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Systems Thinking and a Better Way to Develop Business Presentations

Systems Thinking and a Better Way to Develop Business Presentations

Most technical professionals find themselves bogged down by inefficient presentation preparation methods that result in information overload and diluted messaging. We need a better way. Business presentations are critical in conveying strategic visions, securing stakeholder buy-in, and driving decision-making. Improving the presentation development process results in increased productivity, cost savings, more effective communication, and better work-life balance. This article explores innovative strategies to streamline the development of business presentations. [Read more…]

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Five Technology Trends in Manufacturing: Are You On Board?

Five Technology Trends in Manufacturing: Are You On Board?

Guest Post by Daniel Burrus (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

Corporations that create in this world facilitate so many integral pieces to contemporary life by way of manufacturing. Manufacturing is quite literally a backbone to so many other industries, generating components for medical devices, automobiles, electronics, and machinery that keeps everything progressing forward. All of these components frequently need to be replaced, or more often upgraded thanks to new innovations that create new capabilities and in turn create new needs. [Read more…]

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Fix a 50,000 Dollar per Year Problem for 2.54 using ACE 3T 

Fix a 50,000 Dollar per Year Problem for 2.54 using ACE 3T 

 ACE 3T analysis is a new problem inquiry tool that lets you find simple answers to difficult problems. It does not ask you to use Lean process assessment tools or apply Six Sigma statistical analysis. You only need to use your eyes and a spread sheet to explore the details that expose the simple options to solve your problem. 

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Binomial Distribution and its Applications

Binomial Distribution and its Applications

Dear friends, we are happy to release this video on Binomial Distribution which is one of the foundations in probability theory! In this video Hemant Urdhwareshe explains how to calculate probability using basic formula, tables and Excel. We have also explained the applicability of Binomial Distribution in various situations. Additionally, the video includes graphical representation of Binomial Distribution using Excel. The video would be useful to all those who want to learn the Binomial Distribution and take the ASQ Certification exams such as CQE, CRE, Six Sigma Black/Green Belt.

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Series Kickoff: The Seven Bones of the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram

Series Kickoff: The Seven Bones of the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram

In the upcoming months, look for an article on each of the seven bones of the FINESSE fishbone diagram. I’ll provide three insights and a three-minute video on each bone. You’ll see the cause-and-effect relationships and why communication is a system just like any other type of physical system. The series is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with FINESSE and a refresher for those who are.

Systems Thinking

A system is a collection of interrelated or interacting parts, each of which can affect the behavior or outcomes of the whole. One defining property of a system is that it provides a function that none of the parts can accomplish by themselves. The corollary is that a system is not the sum of the parts but the product of their interactions.

A communication system is the same as any other system. The good news for technical professionals is that you do not have the best-looking, most eloquent, or smartest person in the room to be an effective communicator. You just need to trust the system.

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Operational Data – An Untapped Goldmine

Operational Data – An Untapped Goldmine

It is becoming more apparent that companies are treating their operational data with the “respect” deserved. About time and if not, then they should start now. Operational Data is typically stored in the CMMS (Computer Maintenance Management System) or historical records repositories.

Data is knowledge. Data is power. Data is the basis of good decision making.

This article also suggests that data could be revenue generator. Therefore, a company’s data is akin to extracting gold from a mine. Like gold, data requires hard work to get and hold on to. Yet, it is highly lucrative when exploited, refined, and traded. The organization running the equipment generates the Operational Data. It can also be generated by a third party. In the following paragraphs, we see the untapped opportunities data and historical records can offer.

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People in Maintenance, Reliability and Asset Management Need a Vision AND the Map to Get There

People in Maintenance, Reliability and Asset Management Need a Vision AND the Map to Get There

 It’s easy to lose your way in maintenance, reliability and enterprise asset management. Without a vision you are aimless. Without a map you are lost. To get maintenance, reliability and enterprise asset management success you must have both the right vision and the correct path to it. 

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Agile Values Can Significantly Improve Risk Management

Agile Values Can Significantly Improve Risk Management

Guest Post by Patrick Ow (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

The Agile Manifesto, also called the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, is a formal proclamation of four key values and 12 principles to guide an iterative and people-centric approach to software development.

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Unlocking the Power of FMEA: A Guide to Risk-Based Decision Making

Unlocking the Power of FMEA: A Guide to Risk-Based Decision Making

By Ray Harkins and Dianna Deeney

As engineering, quality, and product design professionals, we constantly strive to ensure that our products and processes meet the highest standards of reliability and quality. In our pursuit of excellence, one indispensable tool in our arsenal is Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). FMEA offers a structured approach to risk management, enabling us to proactively anticipate potential failures, assess their impact, and prioritize mitigation efforts accordingly. However, the practical implementation of FMEA can sometimes prove challenging. How do we navigate its complexities to derive actionable insights and make informed decisions? Let’s explore some of the key components and best practices of FMEA.

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Understanding the Chi-square Distribution

Understanding the Chi-square Distribution

Institute of Quality and Reliability is happy to release this video to understand chi-square distribution. In this video, Hemant Urdhwareshe explains the chi-square distribution with a simulation to understand it better. Chi-square is one of the basic distributions used in hypothesis tests. The video is limited to understanding of the distribution and explains how to use tables of chi-square distribution. The video will be useful for professionals who want to take the ASQ Certification exams such as CQE, Six SIgma Black or Green Belt, CMQ/OE, CRE etc.

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Key Teaching Principle #6: Stories

As covered in the first article in this series, Principles of Effective Teaching, reliability engineers, FMEA team leaders, and other quality and reliability professionals are often called upon to teach the principles of reliability or FMEA. Whether you are a student who wants to enhance your learning experience, an instructor who wants to improve teaching results, or an engineer who wishes to convey knowledge to another person, this series will offer practical knowledge and advice.

Strengthen Your Message with Stories

The shortest distance between truth and a human being is a story.  Anthony de Mello

Key Teaching Principle #6 is the instructor uses stories and personal experiences to deepen learning.

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Why Various Distributions Are Appropriate

Why Various Distributions Are Appropriate

Why are Weibull, lognormal, and exponential distributions more appropriate than others for modeling failure distributions?

In this article, I want to show you why Weibull, lognormal, and exponential distributions are more appropriate than others for modeling failure distributions. Instead of starting from the explanation of the most used fitting distributions in reliability engineering, I will begin with the analysis of artificial datasets created assuming specific failure behaviors. In other words, I will start from the data and not from the statistical distributions. I think that this approach can help those who deal with this topic for the first time.

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