Author name: Forrest Breyfogle

30,000-foot-level charting provides a means to create a predictive measurement statement, which quantifies what internal or external customers of a process are experiencing over time; i.e., Voice of the Customer (VOC). The 30,000-foot-level control chart tracks the output of a process at a high level and is not intended to be used to determine if and when timely process input adjustments should be made.

Acceptable Quality Level (AQL), which provides a sample size to determine if a lot should be accepted or rejected, statistically does not protect customer. Sampling plans are typically determined from tables as a function of an AQL criterion and other characteristics of the lot.

Big data in information technology is a collection of very large, complicated data sets. With these datasets, it becomes difficult to process using traditional data processing applications. With this large amount of data, correlations can be found to identify business trends and other complex relationships.

Executive leadership benefits when it has a business management system that orchestrates predictive scorecards, analytically/innovatively determine strategies, and identification/execution of process improvement projects that benefit the enterprise as a whole. Current business practices have shortcomings relative to the integration of these methodologies.

C-charts are used in quality control to identify when special-cause or out-of-control conditions occur in timeseries count data so that timely corrective actions can be taken to resolve problems. Sometimes data from a cchart are also used to describe process capability.

Individuals control charts (I-charts or X-charts) can be used for time-series tracking of a process to determine if the process is in statistical control and can be considered stable. When a process is considered stable, it experiences only common-cause variability. When a process is not in control, special-cause conditions can be causing non-stability.

Lean has a very good tool set; however, it is not a business management system. To better address the challenges of the day, organizations need an effective business management system that integrates Lean tools with predictive scorecards and analytical/innovative strategies so that undertaken process improvement efforts have whole-enterprise benefits. The Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE)1 business management system, which is illustrated in Figure 1, accomplishes this organizational objective.