Ford & GM Co. & UAW - He was not an Executive of any Kind!!!

Now that Ford has joined GM and announced its next buyout plan for workers the UAW locals are again in reaction mode wondering what to do now.

They don't want their workers to take the plans unless the workers can be replaced. Why, because they are afraid of "extinction." This means union leaders will no longer be needed to rise up and yell and scream "after" every decision is made. Also see http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/07/quality-partner-where-is-uaw-when-they.html

3/31/07

No Response to This --> "Ford employee jumps to death in building's atrium"

Ford Motor Co. and Dearborn police did not release information about the man, but they confirmed his death.

Here is the quote that again shows the Union and The Company do not see workers as people only as pawns for their self-serving egos and positions.

" IT WAS NOT WORK-RELATED AND HE WAS NOT AN EXECUTIVE OF ANY KIND," SARA TATCHIO, FORD SPOKESWOMAN, SAID SUNDAY.

qualityg says ... Sara? are you a human being of any kind?

Ford & GM ---> Your Radio & TV Commercials Stink

Ford & GM - Who the hell are your customers, the people making (workforce) the cars or people (everyday folk) who buy your cars? Should it not be both? I hope you will say both, so then why do you cater to only work force employees with your ads and confuse the rest of us with your phony numbers, one for workforce employees and one for the common folk.

Can't you advertise to your employees through internal media communications and just tell us common folk the amount we have to pay with out the small print and fast talking pitch men & women.

You promote super prices for employees but not the non-employee. I was wondering if your Mexican Workers can afford your cars? What discounts do you give them? Now that you both continue to cut employees does this not cut your employees off from discounts too? Seems to me this adds to your loss of market share.

Now I need to be fair, both of you do provide discounts to the common folk, BUT it is only in the summer and we pick from the overstocked cars that don't sell.

Get rid of this advertising, I don't believe Honda or Toyota do this, at least not in their promotional ads.

High School Dropouts - It Ain't Sew Badd?

At a school meeting recently the subject of dropouts came up and one teacher suggested providing incentives to keep the kids in school.

Now that I am studying, researching, testing, observing and assessing “Early Childhood” behavior I am more convinced that teachers, parents, coaches and to some extent peers drive out the intrinsic motivation that each child has when starting school as early as the Pre-K level (not a new discovery by any means, but it helps me understand the end-to-end education system from an application view and not just theory). We are taking from our children the chance to experience “Joy of Learning” (Dr. Deming). These types of suggestions are alarming to me because the education system is following the same pattern as big business. Incentives, rewards, etc... are extrinsic motivators that drive the wrong behavior.

If students come to view learning as a means to get a reward/incentive, they will not longer identify learning as something worth doing for the long-term (whole life). American Management still believes rewards and incentives are the way to motivate employees to do a better job. At best, rewards will get some temporary reaction, but it does not last, nor does it change behaviors for the long term and it does more harm than good. Same thing will happen in education. PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!! People are not realizing that fear, incentives (you can have candy if your good or if you eat your vegetables you can have a big piece of cake) negativity, threats, rating students, ranking students are extrinsic in nature and it is these same motivators (negative) used at an early age that drove the inclination to learn out in the first place.

By most accounts (see Detroit Free Press - Failed High Schools) studies have shown there is a 30 – 35% dropout rate at the high school level.

The Alliance for Excellent Education research shows that between 80 –85% of Americans believe the number one priority in our country is high school education.WRONG!!! Here we go again not looking at the systemic nature (end-to-end) of the problem. High School is the output. 95% percent of most problems can be found in the planning, design and the first few input steps of any process. Please start to understand the cost and tampering you are continually doing to this system.By suggesting High School is where we should put the majority of money and effort is like bringing back quality control at the end of the production line.

Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation Report on Dropouts - http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/TransformingHighSchools/RelatedInfo/SilentEpidemic.htm

Systems Optimization: It’s about interdependencies, we must realize that change cannot occur in one school level without affecting the performance and outcome in all other parts of the primary educational system, the system as a whole, and ultimately all other systems by which the school system operates. More on Systems Thinking at http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/02/quality-tooltechnique-systems-thinking.html

Quality Service - "Who Are They?"

WHO AND WHERE ARE THEY?

When I was a Quality Director for one of the major telecommunications companies one of my main responsibilities was to work with Customer Service Centers on process improvement activities. One of the major problems we continuously faced was service order management. It was at times a very frustrating task.

