Preface

The Six Sigma Tool Navigator™ is a result of my constant search to discover additional, special, or more appropriate tools to enhance my team facilitation skills in diverse problem-solving or process-improvement efforts. The handbook itself presents 222 tools standardized in an easy-to-read format that includes a description of not only how to apply the tools but how to link them as well. It also provides a practical example with an illustration of how the tool is used in the team setting. In addition, the revised Six Sigma Tool Navigator now reflects a set of tool-strings or flowcharts of interconnected tools for Six Sigma teams. All 222 tools have been sorted and placed into flowcharts drawn for a specific purpose or outcome. This new element will be of great assistance to team-based organizations that desire to succeed with Six Sigma.

From my first involvement with quality circles in the 1960s to the present day of business process reengineering (BPR) and integrated product development (IPD) teams, I have collected books on tools and attended or presented workshops on tools either in the employee training environment or as adjunct faculty for the adult learner attending local universities. My first experience with Six Sigma came in 1995, when I was trained and certified as a Six Sigma instructor by Motorola, the originator of Six Sigma Quality. Since that time, I have trained and facilitated Six Sigma workshops for approximately 2,500 Engineers, managers, and company trainers. My ongoing review of literature and exchange of information with other Six Sigma and TQM practitioners resulted in many files and binders of collected tool information. While having so many tools available contributed to my flexibility as a facilitator, it became frustrating at times to search for half-remembered tools.

I have seen hardworking teams come to a screeching halt for the lack of "next-step" tools. I have seen bundles of rolled up flip charts in managers' offices, the output of many brainstorming sessions and other team activities, which had never moved beyond the idea generation phase because of the lack of appropriate tools. It has been said that if a hammer is your only tool, all problems begin to look like nails (source unknown). This handbook gives teams the tools to start and complete any task.

I have often been disappointed to find that seemingly "new" tools were the same or variations of tools that I knew by another name. TQM seminars, problem-solving workshops, books, and guides usually covered the basic seven management and seven statistical tools (see Introduction) and offered teams very few additional tools from which to select. During a recent review (2002) of available Six Sigma books, I have discovered with great feelings of pride that perhaps 90% of the tools listed in the Six Sigma Tool Navigator™ were recommended or discussed by various authors in their books. According to the experts, these tools are needed to be applied in the DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) and/or PFSS (Processing for Six Sigma) phases.

Clearly, a comprehensive handbook was needed. Based on my 30 years of collecting material and notes on tools and techniques, and a current extensive review of the literature, I set out to achieve the following objectives with this handbook:

1. Simplicity.

   My first concern was that the handbook be written and formatted in very easy to understand language with clear illustrations. This concern came from my experience teaching research and statistics courses to undergraduate and graduate adult students and listening to their frequent complaints about being unable to read, let alone understand, the text. This simplification has been accomplished with step-by-step, detailed procedures, use of realistic data, and a final illustration that shows the outcome that teams would expect to see from the application of a particular tool.

2. Ready reference.

   Second, I wanted this comprehensive handbook to be used by teams as a ready reference so they would no longer find it necessary to chase after other breakthrough tools. My intention was that this handbook could be used as a self-study text, guide, or training material for continuous team reference or for classroom instruction.

3. Thoroughness.

   I set out to identify the most frequently used problem-solving and process/quality improvement tools. This lengthy and thorough investigation resulted in the identification of 527 tool names or titles. I was then able to effectively reduce those to 222 tools, since many tools were known by several names. My final list accounted for 222 tools, covered by 396 commonly referred to tool names.

4. Clear classification.

   To assist in this classification effort, I sorted all tools into major processes, including:

   • TB–Team Building

   • IG–Idea Generating

   • DC–Data Collecting

   • AT–Analyzing/Trending

   • ES–Evaluating/Selecting

   • DM–Decision Making

   • PP–Planning/Presenting

   • CI–Changing/Implementing

5. Appropriate tool selection.

   My last challenge was to find a way to help the team select the appropriate tool for any given situation or discipline and identify when to use it within one of the six problem-solving phases. This was accomplished through the design of a standard description process, which also provided the before-and-after tools list. This standard format was used for all 222 tools in the handbook.

My latest idea on tool selection was the development of Six Sigma tool-strings—flowcharts showing in what sequence the tools have to be completed in order to show a certain result, outcome, or opportunity. This approach will provide instant tools linkage for Six Sigma teams.

I have made every effort to identify and credit the originators or sources of many of the tools presented in this handbook. I offer my sincere apology if I have overlooked anyone. I give special thanks to my contacts at the following organizations who granted permission to reprint certain information (see respective permission granted notices):

Conway Quality, Inc.
Juran Institute, Inc.
MIT, Center for Advanced Engineering Study and
The W. Edwards Deming Institute
Phillip Crosby Associates, Inc.

Finally, I would also like to thank a very good friend and the statistics instructor who taught me much, John Timko. I am indebted to him for allowing me to reprint the statistical tables in the Appendix. His consulting firm, Statistics for Management, is located at 2112 Apricot Drive, Irvine, CA 92620, [phone].

Please mail to me any tool or technique not described in this handbook for possible inclusion in a future edition. I thank you in advance for this information.

Acknowledgments

The Six Sigma Tool Navigator™ could not have materialized without the consistent support and timely advice of my own team, people whom I gratefully acknowledge for their ongoing encouragement to write this book.

First, I would like to give my special thanks to my wife Giovanna who, while waiting patiently for "my return," often gave a valuable, non-expert perspective during the drafting of the tools.

Many sincere thanks to my daughter, Dana Giovanna King, who, in spite of her busy schedule teaching and grading papers, spent many long hours editing and revising my drafts. Her constructive comments and rewriting suggestions helped immeasurably in producing the final draft. Her seven-year-old son, our Steven, really made my day whenever he kept me company in my workroom.

My sons, James Walter and Anthony Peter, also made their highly appreciated contributions. I thank Jim for his special counsel on all administrative matters and Tony for his much needed periodic typing assistance.

I am also indebted to my brother Peter Michalski for sharing his computer expertise, insights, and constructive evaluations.

Ms. Ana Castillo deserves many thanks and a "job well done" for her total typing effort, the monotonous retyping of revisions, and the final checking and formatting of the tools.

Finally, I want to thank the team at Productivity Press, who provided me with the much appreciated technical support.

Walter J. Michalski, Ed.D.