What is Process Capability Analysis (PCA)?

podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson

A ‘capable’ process is a really weak term for what we are dealing with here. In short, a process is considered ‘capable’ if it creates products that, in spite of all the unavoidable natural variation in production, still fall within the boundaries of what ‘good’ looks like. Perhaps instead of ‘capable’, we should say ‘amazing’! A ‘capable’ process will essentially create products that have a very, very small chance of being defective. So how do we get here? SPC can help. But how do we measure how ‘capable’ our process is? And can we use this measurement to (for example) work out how many Parts Per Million (PPM) defects you are likely to get? This webinar introduces you to the concept of process capability, including well-known indices like CPK, along with what this means for your process. [Read more…]

by James Kovacevic Leave a Comment

305 – Balancing Short and Long Term in Change with Shon Isenhour

Balancing Short and Long Term in Change with Shon Isenhour

It’s my pleasure at welcome back, Shon Isenhour to the podcast, the owner of R and D show.

In this episode we covered:

How do clients get time to move and to start doing some of these proactive things?
How do you manage skill traits? How do we schedule them appropriately?
What are some short-term things we can do to create a little bit of breathing room?

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by Dianna Deeney Leave a Comment

QDD 048 Using SIPOC to Get Started

Using SIPOC to Get Started

SIPOC diagrams can be used at the beginning of improvement projects, to help teams gauge the scope of a change or to help the team get on the same page. These diagrams can also help a team understand a complex system with many people involved or lots of information exchanges.

SIPOC is short for Suppliers-Inputs-Process-Outputs-Customers.

In creating one with our team, we usually don’t fill it out left to right. We talk about how to build one in this episode.

We also step through an example. Look below for the results.

[Read more…]

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CT E07 Part 1: How To Cultivate Skills That Stick Through Active Learning with Keith Fong

In Part I of Episode 7, my recurring guest, the phenomenal Keith Fong and I take you to a chat that will be worth your time!

Learning is an essential activity for any individual or organization; it is through learning that you develop skills you don’t currently possess or develop a higher level of competency in a given skill. Yet, one wonders why conventional training methods organizations typically utilize (classroom-type, lecture-type or through consultants) don’t deliver on their promise of making the participants competent in the subject matter.

Episode summary:

Training in organizations Why is the lecture-type (a.k.a. industrial) approach to education and training not effective and is really “the easy way out”? What is the active learning model? Leadership’s reponsibility; everyone is a leader. “If the student doesn’t learn, it is the teacher’s fault” An example of a successful active learning program implementation (featured in Part 2 of the episode)

[Read more…]

by Dianna Deeney Leave a Comment

QDD 047 Risk Barriers as Swiss Cheese?

Risk Barriers as Swiss Cheese?

There’s a model that can help us visualize and consider the different barriers to harm: The Swiss Cheese Model of Accident Causation.

Learn what makes up this model and how ideas are represented. There are also different ways that the model is being used today.

How can we design for controls, policies, or actions that are part of the use of our product but outside of our control? We step through an example of a situation where we’re thinking about our product design in this way.

[Read more…]

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Reliability and Quality

podcast episode with speaker Fred Schenkelberg

Some of my best friends are quality people. This is despite the notion that reliability is just one of many quality factors, while I suggest reliability is all of quality and over time. There are a lot of similarities and common objectives with quality and reliability efforts. Plus, there are a few differences.

[Read more…]

by James Kovacevic Leave a Comment

304 – Workforce Survey with Tom Wilk

Workforce Survey with Tom Wilk

It’s my pleasure to welcome Thomas welcome back to the podcast.

In this episode we covered:

What was the genesis of this survey?
Why do you think the organizations do the workforce training?
Why do you think you’re such an increase in our interest in the certification?

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QDD 046 Environmental Stress Testing for Robust Designs

Environmental Stress Testing for Robust Designs

There is a rather large family of test methods associated with Qualitative Accelerated Tests. They’re also known as RETs (or Reliability Enhancement Tests).

Today, we’re focused on the models that are used to help us with the design. Awareness about these methods will help us with future test plans and project management. We talk about environmental stress testing and remind ourselves a little about HALT.

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303 – Some Parts are Good, More Must be Better with Andrew Jordan

Some Parts are Good, More Must be Better with Andrew Jordan

It’s my pleasure to welcome back Andrew Jordan to the podcast, the Managing Director and CEO of Extivity.

In this episode we covered:

Do organisations assume that more parts in stock means reduced downtime and reduced risk?
How do organisations strike that balance then between unstable supply chains and having the right spares to support their assets?
What is the impact on the quality of the storage conditions for these parts?

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CT E06: Quality as a Developing Discipline with Derek Scott

In this episode Derek Scott, Director at Paragon Process Improvements, joins us to share his thoughts on where he sees quality as a discipline develop amid current technological changes, what will become increasingly important and who might be the leaders of the future.

[Read more…]

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QDD 045 Choosing a Confidence Level for Test using FMEA

Choosing a Confidence Level for Test using FMEA

We’re developing requirements for our product, including setting reliability requirements. Or we’re setting acceptance criteria for our test plans.

What confidence levels do we choose? We don’t have to blindly set them – we can base it off the risks of failure, using our FMEA (failure mode effects analysis).

[Read more…]

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What is Statistical Process Control or SPC?

podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson

You may have heard of Statistical Process Control (SPC), 6-sigma, Shewhart, the Japanese Economic Miracle, X̅ – R Charts … or perhaps none of them. So, if you have heard of these things (and are confused by them) or if you are involved in ‘processes’ (especially manufacturing), then this webinar might help you out. [Read more…]

by James Kovacevic Leave a Comment

302 – What is Asset Performance Management with Paul Daoust

What is Asset Performance Management with Paul Daoust

It is my pleasure to welcome back Paul Daoust to the podcast.

In this episode we covered:

Does value leakage come in a row for variety of different places?
What is asset performance management?
When organizations decide to adopt APM, do they just buy the software package and put it in or do they need some sort of framework?

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QDD 044 Getting Started with FMEA – It All Begins with a Plan

Getting Started with FMEA – It All Begins with a Plan

We’re starting to populate an FMEA table with our team. We get it started, but then we get stuck in disagreements. Or we think we finish it and then we don’t know what to do with it.

We can avoid these headaches with a little planning (or maybe a lot of planning – it depends on the project). We talk about risk management planning as it relates to FMEA.

[Read more…]

by James Kovacevic Leave a Comment