DOCSLIB.ORG

The Theory and Practice of Profound Knowledge: an Inquiry Into Quality and Strategy Management

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Theory and Practice of Profound Knowledge: an Inquiry Into Quality and Strategy Management THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE: AN INQUIRY INTO QUALITY AND STRATEGY MANAGEMENT By GREGORY H. WATSON Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy Taylor University Upland, Indiana 1970 Master of Science in Systems Management University of Southern California Los Angeles, California 1975 Master of Arts in Legal Studies Antioch University Washington, DC 1983 Master Science in Industrial Engineering Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 2003 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 11, 2018 THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE: AN INQUIRY INTO QUALITY AND STRATEGY MANAGEMENT Dissertation Approved: Camille F. DeYong Dissertation Adviser Manjunath Kamath Shelia M. Kennison Kenneth E. Case Paul E. Rossler ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special appreciation is recognized for the guidance of my advisors in the industrial engineering and management graduate program at Oklahoma State University. Kenneth E. Case, PhD, served as advisor for my Master of Science in Industrial Engineering degree program, and Camille F. DeYong, PhD, was my advisor during my doctoral studies. Both of these individuals have been exceptionally generous with their time and helpful with their advice as I have plodded through my programs of studies. Without the encouragement of Case, I never would have begun this journey, and most probably never would have ended it! DeYong has guided me through the maze of requirements and academic guidelines and aided me to find my way when the bread crumbs were eaten by wild squirrels. I cannot thank you both enough! I have been privileged to have been challenged in course work by each of the members of my doctoral research committee: Paul E. Rossler, PhD, challenged me to investigate thoroughly the relationship between Walter A. Shewhart (1891-1967) and W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993) as a means to clarify the obtuse complexity of the system of profound knowledge developed by Deming; Shelia M. Kennison, PhD, challenged me to understand the mechanisms that generate cognitive psychological bias in the Executive Decision Making (EDM) process and how to consider the issue of cross-cultural bias when decisions require a comprehensive implementation across national, social, and iii Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. cultural boundaries; Manjunath Kamath, PhD, challenged me to consider how technical systems solutions can be used as a means to implement operational solutions to this complex decision process; and Sunderesh Heragu, PhD, challenged me with respect to the need to validate this theoretical approach. In addition to my formal research committee, I must express my deep appreciation to Hiroshi Osada, PhD; Noriaki Kano, PhD; Kazuki Suzuki, PhD; Robert E. Cole, PhD; Bo Bergman, PhD: Andrew D. (Jack) West, PhD; Benson Tendler; and Narayanan (Ram) Ramanathan for their kind participation in friendly debates; they willing worked with me to conduct “thinking experiments” with respect to various topics addressed in this dissertation. I am also grateful that one of my Finnish students, Tuuli Paasilehto, used her legal analysis background to critique an early draft of this dissertation for its stream of argumentative logic. Finally, I must express special thanks to Glenn H. Mazur of Japanese Business Consultants, Inc. for assistance in understanding the meaning of Japanese terms used to describe elements in the Japanese system of Total Quality Management. My appreciation would be remiss without expressing my sincere acknowledgement of a very wonderful personal assistant who keeps my administrative life on track—despite my often desperate attempts to derail it. Thanks, Celina R. K. Rellahan! You are the best! Also, I need to thank my writing muse and editor of the American Society for Quality’s Journal of Quality and Participation (and also the first female president of ASQ), Deborah L. Hopen. Deb, you helped me to clarify this subject tremendously, and I appreciate your editorial guidance. Finally, my administrative support group would not be complete without thanking Logan Farrell for his mastery of the American iv Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. Psychological Association style guide and knowledge of all the hidden secrets in Microsoft Word formatting! You were a great help in the