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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.
Sometimes, I get to meet clients in cushy offices while sitting in comfortable chairs. More often than not, I meet clients on their shop floor where all the action happens. However, last Wednesday I had the unique opportunity to meet a client in his own garage while he worked on repairing a car.
I’d known Geoff ever since he came over from England a few years back, but just a few weeks ago he called and set an appointment for some one-on-one training. When I arrived at his office they told me that he’d gone home early to take care of something, but had left word to ask if I wouldn’t mind meeting at his house.
Continue Reading "Are you teaching people to drive a stick shift?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in QI Macros Monthly Newsletters.
People still seem to be confused about what kind of Quality Improvement chart to use. Here’s the short and simple answer:
Continue Reading "Ask Jay – What Kind of Chart Should I Use?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Ask Jay, Jay Arthur Blog.
Six Sigma isn’t just for business. You can use it to make your life more hassle-free. Here’s how: Become the CIO of Your Life.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and the QI Macros [software].
“I used to walk my dog Coco on the High Line Canal that runs for about 73 miles throughout Denver. I’d take her for a walk and she’d go running around, but she’d pick up these cockleburs. A cocklebur plant stands about waist-high, has big broad leaves and it produces these little spiny things about the size of the top of my thumb that has little hooky things all around it.
Continue Reading "Cut The Cockleburs for Hassle-Free Living"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Lean.
Quality improvement isn’t very infectious, is it? What can we do to make it more contagious? As you can imagine, it can’t take weeks to catch the bug. Here’s a way to spread to idea faster.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“I got to thinking about the pandemic: in COVID-19, for every one person that gets in infected, they infect like three other people. That’s why it’s such a problem, right? It’s much more infectious than even the flu is. I thought about that in terms of Quality Improvement. Whether you call it: Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, Process Improvement… I don’t care what you call it, it’s Quality Improvement to me.
Continue Reading "Making Quality Improvement More Contagious"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Agile Lean Six Sigma, Improvement Insights.
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.
Over 60 people signed up for this webinar, with Jay Arthur demonstrating how to use some of the useful features of QI Macros, as well as some of the new features introduced in recent releases of the software.
Some attendees were familiar with the software and already use it, some had only begun to use it; all were interested in learning new ways that QI Macros can help them with their Agile Lean Six Sigma and Quality Improvement efforts. (You can hear him answering questions and comments typed in by webinar attendees.)
If you saw a feature demonstrated in the webinar that might have been added to QI Macros after the version you’re using (for instance, the Templates Wizard, the Fixed Limit indicator or the automated Process Change Wizard), you may need to purchase an upgrade to bring your QI Macros to the current version.
Continue Reading "9/10/20 QI Macros Webinar"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Data Mining, Excel, QI Macros, Webinar.
One of the challenges of the pandemic is the ongoing uncertainty. We know to wash our hands, mask our face and stay out of crowds. What can we do to take back some sense of control? Here’s what I’ve been doing.
For some of you, this may seem too “woo-woo” to digest. That’s okay. It’s just an insight from my other studies.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma for Hospitals” and QI Macros [software].
“I don’t know about you, but this whole pandemic thing’s getting a little old, but we know two things for certain: 1 – More people will get sick, and 2 – More people will die.
Continue Reading "Using Your Intuition to Stay Safe During the Pandemic"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
I got an email from the hospital where my friend Annie worked saying that they wanted to arrange a video call. It seemed unusual only because Annie and I have known each other for a long time, and if she needed anything she’d usually just call, send a text or corner me in a coffee shop. I haven’t been in a coffee shop very often lately, and I hadn’t heard from Annie, so I assumed things were going okay.
I connected to the video call and was greeted with not one attendee, but two. Annie was clearly joining from home, and an older woman with grey hair joined the call from the an office at the hospital.
Continue Reading "I ♥ u charts…"
Posted by Jay Arthur in QI Macros Monthly Newsletters.
Recessions are a great time to improve quality. Here’s why:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“Now [at first in] the pandemic, everybody projected that this was going to be one of the sharpest recessions in history, and then bounce right back. I think the ongoing concern about Coronavirus and everything else is actually going to slow that down a little bit.
“Well, one of the things I know from going through lots of recessions so far is that is the perfect time to take a step back from your business. When you take a step back from your business you can start to look at it and [think], “How can we make it faster, better, cheaper?
Continue Reading "Recessions Are Good For Quality"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
