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Unveiling the Kano Model of Customer Satisfaction

Unveiling the Kano Model of Customer Satisfaction

In the ever-evolving landscape of engineering and design, strategic frameworks play a pivotal role in deciphering the intricate dynamics of customer satisfaction. Consider, for example, the Kano Model of Customer Satisfaction, brainchild of management science professor, Noriaki Kano. This model offers a nuanced approach to understanding the diverse aspects of customer satisfaction, making it a valuable tool for engineers and design professionals as they transition from problem definition to ideation and prototyping. [Read more…]

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If it Ain’t Boeing, Are you Still Going?

If it Ain’t Boeing, Are you Still Going?

Boeing is really having a bad stretch. Or more specifically, the passengers flying in its 737 MAX aircraft are.

Most recently a ‘plug’ flew off the side of Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane in flight, leaving a refrigerator sized hole next to startled (but mercifully still living) passengers. A ‘plug’ is a panel that seals up a hole in the fuselage that is included during manufacture to allow an optional emergency exit to be installed. 

This failure is not a good look … especially for a three-month-old plane. Lots of manufacturers of different machines throughout history have been able to successfully bolt panels to cover holes of a similar size to that of an aircraft emergency exit. It is not hard to do. Nor is it hard to have systems in place to make sure it is done right.

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What is the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram?

What is the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram?

FINESSE is a fishbone diagram, a mnemonic, and a mental model. FINESSE stands for Frame, Illustrate, Noise Reduction, Empathy, Structure, Synergy, and Ethics. Systems thinking as applied to effective communication is the cornerstone of FINESSE. We’ll briefly explore these aspects in this article.

FINESSE as a Mnemonic

Acronyms are a subset of mnemonics that use the first letter of each word to create another memorable word. FINESSE is both an acronym and a mnemonic. [Read more…]

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Measuring Employees’ Fears and Effects

Measuring Employees’ Fears and Effects

In the previous article, I shared how employee fears can negatively influence the work culture of your organization, stifling innovation, hampering collaboration, limiting growth and preventing continuous improvement.  In this, the second article of a 3-part series, I’ll share the elements of an effective tool to evaluate your organization for employee fears and the impact of those fears.

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Communication and Consultation in ISO 31K Risk Management

Communication and Consultation in ISO 31K Risk Management

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

This article is the ninth of fourteen parts to our risk management series. The series will be taking a look at the risk management guidelines under the ISO 31000 Standard to help you better understand them and how they relate to your own risk management activities. In doing so, we’ll be walking through the core aspects of the Standard and giving you practical guidance on how to implement it.

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What if Ships Cohorts Were Random?

What if Ships Cohorts Were Random?

The Kaplan-Meier reliability estimator is for dead-forever products or parts, given individual lifetime data or a “Nevada” table of periodic ships cohorts and their grouped failure counts. This estimator presumes that ships cohorts are NOT random. Production, sales, installed base, and cohort case counts are random! What does that do to Kaplan-Meier reliability estimates? What is the nonparametric reliability function estimator if ships cohorts are random?

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10-Year Incident Analysis…Still Going Wrong

10-Year Incident Analysis…Still Going Wrong

It is hard to imagine but only a few years ago not everything was on the internet. Google was established in 1998 and as search became prevalent, there was an explosion of online for anyone to access.

From 2008-2010, I went through exercise of collecting and analyzing incident data from 2000-2010 with help from Dr. Amy Liu. Mostly downstream – refineries and petrochemicals.

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Introduction of Copper Sheathing

Introduction of Copper Sheathing

Between 1670 and 1700, the Royal Navy installed lead sheets over the hulls of some ships to help preserve them and reduce repairs. (See Failure Modes of Lead Hull Sheathing Explored by the Royal Navy.) Galvanic corrosion attacked the iron bolts holding the hull and rudder together, so the program had to be canceled.  

The British reverted to their previous practice of installing thin wood sheathing on top of the main hull. The wood sheathing was sacrificial and had to be replaced every few years. When the sheathing was stripped for replacement, inspection and repair of the main hull was accomplished. 

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Keys to Reliability: Priority, Proaction and Focus

Keys to Reliability: Priority, Proaction and Focus

Anyone who knows me may also know about my father, Charles Latino, and his lifelong contribution to the field of reliability. My father was one of the pioneers of reliability in the 1950’s when nobody even knew what reliability really was. He pioneered and championed technologies like vibration analysis, infrared thermography and many others working for a Fortune 100 chemical company. Later he focused his attention on the cultural aspects of reliability and how organizations need to behave to make it all work.

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Why Systems Thinking Produces Effective Communication

Why Systems Thinking Produces Effective Communication

Have you ever heard of a communication system? You likely have, but you’ve probably not considered what that means. The good news for most of us is that communication is indeed a system. Even better, as technical professionals, we are blessed with the reality of what that means. The next time you serve as a trusted advisor, remember that effective communication requires systems thinking.

System Defined

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.

Simple examples include the mechanical advantage gained from a system of pulleys or a gearbox. Sports teams or work units are examples of human systems. Systems are essential aspects of our everyday lives.

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Effects of Workplace Fear

Effects of Workplace Fear

In any organization, effective leadership is crucial to driving success and achieving goals. However, one often overlooked aspect of leadership is the role fear plays in an organization. Fear and its negative effects are present in every organization but rarely identified or measured. And when employees are afraid, they are less likely to take risks, share ideas, or give clear, honest assessments of risk. In this first article of a 3-part series, I’ll share the general effects that fear can have on your organization.  And in the follow-up articles, I’ll share what can be done to identify, measure and mitigate these fears.  In the end, employee fears stifles innovation, hampers collaboration, limits growth and prevents continuous improvement as detailed below.

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Reliability Engineering Applied to Maintenance (REAM)

Reliability Engineering Applied to Maintenance (REAM)

Article first posted at Conscious Reliability by James Reyes-Picknell, Jesus Sifonte, and team.

Suppliers and users of any product want that it performs well during its lifetime. That is, the item must perform within specified operating parameters during its life cycle.  The life cycle of an item comprises Concept, Research & Development, Production, Operation & Maintenance and, Disposal phases. Each phase carry costs its owner wishes to minimize. The idea is to realize the most value from the item when the whole life cycle costs and benefits are considered. In most cases, usually 80% of the total costs are incurred during the operation & maintenance phase of the life cycle. Machine failures cause plants to stop production causing accidents, economic impacts and reputation loses.  Asset components gradual degradation with age, operational/maintenance errors and design flaws all can cause assets or processes to fail. A failed asset is considered unreliable, which means that it is no longer able to fulfill its intended function.

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