final days of the publication of this dissertation! Inspiration for this dissertation topic was also strongly influenced by four individuals. The late Peter F. Drucker, PhD, provided an insight into the support role that senior managers require in their EDM process and the role that the analytical staff members have in supporting that decision-making processes. Marcos E. J. Bertin, PhD, directed my thoughts to the difficult question of assurance of the quality for the governance of organizations with particular emphasis on the establishment of the strategic policies that define the future direction of organizations which are jointly developed by the CEO in collaboration with the Board of Directors. The combined guidance Ira M. Millstein and Pekka Ala-Pietilä helped me realize the importance of improving the quality of senior management decisions through the development of methods that assure clarity and The impetus to pursue a doctoral degree so late in life is owed to a promise that was made to my parents Robert John Watson, Jr. (1914-1995) and Anne Faye (Bellotte) Watson (1917-1998). Although neither has survived to see this day, the continuing existence of my life goal of completing this doctoral degree is based on a promise which my mother extracted from me so many years ago. So, Mom and Dad, with the completion of this work I have also fulfilled my promise to you both! Finally, I wish to acknowledge my wonderfully supportive family. First, my wife, Inessa Alexandra, has suffered through many years of isolation and self-sufficiency as I have dedicated my pursuit of this research in combination with my vocation which has always v Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. left too little time to advance the development of our relationship. Thank you for your support and love. I only wish that I could have attended more of your concerts and watched your tennis matches more often. Our children, Andrew Daniel Watson, Dina Belfer, and Cristina Daniella Joula, have been a special source of pride and satisfaction as we have all grown together while each of us has pursued his or her own educational pathway in parallel. The arrival of my latest grandsons courtesy of my lovely daughter- in-law Laura has created new energy in our lives .Thank you to twins Jonah Daniel and Nolan James for the promise of the future that you have brought into our lives. I also have been greatly blessed by two older godsons who have become my grandsons: Alexey Daniel ‘Alosha’ Belfer and Alexander Dominique “Sanja” Belfer. Observing your growth and development over the past decade has brought a very special pleasure to my life. I am looking forward to your continuing evolution and believe that you will accomplish many great things in your lives. I am especially glad for your talents in athletics and hope that the completion of my academic program will be a special inspiration to you both as you design the future that you wish to have for the rest of your lives! vi Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. Name: GREGORY H. WATSON Date of Degree: MAY, 2018 Title of Study: THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE: AN INQUIRY INTO QUALITY AND STRATEGY MANAGEMENT Major Field: INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT Abstract: This research develops a theory of profound knowledge, derived from the quality dialog between Walter A. Shewhart and W. Edwards Deming. In 1992, Deming introduced his system of profound knowledge as the mechanism by which executives could make organizationally transforming decisions to implement strategic change. He coupled this theory with the Deming Cycle, which represented a change in the Japanese PDCA Control Cycle, focusing on learning and improvement rather than on work process analysis and control. These changes were enigmatic because Deming did not provide academic citations for his system, linkage to his prior theories, or operational definitions for the terms he used. Instead, Deming implied that his prior theories should be perceived as a natural outgrowth of this new system. Thus, the system of profound knowledge only represents a framework for further consideration and not a serious advance in quality thinking. This research investigates the sources of Deming’s system, related to a thinking experiment that he had been conducting with Shewhart since the late 1920s when they first met and began a lifelong association. The nature of their symbiotic thinking is described, and literature is cited to trace the evolution of the four elements in Deming’s system—from their nascent beginning in the 1870s, when logical positivism and pragmatism