Investigation into this problem with the service representatives who entered the orders brought forth some interesting information. Every time we had a service order problem (defects, throughput delays, etc.), I was informed by the service reps that “they” had not given us the right information. Every time we had a quality problem, “they” hadn’t gotten us the right methods and procedures or “they” didn’t train us on that situation.

With that information, I knew I could use my root cause analysis skills to get to the bottom of the problem and prevent any further occurrences. The service reps inquired as to how I was going to do this. I responded, “All I need to do is to talk to “they.” The reps responded, “that’s great, but they aren’t here.” “All right,” I said, “Where are they?” And they said, “They reside in the Big House (Headquarters) in Chicago.”

On my next trip to the big house in Chicago I asked the first person I met, “Pardon me. Are you they”? The person looked at me in a strange manner, then grinned and said, “No, but I know where they work. They are on the second floor.” My next step was to walk proudly up to the second floor and the first person I ran into I excitedly asked, “are you they?” “No,” she said. They work on the third floor.”

Well the picture was getting clear because I couldn’t find they on the third floor either. When I talked to people in sales, they were always in engineering. And when I talked to engineering, they were always in operations...

Every group or person has a they, and they are always somewhere else. When I finally had just about given up I was informed that they work in the west building. That’s where the President and VP’s work.

As I approached my VP, I excitedly said, “I didn’t know you were they.” She looked at me as she always did and sternly said “I’m not they, they works there----> as she pointed to the CEO’s office.”

So I walked into the President’s office and asked his secretary if I could talk to they. She responded in the all to familiar manner “He is not they, but he is meeting with them now in the stockholders meeting.”

Wait a minute! There were stockholders at each step of my journey, on each floor as well as each department I visited. In fact, I’m a stockholder.

Warning! Do not attempt to find they. I’ve spent over 20 years. They are everywhere and they are nowhere to be found. Do you have any Theys in your workplace?


The previous story (mostly true) was a take off on a similar incident that happened to a Vice President at Texas Instruments.

The point in the story is that we have resorted to a culture of being “victims.” Someone else is responsible or in charge, not me. Well, that type of thinking will not suffice in today’s workplace. We can all sit back and say I’m a victim, or we can choose to go forward and realize that each person is an owner of our company and together we can make a difference.

SIPOC Analysis Questions

I have blogged a number of SIPOC posts that has generated a number of hits, questions and requests qualityg@comcast.net for original pictures/diagrams that sometimes don't show up well on the blog.

Good SIPOC diagrams just don't happen and many of the "pretty" looking ones don't have enough "meat" to make any sense or define a process well enough for improvements.

In order for a good SIPOC Analysis you need good questions and to be a good interviewer.

This post will provide a SIPOC questionnaire that should provide you with a good model (start) for any type of process. Good Luck and remember to Email me if you need a better diagram. My only request is that you let me know if it helps you and if you can improve it in anyway for others to utilize. CLICK ON PIC TO ENLARGE

For more qualityg posts on SIPOC go to http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/10/quality-tooltechnique-sipoc-cccc.html

Educational SIPOC Example at http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/11/quality-education-nclb-state-data.html

What have we learned about Oil Prices & Six Sigma? – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! They both still gouge their customers

Gasoline Prices

I can remember in 1972, the year before OPEC began to flex its muscles, prices were $1.28 a gallon.

October 1973 - A total ban on oil exports to the Unites States was imposed by the Arab oil-producing nations after the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli War. The ban was lifted March 16, 1974.

December 31, 1973 - President Nixon announced stand-by gasoline rationing in light of the Arab oil embargo. Gasoline stations had already begun voluntarily closing on Sundays.

Back in the 1973-1974 period and in 1979, folks waited for an hour or more on gasoline lines that at times stretched for miles, and people could only buy gas on alternate days, depending upon whether their license plate ended with an odd or even number. The federal government even printed gas-rationing coupons, although they were never used.

I can still remember all of the so-called efforts and story after story how we need to invent new ways for power so that we don’t have to rely on Foreign Oil. Heck, I even did a research paper on “Wind Power.”

Six Sigma

I remember in the early 1990s the many articles written on the demise of TQM and the reasons for its failure.

Click on Reasons to Read

Reasons for TQM Failures

I could go through my boxes of old ASQ Magazines and find scores of articles about why it’s not a fad and why it’s failing. I even wrote reports on the subject and presented them to my Leaders.

