Tag Archives: Continuous Improvement

Photo of ASQ Raleigh SIG meeting attendees

SIG Meeting — March 2025

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This month we had a theme: Shingo — How does it avoid “improvement fatigue.” Seven people (all ASQ Raleigh members) participated in the discussion.

The discussion started with the term QMS. Are we talking about Quality Management Software or Quality Management Systems? They aren’t the same. A tool to assist compliance vs. a system or framework to advance quality?

Who is Shingo? What is the Shingo Model?

Most of us are familiar with TQM, JIT, SMED, Gemba, etc. in Continuous Improvement (CI) but may not know how much Shingo contributed to the knowledge and practice. It’s time to learn more about the concepts/tools and some history of quality by reading a few books by Shingo!

The discussion went around the core elements of the Shingo Model — results, tools, systems, and finally guiding principles and culture. How are these elements connected and what are the most critical?

A common challenge in CI is that it’s often reactive, not built in the structure and operations of the organization. We all heard Deming saying “A bad system will beat a good person every time.” Obviously, creating systems that support the people using the CI tools is management’s responsibility.

The Shingo Model could be a solution to building a sustained CI culture. But why are so few organizations embracing it? We wished that we had more time to discuss how leadership, value, purpose, scientific thinking, and organizational alignment come into play. To be continued…

The next SIG meeting at Frontier RTP will be on Thursday, April 10.

ASQ Raleigh Special Interest Group Meeting — April 10, 2025

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The SIG event is participant-driven — we will have open discussion around topics related to the quality profession. We may have a theme but no formal speakers or agenda. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the discussion. So bring your questions and ideas to share with other participants.

This event is free and open to anyone who is interested in the quality profession. No ASQ membership is required. ASQ members will receive RU credit for participation.

We will meet at Frontier RTP (first floor) at 4:30pm or whenever you can join us. It will be during Frontier RTP’s weekly Out of Office event. It’s a great opportunity to connect with people in the triangle community. More information will be provided to the registered attendees before the event.

Register here.

Photo of ASQ Raleigh SIG meeting attendees

Six Sigma SIG — February 2025

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It’s been a while since we had our Six Sigma Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting. This month’s topic was “How Effective is Lean Six Sigma?” We had 18 people attending at the NC Biotech Center, which sponsors ASQ Raleigh and has a state-of-art conference center for the event.

The attendees represented various industries such as life sciences, semiconductors, and manufacturing. About one third were non-ASQ members, and 40+% were first-time attendees.

To help build the Quality community, four ASQ Raleigh member leaders (i.e. volunteers who make things happen) welcomed the audience and gave an introduction of ASQ and ASQ Raleigh.

Given the range of attendee’s experience in Continuous Improvement, the meeting started with a 30-minute refresher on the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, prompting reactions and ideas on the challenges and opportunities in the current environment, which was the focus of the break-out session.

After about 50 minutes of active discussion, three break-out groups shared their key takeaways, touching various questions, such as

  • How to help change the culture?
  • How can Lean Six Sigma help drive change?
  • How do we address the challenges related to bringing back manufacturing to the US?
  • How do we gain buy-in from senior management?
  • How to apply Lean and/or Six Sigma in non-manufacturing, such as R&D and IT?
  • What kinds of incentives are effective for different demographics?

A few ideas emerged as potential topics for future events.

  • What is a Kaizen event? How do you lead such events?
  • How do you align or prioritize Continuous Improvement effort or projects?
  • What could business process re-engineering look like now (compared to the 90’s)?
  • How can Lean Six Sigma help R&D, Quality, and tech transfer?
  • How do we engage people in Continuous Improvement?

Thanks to all participants for their contributions. We will have many ideas to work from.

The next event will be the monthly Quality Special Interest Group at Frontier RTP on Thursday, March 13.