began to influence scientific thinking and merged with probabilistic theory for conducting investigations. Shewhart contributed the core concepts for Deming’s system in his theory of control, and his statistical process control methods; however, a host of academics and researchers from such diverse fields as psychology, philosophy, statistics, physics, economics, and engineering contributed related ideas that are integrated into the comprehensive approach to quality which is described here as the theory of profound knowledge. This research performs two sequential inquiries. First, it develops a scientifically appropriate theory of profound knowledge based on a grounded research analysis of the historical thinking pathways which developed each of the four elements, defining a general model describing the manner in which this theory operates.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The 1999 ASA Quality and Productivity Research Conference Presentation Abstracts Wednesday Keynote Address
    The 1999 ASA Quality and Productivity Research Conference Presentation Abstracts Wednesday Keynote Address Six Sigma: From Strategic Deployment to Bottom-line Results A. Blanton Godfrey, Joseph A. DeFeo and Richard Chua Juran Institute, Inc. There are many challenges in creating a strong, competitive position today. They start with creating the right strategic direction for the organization and developing an aggressive, yet realistic strategic plan. But the plan is only a starting point. Without deployment, the strategic planning process is just another non- valued-added activity. In the last few years a small number of companies have used the emerging ideas, concepts and tools of Six Sigma to develop deployment plans leading to stunning results. We shall review some of the successful approaches - and some of the failed ones - and share lessons learned from a number of case studies. 1999 ASA QPRC Presentation Abstracts 1 Six Sigma Implementation I Applying Six Sigma in an Innovative R&D Organization Jane C. Li, James Rockwell and Anne Raich UOP LLC UOP has a proud history of innovation as a world leader in development and commercialization of new technologies for petroleum refining and petrochemical process industries. Two years after successful introduction of Six Sigma to manufacturing in 1995, over 250 UOP engineers, scientists and managers began participation in an accelerated in-house customized Six Sigma program. Long-term success through new product and process design is emphasized with a broad training approach. A culture change has begun toward aligning complex technical and business issues, providing a fresh view of catalysis, material, and process research and development, and improving testing efficiency.
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief History of QUALITY’S Seminal Moments
    A Brief History of QUALITY’s Seminal Moments 1 A SAMPLING OF THE SEMINAL MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF QUALITY, AND THE ASSOCIATED PEOPLE, THAT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE Stephen N. Luko Statistician, engineering Fellow United Technologies Aerospace Systems November 11, 2018 Forward 2 This presentation is about some of the important moments and people contributing key concepts and knowledge to the theory and application of Quality. It is therefore a sample of these and not the whole story. The people, concepts and techniques reviewed are a testimony to a field that has blossomed in our lifetime to become the “Quality Sciences”. Today, Quality is a multidisciplinary field and applied in many disciplines, comprising such diverse fields as management, psychology, mathematics, statistics, planning, and leadership among others. One thought before we begin 3 It cannot be helped that most of the people in this story were scientists, engineers, mathematicians or statisticians by training, so much of the following presentation has a technical bedrock. Beginning’s 4 Quality goes back a long time 13th century to the early 19th century - The “Guilds” of medieval Europe and elsewhere throughout the world was the banner of quality goods for centuries. Guilds fostered craftsmanship, apprenticeship, and individual piece to piece inspection and quality. This system continued until the modern period and the dawn of the industrial revolution. Artifacts and antiquities have left us materials thousands of years old. Beginning’s, Shewhart’s long view 5 From: Shewhart, “Statistical Method from the Viewpoint of Quality Control”, 1939 Beginning’s - Shewhart’s long view 6 From: Shewhart, “Statistical Method from the Viewpoint of Quality Control”, 1939.
