Here’s why.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software]. I’m going to talk to you about what I call The Next Decimal Place.
“Because I’ve been in the software business, [I’ve seen] people and try and change formulas. Let’s say it’s Cp and Cpk.
Continue Reading "The Next Decimal Place"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Statistics.
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that software isn’t necessary for Quality Improvement. Let me demonstrate how much time you’re wasting if you create ONE Pareto chart by hand, instead of using software.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and the QI Macros [software].
“If you’ve listened to any of my Insight videos or seen me present at conferences or [had me] train you in a workshop, you know that I don’t believe you can do Quality Improvement without software. We have to stop doing Quality Improvement the 20th century manual, slow way. We have to start doing it the 21st century way, and we have to start doing it quickly.
Continue Reading "Making Pareto Charts by Hand?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Agile Lean Six Sigma, Improvement Insights, QI Macros.
What charts do you need to stay safe and in control?
“Most of you have driven on a highway. It may have been a two-lane rural [road] or a four-lane interstate, but you know that the lines on each side of the road help you stay on track, keep you safe and know that you’re going in the right direction.
“But if you’ve ever driven in a blizzard, you know all those lines are totally obscured and you can hardly see. I had to go over Raton Pass once upon a time driving from Denver to Tucson to see my parents, and it was a pouring blizzard and I could barely see where I was going.
Continue Reading "Line Charts Are Like Driving in a Blizzard"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Six Sigma.
