Articles by Jim L. Smith

During my courses preparing quality professionals to successfully take certification exams offered by American Society for Quality (ASQ), one topic that constantly comes up is the challenge of getting organizational management to support quality initiatives.

The question of where to focus to maximize effectiveness is a conundrum.

Six Sigma is still one of the most popular methodologies in use today. As proof all one has to do is read the periodicals and textbooks or attend an ASQ section meeting or conference.

It is not uncommon to blame senior management for most of what ails an organization. However, it is past time to rethink this attitude!

Many organizations make a mistake when trying to replace their design process with Design for Six Sigma. DFSS was never intended to completely replace an organization’s existing design process. 

We quality professionals can inadvertently turn off our management team and, thereby, hurt our chances of successfully promoting good ideas.

In my work with quality professionals, I am constantly amazed at how many lament that their wonderful ideas did not see the light of day because ‘short-sighted’ management didn’t endorse them.

When faced with a situation, whether it be a problem or a decision, we typically need the right answer, and quickly! There are many tools, techniques and processes that are at our disposal, such as Six Sigma, but many of these take time.

Uncontrolled variation is the enemy to quality. It’s what experts W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, et al, spent their professional lives stressing to industrial leaders.

It would be a relatively safe assumption that most everyone has been envious of the achievements of others.