    [Show full text]
  • Simplificaton of Six Sigma Implementation Using Shainin Tools for Process Improvement Justin T
    International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 8, Issue 4, April-2017 ISSN 2229-5518 390 Simplificaton of Six Sigma Implementation Using Shainin Tools for Process Improvement Justin T. Aichail, Arju D. Jadhav, Aniket P. Baviskar, Chandan S. Gajare, R. S. Patil Abstract— The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of Six Sigma and Shainin methodology and to propose the modification of Six Sigma methodology in order to achieve improved efficiency of DMAIC in the process improvement journey by using some of the Shainin tools. The success of the Six Sigma program in an organization depends to a large extent on the success of the Six Sigma project, which in turn depends on how combination of tools is being applied to address the root cause. Shainin Design of Experiments (DOE) offers powerful and effective experimental design approach for solving the chronic quality problems that plague manufacturers worldwide. The objective of this paper is to examine as to how to simplify the implementation of Six Sigma methodology by the applicability of a simpler but not very frequently used methodology known as Shainin methodology. The comparative study of various approaches of Six Sigma implementation has been done. Index Terms— DOE, DMAIC, Process Improvement, Quality Tools, Shainin, Simplification, Six Sigma Implementation. —————————— —————————— 1 INTRODUCTION HE demands placed on an organization in today‘s global long been used to identify the key input variables responsible T business environment are driven by customer satisfaction for variations in the output. as well as the fulfilment of the expectation of stakeholders A technical feature that distinguishes Six Sigma from other regarding cost reduction, improving business performance quality approaches is its ability to use statistical methods with- and maintaining a competitive advantage.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham E-Theses
    Durham E-Theses Concise Process Improvement Methods COX, STEVEN How to cite: COX, STEVEN (2011) Concise Process Improvement Methods, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3275/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk Concise Process Improvement Methods Steven Cox BEng MSc by Research School of Engineering and Computing Sciences University of Durham 2011 Steven Cox Concise Process Improvement Methods Abstract This thesis reviews two methodologies for process improvement; Six Sigma and the Shainin System. A strengthened methodology is developed following the 12-step Six Sigma DMAIC cycle with an added Shainin loop in the Analyse phase to narrow down sources of variation. This Hybrid Six Sigma framework is used to develop a sampling strategy known as the Process Variation Diagnostic Tool (PVDT). The PVDT allows a Gage R&R and a Provisional Process Capability study to be carried out with just 20 samples.
    [Show full text]
  • Statistics Digest the NEWSLETTER of the ASQ STATISTICS DIVISION
    Statistics Digest THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ASQ STATISTICS DIVISION VOL. 37, NO. 1 | FEBRUARY 2018 asq.org/statistics IN THIS ISSUE Articles Message from MINI- PAPER PVR and How the Cookie the Chair Crumbles ...........................6 Steven Schuelka COLUMNS Design of Experiments .......11 Welcome to 2018 and what I hope will be a prosperous year for all. First off, I want to Statistical Pro cess thank you for your continued membership in the Statistics Division. I’ve been a member Control ............................12 of the division since almost its inception and have had the privilege of being part of Stats 101 .........................20 the division leadership team these past ten years. It is now an honor to be the Chair of the Statistics Division this year. I humbly follow in the footsteps of those past chairs who Hypothesis Testing .............20 blazed the trail ahead of me and created such a strong foundation. Standards InSide- Out .........26 One of my most enjoyable roles has been that of Outreach Chair where the goal is to FEATURE promote our division’s products and ser vices at dif fer ent conferences. Many people The Dorian Shainin Medal, come up to our booth and comment that they want to learn more about statistical Recognizing Innovation ......28 methods because they are doing “stats” at work. To that end, one of our most popu lar giveaways has been a SPC Reference Card that captures many of formulas, factors, Departments etc. necessary to construct a wide range of control charts. Often people ask if they can grab a handful for officemates.
    [Show full text]
  • Quality Improvement Techniques
    Quality Improvement Techniques Vikas Kumar1*, Sarita Choudhary2 1,2Government Polytechnic College, Lecturer Mechanical Engineering, Sikar Rajasthan, India Abstract In the current scenario of highly competitive international markets, quality is the key to survival. Quality is improved and productivity is increased by reducing the defective-rate of products, and by using the Man, Machine and Material in the best way possible. Quality is improved when the defect rate in the process is reduced. So for this purpose, several approaches are used, such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Shainin DOE technique, Statistical Process Control, Trial and Error method and Taguchi Method. Keywords: Quality, ANOVA, Six Sigma, Shainin, Design of Experiment(DOE), Taguchi, SPC 1. Introduction Manufacturing companies are under increasingly diverse and mounting pressures due to more sophisticated markets, changing customer choice and global competition (Dangayach&Deshmukh, 2003). In this competitive scenario, both leading manufacturers and service providers have come to see quality as a strategic weapon in their competitive battles. As a result, they have committed substantial resources to developing metrices like as defect rates, response time, delivery commitments, and evaluation of products, services and operations performance. Quality is cited as the single most important factor in determining market share. The quality measures represent the most positive step taken to date towards broadening the basis of business performance measurement (Dharf et al., 2005). The improvement in the process and reduction in the variations is achieved by a fundamental understanding of quality improvement is essential to compete effectively in today‟s international markets (Kolarik, et al., 1995). Quality is improved when the defect rate in the process is reduced.
