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Training Effectiveness

Training Effectiveness

We need training that is useful.

All companies train their people. How can you get what you need? What is the most effective approach? Each section below contains a 2-minute video to expand on the topic provided.

We need the training impact to last longer than the class

A company sees a need for training. They set up a class agenda and bring in an instructor. The ratings were good, but no one is using the new information so no value was created. How can they achieve training success and make it stick? This video shows our approach to make it more beneficial and create company value.

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FMEA Q and A – Difference Between Controls and Actions

FMEA Q and A – Difference Between Controls and Actions

FMEA Q and A

A reader is having difficulty seeing the difference between a detection control and a recommended action, and sees them as interchangeable. This has repercussions for the linkage between the Design FMEA and Design Verification Plan, and is the subject of this FMEA Q and A article.

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.”
Thomas Berger [Read more…]

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Design of Experiments Process — A Decision Making Focus

Design of Experiments (DOE) is often only taught as a series of tools. Instead, we have used it as a tool in the Decision-Making Process which enhances implementation.

Each section below contains a 2-minute video to expand on the topic provided.

Where do we get started?

The setup and project definition are important for future success. Often, people want to jump to a solution. Then, they can start implementation and testing. Briefly pulling back to define the goal and appropriate outputs will help tremendously.

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Understanding FMEA Recommended Actions – Part 1

Understanding FMEA Recommended Actions – Part 1

Actions Speak Louder than Words

Consider these questions: How many recommendations are needed to address the root cause of a high-risk problem? If the FMEA team is addressing an issue with high-severity and high-occurrence ratings, is it usual to have a single recommended action to reduce risk? Why not? Read on, to learn the essential elements of FMEA recommended actions, and answers to this questions.

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
Leonardo da Vinci

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FMEA Q and A – Auditing FMEAs

FMEA Q and A – Auditing FMEAs

FMEA Q and A

One of the more important topics in the FMEA body of knowledge is how to audit the effectiveness of FMEAs. Performing FMEAs properly and to a high quality standard is essential to obtaining the best possible results. This FMEA Q and A goes to the heart of FMEA effectiveness audits.

“Without a good question, a good answer has no place to go.”
Clayton Christensen

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Understanding FMEA Controls – Part 2

Understanding FMEA Controls – Part 2

Problems and Solutions

In this article, we use problems and solutions to learn about FMEA controls. In the intermediate problem, we continue examining the door latch-pin failure of the DC-10 cargo door, as an example to identify FMEA controls. In the advanced problem, we analyze a fictitious FMEA relating to potential safety of someone trying to unjam a snowblower.

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Understanding FMEA Controls – Part 1

Understanding FMEA Controls – Part 1

Leveraging the Value of Today

A common error in FMEA procedure is to make entries in the Controls column that the FMEA team believes need to be done, but are not currently planned or in place. Why is this error so prevalent? Maybe the question should be why do we limit entries into the prevention or detection control column to actions or methods that are currently planned or in place?

“Never mind your mistakes. One day they will become your most prized possessions.”
Abhijit Naskar

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FMEA Q and A – FMEA Boundary Diagram

FMEA Q and A – FMEA Boundary Diagram

FMEA Q and A

In this Q and A article, a reader asks a challenging question about the linkage between FMEA boundary diagrams and Design FMEAs. There are many linkages between different elements of FMEAs, and this question/answer highlights one of the key linkages.

“In all affairs, it’s a healthy thing to hang a question mark on the thing you have long taken for granted.”
Bertrand Russell

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A Primer on Probability Plots

A Primer on Probability Plots

In my prior article, “A Primer on Probability Distributions”, the usage of different types of histograms to display data was discussed. The histogram would acquire a bell shape if the data were normally distributed. The main limitation of the histogram approach is that the shape of the histogram can change radically with the selection of the bins used. Instead, a probability plot could be used.

This article discussed probability plots. They are extremely useful for the analysis of big and small data sets.

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