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Too many teams try to use every tool in the Six Sigma toolkit. It’s counterproductive. Here’s why:
“I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma for Hospitals” and QI Macros [software].
“For a number of years, I’ve been a fan of Tim Ferriss, the author of “The Four Hour Workweek.” In “The 4-Hour Chef,” he spends a whole chapter talking about how he takes a process, breaks it all down and makes it simple and easy to learn. One of the things that I found in there (and I’ll just read this, because it makes it a little easier for me), he says, “Do as little as needed, not as much as possible.”
Continue Reading "Do as Little as Needed, Not as Much as Possible"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
The Myths of Quality are holding you back. Here’s why:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals,” and QI Macros [software].
“I want to talk to you about what I think are the myths of quality. These are from last century, but they’re very pervasive.
“Number one: That you have to have leadership driving the thing so that it does what it does. I think this is false. This was created by consultants because they needed the leadership team to get involved to open up the pocketbooks to pay for everything. No, I believe that each one of us can be an informal leader and we can start making improvements right now.
Continue Reading "The Myths of Quality"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Companies have mountains of data. Are you using yours?
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“I want to ask you: Are you using the data that you have available, or is it dying in some database hidden in some corner of the information systems? There’s a lot of great information in there that could drive tremendous improvements, but nobody’s paying attention or they don’t have enough time to go look at it. Companies collect tsunamis of data, I mean mountains of data, truckloads of data… and then it just sits somewhere and does nothing.
Continue Reading "Are You Using Your Data?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Healthcare has begun to focus on evidence-based practice (EBP) using the tools of quality. Here’s where we are and what can be done to accelerate healthcare quality.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals,” and QI Macros [software].
“I was out at the Magnet conference, it’s a big conference for nurses in healthcare. This is the Johns Hopkins Guide for Evidence Based Practice or EBP. Now if you get into this book a little bit, the first part is doing a literature search to find out what everybody else has done; I think we call that benchmarking.
Continue Reading "Evidence-Based Practice"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Where will quality be in five years given the growth of AI and other technologies? Here’s what I think:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“You know, with AI and everything else, you kind of have to ask yourself, “Where will Quality be in 5 years?” There was an article in the Harvard Business Review that said AI is going to be able to do what a Master Black Belt can do, only do it faster, better and cheaper… and that was in Harvard Business Review! You might have to ask yourself “Where are we going to be?”
Continue Reading "Where Will Quality Be In Five Years?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
There’s a hard way and an easier way to create quality culture. Which one will you choose?
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“You know, I think when we think about this, everybody wants to create a Quality Culture, right? And they think that you need to do certain things to make that happen. Guess what? I don’t think that’s true.
“One of the things we know is 70% of all change efforts fail, so even if you have the best of intentions, the most money, the best leadership commitment, 70% will fail.
Continue Reading "Creating a Quality Culture"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Lean Six Sigma used to be hard. It’s not anymore. Here’s why:
Download my free ebook Agile Process Innovation.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals,” QI Macros [software] and “Agile Process Innovation.”
“One of the things when I was growing up in my in my household (this was in the 50s and 60s, you have to understand) we had one phone. It was a rotary dial phone. It was one of those old heavy ones. It wasn’t even plastic; I think it was bakelite or something. There was an extension cord and so I would pull it into my room so I could talk to my girlfriend in high school, right?
Continue Reading "Lean Six Sigma Used to be Hard"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
When companies start up Six Sigma programs, they are often gung ho and over commit. Here’s how to start and sustain Lean Six Sigma without as much effort and expense.
Download my free ebook Agile Process Innovation.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified,” QI Macros [software] and “Agile Process Innovation.”
“You know, I’ve been around Quality Improvement now for over 30 years. Because of the QI Macros, I see a pattern occur in a lot of companies: They get really excited, they’re going after Six Sigma and they buy a bunch of licenses.
Continue Reading "The Rise and Slide of Six Sigma"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
There’s one sure sign that you haven’t narrowed your focus using data analysis. You’ll find it in your fishbone diagram.
Download my free ebook Agile Process Innovation.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Agile Process Innovation,” “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“You know, it was kind of interesting to me… we have a Fishbone Diagram in the QI Macros: we have a small, medium and a large. Somebody called in and said, “In this large [diagram] it doesn’t have this the fifth bone for the environment thing…” Nick on my staff went ahead and put one in there for him, but one of the things I know is if you do a good job with data analysis and narrow your focus, you’re going to end up with a minnowbone diagram, not a whalebone diagram.
Continue Reading "Tuna, Minnow and Whalebone Diagramming"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Are you smart lazy? It might give you better results faster. Here’s how:
Download my free ebook Agile Process Innovation.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified,” “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals” and QI Macros [software].
“I will tell you that I’m basically lazy. Just like all humans, I don’t want to work any harder than I have to. The other day I ran across a phrase called ‘smart laziness’… smart laziness. Now guess what? That means that you use your smarts to figure out ways that you can do things more easily.
Continue Reading "Smart Laziness"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.