    [Show full text]
  • Failure Analysis
    FAILURE ANALYSIS Failure Analys is : A Pr actical Guide f or M anufac ture r s of Electronic C omponents and Sys t ems , F irst Edition. Marius I. B azuˆ and Titu-Marius I. Bajenescu.˘ © 2011 J ohn Wiley & Sons, Ltd. P ublis hed 2011 by J ohn Wiley & Sons ISB N, Ltd.: 978-0-470-74824-4 FAILURE ANALYSIS A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR MANUFACTURERS OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS Marius Bazuˆ National Institute for Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest, Romania Titu Bajenescu˘ University Professor, International Consultant, C. F. C., Switzerland A John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., Publication This edition first published 2011 © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Registered office John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com. The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.
    [Show full text]
  • A Short History of Reliability
    A Short History of Reliability James McLinn CRE, ASQ Fellow April 28, 2010 Reliability is a popular concept that has been celebrated for years as a commendable attribute of a person or a product. Its modest beginning was in 1816, far sooner than most would guess. The word “reliability” was first coined by poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge [17]. In statistics, reliability is the consistency of a set of measurements or measuring instrument, often used to describe a test. Reliability is inversely related to random error [18]. In Psychology, reliability refers to the consistency of a measure. A test is considered reliable if we get the same result repeatedly. For example, if a test is designed to measure a trait (such as introversion), then each time the test is administered to a subject, the results should be approximately the same [19]. Thus, before World War II, reliability as a word came to mean dependability or repeatability. The modern use was re- defined by the U.S. military in the 1940s and evolved to the present. It initially came to mean that a product that would operate when expected. The current meaning connotes a number of additional attributes that span products, service applications, software packages or human activity. These attributes now pervade every aspect of our present day technologically- intensive world. Let’s follow the recent journey of the word “reliability” from the early days to present. An early application of reliability might relate to the telegraph. It was a battery powered system with simple transmitters and receivers connected by wire. The main failure mode might have been a broken wire or insufficient voltage.
    [Show full text]
  • Leaking Rear Axles: a Design for Six Sigma Project at General Motors
    2006:239 CIV MASTER’S THESIS Leaking Rear Axles A Design for Six Sigma Project at General Motors MARCUS HEINCKE MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMME Industrial Economics Luleå University of Technology Department of Business Administration and Social Sciences Division of Quality & Environmental Management 2006:239 CIV • ISSN: 1402 - 1617 • ISRN: LTU - EX - - 06/239 - - SE Preface This Master’s Thesis is the last part of my education in Industrial Management and Engineering with concentration towards Quality Technology and Management at Luleå University of Technology. The thesis is conducted at General Motors Corporation in Detroit during late fall and winter of 2005. The written report has been conducted in Sweden during the first half of 2006. I would like to express my gratitude to Bo Anderson for giving me the opportunity to do my Master’s Thesis at GM. Special thanks goes to my supervisor at GM, Jim Pastor, for giving me excellent guidance and always lending me a helping hand when needed, both during my time in Detroit as well as when writing the report back in Sweden. I would also like to thank Thomas Nejman for helping me with practical things before and during my stay and for taking good care of me during my time in Detroit. Also big thanks to Rickard Garvare, my supervisor at Luleå University of Technology, for excellent feedback and support during the project. During my time at GM I met a lot of people who helped me out a lot with their expertise and knowledge. Glen Pruden, Dave Teichman, Kevin Frontera, Mike Palecek and Scott Neher, thank you very much for your help.