Fast Forward to today and I can’t tell you how many articles are being written on how to fix Six Sigma from failing. Here is one recent example from the latest edition of Quality Digest.

qualitydigest/articles/Six Sigma Failure

What is interesting is this is nothing more than a maturity cycle. Consultants are trying to get their last drop of money from unsuspecting companies while they are also at work devising up the new quality buzz fad that is just around the corner. The most recent scam is to combine "Lean w/Six Sigma" and tell you now can get faster results. This is the same path that Michael Hammer took with "Reengineering" in the early 90s. He made a mint by saying this would get faster and more efficient results when TQM began to fade Quality Consultants needed another iron in the fire to keep their business going. Reengineering was really nothing new, in fact it was so fast it forgot (not really just felt they were not necessary) to include the employees. Leaders get excited when they hear faster and less costly and no problems from the employees.

Check this ad and site out from 7/31/06

Finally! A "Lean" Approach to Deploying Lean Six Sigma

Leap Technologies has pioneered a simpler, faster and more cost effective path to Lean Six Sigma results. By applying "Lean Thinking" to Lean Six Sigma we've elimiinated the “fat” from conventional deployment strategies that drives up costs and increases cycle times to results.

http://www.actionworkout.com/rlss_aleanapproach.asp

NOTE: The quality emphasis will move from Japan to China, South Korea & India for the remainder of the decade. It will be big, I mean big. The United States? - Status Quo, unless new leadership and management style is implemented in the major industries.

Let me give you a hint; it will be a combination of two types of efforts, and they both have the letter “Z” in their names. Please remember these methods are not new, but they will start creeping into consultants bag of magic tricks (Felix the Cat) by the end of the year. Where is the Professor and Rock Bottom when you need them!

Updated 2/4/07

I told you another Quality Method was on the heels of Six Sigma & Lean...

http://www.bmgi.com/upload/presscoverage/141.pdf

Additional information can be found at:

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/11/misc-q-email-chute-on-quality-dilbert.html

updated 9/9/05

The following article was sent to me by Mike P.

This is exactly what I am talking about!

click to read---> Get a Lean Certification

qualityg says... Quality Evolution Gone Mad

updated 7/26/06

Please go to this site http://www.isixsigma.com/and look at the ads listed on the top and side. It was just a short time ago (less than a year) these companies did not have Lean or TWIZ in their advertising.

I wrote the following statement about five (5) years a ago.

Please! Please! Do not listen to Quality Consultants/Experts (Charlatans) who pontificate the so called difference between Six Sigma and TQM and all the other quality initiatives (BPI, TQL, Process Management, ISO 9000, MBNQA, Reengineering, TWIZ, Lean, or any combination of those mentioned, etc...). Six Sigma and the others will only add value if you use it as a means to get closer to your customers and your bottom line.

I will not support any improvement methodology that doesn’t take customer expectations and desires into account up front! That means before the "Bottom Line."


This has been the same message since 1980 when the Quality Movement was at its height in the United States. It's that simple!

Other related posts by qg:

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2005/07/quality-tooltechnique-six-sigma.html

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2005/04/quality-tooltechnique-six-sigma-been.html

qualityg says ... What did I learn? I learned that Oil Executives and Quality Consultants continue to gouge every dollar out their customers.

People just dust off your original training material, implement where it makes sense (design or improve product/service to customer), avoid past mistakes and execute.

Go to this site for 10 excellent reports on Six Sigma Quality http://users.bigpond.net.au/SixSigmaFallacies/


Scott Adams does it again: Click on Pic to Enlarge

3/1/07

There are blogs everywhere spouting the success of Lean Six Sigma. Unfortunatley if you question or provide input the Bloggers who support each others are the only ones to disagree or reply.

It is hard to admit the so-called Training that people have gotten to obtain SS Belts really mean nothing to those outside of their own environment. Using Martial Arts Belts to signify rank and smarts with Six Sigma was the first big mistake. If you want to be creative or come up with something "Really" new then don't use others Marketing Tools. Besides you do a disservice to the Martial Arts community. Who ever heard of getting a black belt in 2-3 weeks (don't argue this point, I have at least 10 sites that advertise this marketing crap).

I have 15 Quality Certfications (since 1980) including Six Sigma (took me much longer than 2-3 weeks), TQM, Baldridge, ISO, SPC, etc... There nice to have on a wall but mean nothing unless you prove and apply the principles. So, stop promoting the Tool/Technique and promote your application.

http://blogs.isixsigma.com/archive/six_sigma_and_standardization.html

http://blogs.isixsigma.com/archive/six_sigma_sucks.html#810

3/19/07

Six Sigma vs. TQM

A good debate between two Quality Experts (I'm with Mr. Harrington).

http://www.qualitydigest.com/nov06/articles/03_article.shtml