Sometimes an obvious problem, isn’t so obvious (#13)

Sometimes an obvious problem, isn’t so obvious.

We at SSDSI are involved with client projects pretty much year-round; from organizations across the globe. Most of the time, organizations will contract us out to increase capacity in their already established Continuous Improvement System. When we first arrive, we see them dive head first into a Root Cause Analysis before determining if their process is functioning properly. If the problem is in the process, where is the Delta?

When discussing Process Capability, I typically refer to a personal story that I call “Shut the dang windows!” One summer day, we experienced a record breaking heat; 105° F! If you should know only one thing about me, it is that I despise being hot. My air conditioning unit is one that is typically used for a much larger building than my house because of this. When I pulled into my driveway, I could hear the AC unit running outside but when I walked into the house, it was 98° F. 98° F! I checked the thermostat only to discover it said that it should be 74°. The vents were pushing out cold air. Why would it be so hot in the house then? Most people typically respond with “check the windows!” That would be the obvious answer, but as it relates to Process Capability, organizations will rip holes in the walls to check for bad insulation before looking for open windows. They will dive headfirst into a Root Cause Analysis without completely understanding the Current State Capability of the Inputs.

Six Sigma Green and Black Belts are extremely thorough when they define the process inputs; partly because they know how important it is to understand what we can measure. Inputs can have variable measurements which would potentially have tolerances. When the tolerances are understood as the true “Voice of the Customer,” we can use those to help us understand the Process Inputs Current State Capability. When we accurately understand the Capability of each Input, we can push our focus on those Inputs with lower capability. Focusing on Inputs with a lower Process Capability will more let us understand the problem more accurately. None of this is possible without a reliable measurement system.


Occam’s Razor is a problem-solving principle created by William of Ockham which states that the right answer is most often the simplest answer. You must first completely understand the design of the operating process to understand what the measurable process inputs along with their current state capability. Check for those open windows, look for the easiest solution first. Have you been involved in a similar problem?


About Six Sigma Development Solutions, Inc.
We are Certified as an Accredited Training Organization with the International Association of Six Sigma Certification (IASSC)
“The IASSC Accredited Training Organization (ATO) designation validates Six Sigma Development Solutions, Inc. has demonstrated adequate management systems, courseware with a high degree of correlation to the subject matter contained in the IASSC Bodies of Knowledge, delivery schema consistent with such content and highly qualified instructors.”
We Provide Public Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Training Courses in 34 Cities across the globe.

Our Training Centers are located in: Albuquerque, New Mexico | Anchorage, Alaska | Atlanta, Georgia | Austin, Texas | Boston, Massachusetts | Calgary, Canada | Charlotte, North Carolina | Chicago, Illinois | Cincinnati, Ohio | Cleveland, Ohio | Columbus, Ohio | Dallas, Texas | Denver, Colorado | Detroit, Michigan | Dubai, UAE | El Paso, Texas | Fort Smith, Arkansas | Honolulu, Hawaii | Houston, Texas | Indianapolis, Indiana | Jacksonville, Florida | Kansas City, Missouri | Las Vegas, Nevada | London, England | Los Angeles, California | Louisville, Kentucky | Memphis, Tennessee | Mexico City, Mexico | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Montreal, Canada | Nashville, Tennessee | New Orleans, Louisiana | New York City, New York | Northwest Arkansas | Orlando, Florida | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Phoenix, Arizona | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Portland, Oregon | Raleigh, North Carolina | Salt Lake City, Utah | San Diego, California | Seattle, Washington | St. Louis, Missouri | Tampa, Florida | Toronto, Canada | Vancouver, Canada | Washington, DC

We Provide Onsite Lean Six Sigma Certification Training. Some of the training's we provide are: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Lean Six Sigma Champions Training and Lean Certifications for Healthcare, Finance, I.T, Manufacturing, Processing, Logistics, Retail Sales and Government.
SSDSI will come to your site to train for your choice of the Lean Six Sigma Certification Levels.
Onsite training is more cost effective than open enrollment training when training larger groups of team members.
Benefits of Onsite Training:
The Training is focused on Your Opportunities
SSDSI uses your opportunities in class (vs. generic examples)
You will get the experience of a seasoned Lean and Six Sigma Master Black Belt who will help mentor you while completing your Lean and Six Sigma Project
You can train up to 20 employees for one fixed cost (this cost includes course ware and the instructors travel & lodging)
Our courses are full of games, simulations, and active learning to help the adult learner
SSDSI can customize the training to meet your company’s particular training needs
Call Kevin Clay at 214-731-3176 or email at kclay@sixsigmadsi.com for more information

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