    [Show full text]
  • Design for Six Sigma: Caveat Emptor Gregory H
    The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/2040-4166.htm IJLSS 1,1 Design for Six Sigma: caveat emptor Gregory H. Watson and Camille F. DeYong 66 School of Industrial Engineering and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the historical approach to concurrent engineering (CE) which has resulted in product line management (PLM) and then evaluates the theoretical models that have been proposed for design for Six Sigma (DFSS) in order to determine which model is able to provide the most consistent approach with historical development of PLM. Design/methodology/approach – The approach begins with an overview of the approach taken by the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) in the development of a coherent quality methodology for structured analysis and problem solving – the Deming Wheel of plan-do-check-act (PDCA) which has become the standard model in Japanese total quality management to define a logical decomposition in process management. In Japan, PDCA is the single logical model which has been broadly accepted as the construct for understanding how to develop both strategic and operational quality methods. The second step in the approach is to examine a similar American development of the model for statistical problem solving that is applied in the Six Sigma method for statistical problem solving: define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC). Next, the paper examines the historical sequence in the way the product development process has developed over the past forty years, with emphasis on its military origins (especially CE) and which resulted in the generic model for PLM.
    [Show full text]
  • USE of SHAININ TOOLS for SIMPLIFYING SIX SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION in QMS/ISO CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENT– an INDIAN SME CASE STUDY Anand K
    Journal of Engineering Research and Studies E-ISSN 0976-7916 Research Article USE OF SHAININ TOOLS FOR SIMPLIFYING SIX SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION IN QMS/ISO CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENT– AN INDIAN SME CASE STUDY Anand K. Bewoor*, Maruti S. Pawar Address for Correspondence *1Mechanical Engineering Dept.,Vishwakarama Institute of Information Tech.,Kondhwa (Bk), Pune 411048, Maharashtra, India 2Professor and Vice-Principal, B. M. I. T., Solapur University, Solapur Maharashtra, India. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] ABSTRACT Six sigma for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is an emerging topic among many academics and Six Sigma practitioners over the last two to three years. Very few studies have been reported about the successful applications of Six Sigma in SMEs. Main objective of this paper is to examine the extent of usefulness of a simpler but not very frequently used methodology known as the Shainin methodology for simplifying the implementing Six Sigma. To confirm whether Six Sigma implementation is simplified, this paper highlights the comparison of three DOE approaches viz. Classical, Taguchi and Shainin methodology. A case study based research work done in ISO certified Indian SME, concludes that, Six Sigma implementation process can be simplified by using Shainin tools and proper use company’s ISO/QMS. KEYWORDS Six Sigma, Shainin Tools, QMS, Indian SMEs. 1. INTRODUCTION and new product and service development. In recent past, academicians, practitioners Six Sigma relies on statistical methods and and organizational researchers have the scientific method to make dramatic recognized that the Quality Management reductions in customer defined defect System (QMS) process and the Six-Sigma rates’’ (Linderman et al., 2003).
    [Show full text]
  • The Optimization of General Motors' Warranty System by Reducing Mean Time to Discover Failure
    The Optimization of General Motors' Warranty System by Reducing Mean Time to Discover Failure By Jelani H. Ellington MBA, Indiana University, 2003 BS Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina A&T State University, 1997 Submitted to the Systems Design & Management Program in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology June, 2005 C 2005 Jelani H Ellington All rights reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part Signature of Author: _ _ _ _ _ __ _ Jelani H. Etington Systems Design & Management Fellow May 6, 2005 Certified by: Dr Daniel Whitney, Yhei.-iKdvisor Center for Technology, Policy, & Industrial Development Senior Lecturer, Engineering Systems Division MASSACHUSETTS INS1UTE OF TECHNOLOGY BARKER MAY 272005 LIBRARIES The Optimization of General Motors' Warranty System by Reducing Mean Time to Discover Failure By Jelani H. Ellington Systems Design & Management Program on May 4, 2005 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Engineering & Management ABSTRACT Warranty is an important part of many organizations. Warranty costs take money directly away from corporations' bottom line. General Motors Corporations warranty liability costs its shareholders upwards of billion dollars annually. General Motors currently uses RedX, a systematic design of experiments methodology, to try to reduce warranty costs. Although this approach has reduced warranty costs, it has not done so neither fast nor sufficiently as high costs remains. The General Motors' warranty system was mapped and diagnosed.
    [Show full text]